Degree Awarding and Diploma Delivery

• First round of degree awarding:

• 1. The Office of the Registrar starts reviewing and awarding degrees two days after instructor’s final grade submission deadline. This is usually, the Wednesday after the last day of finals examination week.
  2. The first round of degree awarding for those who meet all degree requirements occurs 3-5 business days after final grades are posted.  
  3. When degree requirements are reviewed and determined as met, it is processed as awarded and posted on the academic transcript the same day.
  4. Final Official transcripts showing degree earned can be ordered at this time from the National Student Clearinghouse at https://www.mssu.edu/student-affairs/registrar/transcripts.php
  5. The list of awarded credentials is sent to our third-party diploma processor Paradigm to process, issue digital diplomas, print and mail paper diplomas.
  6. Digital diplomas are ready for retrieval about one week after submission to Paradigm.
  7. Graduates are notified by email to their MSSU email address to download their digital diplomas.
  8. Paper diplomas are typically mailed about 4-6 weeks after submission to Paradigm.

• Subsequent awarding of degrees:

• 1. Degree awarding continues biweekly up to six weeks into the following regular semester for students who have outstanding requirements that can still be satisfied within that window of time. 
  2. Examples of outstanding requirements that can be resolved within the six weeks students with NO/IN/IP grades, waiting on test scores or transcripts, pending petitions to be submitted or processed, and waiting on fully signed graduation checklists.
  3. Advisors are the first to be notified of outstanding requirements.
  4. Students are also notified of outstanding requirements that are not resolved by the advisor.
  5. Students with outstanding requirements that are not resolved by the end of the 6-weeks deadline will be moved to the following semester graduation to allow for more time to address the requirements.
  6. Students are notified by email to their MSSU email address.
  7. Subsequent awarded degrees will be submitted for diploma issuance biweekly.
  8. Digital diplomas are ready for retrieval about one week after submission to Paradigm.
  9. Graduates are notified by email to their MSSU email address to download their digital diplomas.
  10. Paper diplomas are typically mailed about 4-6 weeks after submission to Paradigm.

• Did not graduate:

• 1. Students who have unresolved outstanding requirements and those whose outstanding requirements could not be resolved by the end of the six weeks will be notified that they did not graduate and be informed of the reasons.
  2. Their graduation application will be moved to the following regular semester.

• Deadline for late degree awarding: Six weeks into the following semester.

• 1. The last date for submission of documents to meet outstanding requirements for degree awarding is Friday of the 5th week into the following semester. 
  2. Any work submitted after the deadline to meet outstanding requirements will be applied to the degree to be awarded the following semester.
  3. NO DEGREES CAN BE AWARDED AFTER THIS DEADLINE.

MSSU DOES NOT AWARD CREDENTIALS RETROACTIVELY!  

DIPLOMA TYPES:

Undergraduate & Graduate Certificates

• Students earning multiple certificates will be receiving separate diplomas, one for each certificate code.

Associates, Bachelor, & Masters diplomas:

• Students earning only one type of credential will have one diploma
• Students earning multiple degrees of the same type will receive one diploma.

For example, students earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration for Management and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Human Resource Management, will have both credentials on one diploma that says, “Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Management, Human Resource Management”.

• Students earning multiple degrees of different types will receive different diplomas.

For example, a student earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology will have two different diplomas, one for each degree type.

Minors: Minors earned are notated on transcripts only, not documented on diplomas.

Have questions? Email registrar@mssu.edu