Pending Degree Audit by Departments and The Graduation Unit

Graduate students can apply for graduation in several ways:

1. Student-Self Service:  Students are able to put themselves on the degree list via the student-self service system through the tenth day of classes.  
2. Application for Degree Form:  Students use Application for Degree forms.  Students may continue to send these forms directly to the Graduation Unit.
3. Departments Add Students to PDL:  Departments are allowed to add students to the PDL via the Pending Degree Lists provided by the Graduation Unit. 

The records of all students that have applied for graduation must be audited and their degrees certified.  There are many steps involved in a graduation audit, involving both the graduate departments and the Graduation Unit of OAR. 

For August and October, the Graduation Unit will send the pending degree list to the graduate departments two times.  In December and May, the list will be sent three times.  Each iteration of the pending degree list has a specific purpose, and MUST be returned to the Graduation Unit by a specified date.  If the deadlines are not met, Graduate College approval will be required before the Graduation Unit will continue processing that department’s degree list. 

The list below outlines the actions the graduate department must take prior to returning each pending degree list to the Graduation Unit.  

Summary of Actions to be taken by the Graduate Departments Prior to Returning First PDL:

1. Add Students’ Names to PDL: The primary purpose of the first pending degree list is to get all of the appropriate names on the list. 
• Add all appropriate students’ names on the spreadsheet received from the Graduation Unit OR send an email with the appropriate students’ names at any time during the add period.
2. Continuing for Doctoral Degree:  Indicate in the “Continuing for PhD” column of the spreadsheet whether or not the student is continuing for a doctoral degree.
3. Thesis Required: If your department has both a thesis and a non-thesis option, indicate whether or not a thesis is required.
4. Joint Degree Program:  When a student is in a joint degree program, the admit type on SGASTDN should be JP.
   • If SGASTDN does not show student’s admit type as JP and the student either was admitted as a joint degree student or has petitioned to become a joint degree student, send an email to GPASU at graduateadmissions@uiuc.edu to let them know that the admit type should be changed to JP.
   • If the student is pursuing a joint degree and has not officially been changed to a joint degree student, have the student petition to be admitted as a joint degree student.     

Summary of Actions to be taken by the Graduate Departments Prior to Returning Second PDL:

Much more is involved with the second pending degree list.  This is the point at which the record should be in order.  Assuring that the student’s record is in order at this point will drastically decrease the processing time required immediately before degree certification, with the result of diminishing the number of students unable to receive their degrees at the expected conferral date.

1. Holds that Will Prevent Graduation:  If any of the following holds are still active (with future end date) on SOAHOLD, they must be removed prior to an audit being done by the Graduation Unit:
   • Graduate College Advising Hold
   • Departmental Advising Hold
   • Registrar 1 Hold
   • Transcript Not Received Hold
2. Previous Degrees:  Check Banner to be certain the student’s previous degrees are posted.  If no previous degree information is on Banner, check to see if there is a transcript hold on SOAHOLD. 
   • If there is a transcript hold, contact the student and ask that final credentials be provided to GPASU immediately.  Once previous degrees are entered and the hold removed, the department will need to contact the Graduation Unit.
   • If degree information is missing, please contact GPASU at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu.
   • If there isn’t a transcript hold, contact GPASU at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu so they can check to see if the student has provided final credentials. 
     • If so, GPASU will enter the information into Banner.
     • If not, the student will need to provide final credentials to GPASU. Once hold is removed and the previous degrees are entered, the department will need to contact the Graduation Unit.
   • Tips on checking Banner for previous degrees:
     • Prior to Fall 2004:  Check for prior degrees on SHATCMT (Next Block icon twice). The format will be:  PREV Name of School Year Degree Awarded Degree Name – As long as there is an entry for a post-secondary institution on SHATCMT, final credentials have been received, unless the entry says that the degree is expected.
     • Fall 2004 – Spring 2006: Check for prior degrees on SOAPCOL.  The degree is final if there is a “1XREC record” (Next Block and then use scroll bar). – Exception: If the student did not receive a U.S. Bachelor’s equivalent, you will not be able to tell whether the credentials are final since no “1XREC record” will be created if the student did not graduate.  Please note under Comments that the student does not have a U.S. Bachelor’s equivalent; the Graduation Unit will check to see if final credentials have been received.
     • Fall 2006 Forward:  Check for previous degrees on SAAADMS. 
     • Note: The exact format will be available later this year.
3. Preliminary and Final Exams:  For doctoral students, preliminary and final exams must be recorded on Banner. 
   • Check that both the preliminary and the final exams have been recorded in Banner for students pursuing Ph.D.s.
     • Recorded on SHATCMT (Next Block one time).
   • If missing, send the Graduation Unit the appropriate Certificate of Result.
4. Duplicate Degree:  If the pending UIUC degree name is the same as a previous degree, a petition would be required.
   • If you are concerned that a pending UIUC degree will be a duplicate of a previous degree, contact GPASU at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu.  
   • If GPASU determines that the UIUC degree may be a duplicate, a petition will be required.
     • If the petition has been sent to the Graduate College, please note in Comments that the petition is in process.
5. Limited Status for EPT or Departmental Deficiencies:  Check to be certain that limited status for departmental deficiencies (49DPT) and EPT (49EPT) have been cleared by going to SAARRAT.  If there is a “49DPT”, check for a “48DPT” and/or if there is a “49EPT”, check for a “48EPT”.  If these codes are present, the limited status has been cleared.
   • If there is a “49EPT” and no “48EPT”, contact GPASU at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu so they can check to see if the EPT requirements have been met. 
     • If so, GPASU will enter a “48EPT”.
     • If no 48EPT, a petition to waive the requirement or an arrangement of a special exam by GPASU would be required in order for the student to graduate.
   • Note:  All other limited status codes are cleared by Academic Standing, so you do not need to be concerned about clear codes not being on SAARRAT.
6. Temporary Grades: Verify that all NR, NV, I, and DFR (except 599) for previous semesters have been replaced by final grades. If a DFR is to remain, verify that a petition has been approved or is being reviewed by Graduate College. 
   • Grades can be checked on either SHACRSE or SHATERM.
     • A supplemental grade report form will be needed to change all grades.
     • If all doctoral 599s are to be changed to S, check the appropriate column on the PDL.  If any are to remain, a supplemental grade report form will be needed for all those that will be changed.
     • If, due to special circumstances, a DFR is to remain on the transcript permanently, verify that a petition has been approved or is being reviewed by Graduate College.
     • Any temporary grade that has not been replaced by a final grade will prevent the student from graduating, unless a petition allowing it to remain deferred has been approved by the Graduate College.
   • Note: For the current semester, the department is responsible for changing all temporary grades to final grades by the time of final certification.
7. GPA Meets Departmental Minimum:  The student cannot be on the degree list if their GPA is below the departmental minimum, unless due to very unusual circumstances a graduate petition has been approved.
   • GPA for program from which student is graduating.  AGPA must be calculated for the current program. 
     • If courses that were taken in a different program are to be used, an approved petition stating exactly which courses are to be used for the current program will be required.
     • If transfer credit was approved for a different program and is to be used for the current program, an approved petition stating that the transfer work is to be used for the current program will be required.
     • If an undergraduate course is to be used for the current program, a change of level will be required via the petition process.
   • Note:  Academic Standing is based on total GPA for the entire graduate record so may not be accurate when determining whether or not the student needs to petition for low GPA.  The GPA that should be used to determine if a petition is necessary is the GPA for the current program.
8. Petitions:  For all matters that require a petition, check to see if petitions have been approved by Graduate College or are in progress. 
   • The most common petitions related to graduation are petitions for “old” coursework (over 5 years old for a Master’s or over 7 years old for a doctoral degree) and petitions for a GPA below the department minimum.  For all matters that require a petition, check to see if the petition has been approved by the Graduate College.

Summary of Actions to be taken by the Graduate Departments Prior to Returning Third PDL:

Departmental Requirements:  It is the graduate department’s responsibility to confirm this; however when appropriate, the Graduation Unit will check to see that a thesis has actually been deposited since the department does not receive official notification.  The Graduation Unit will also check to see that a doctoral student was registered for the semester (s)he defended.

Deadlines Must Be Met: The deadlines for returning all pending degree lists to the Graduation Unit must be met to avoid petitioning for each student individually.  After the Graduation Unit has completed the final certification of degrees for a specific degree period, all students whose requirements have not been met will be deleted.  The department or the student will need to petition the Graduate College to retroactively add the student back to the degree list once the requirements have been met.

Certification of Degree Letters

1. Certification of Degree Letter Requirements Are Identical to Graduation Requirements:  The same requirements for certifying the student for graduation must be met whenever a Certification of Degree Letter is to be prepared.
2. Departmental Requirements Met:  The department must verify that the departmental requirements have been met before any Certification of Degree Letter can be sent. 
   • If the department emails the Graduation Unit that the student has not met the departmental requirements, the Graduation Unit will notify the student that he needs to contact his department.
   • If there is a transcript hold, contact the student and ask that final credentials be provided to GPASU immediately.  Once previous degrees are entered and the hold removed, the department will need to contact the Graduation Unit.
   • If degree information is missing, contact GPASU at gradadmissions@uiuc.edu.
   • The form on the web states that the Certification of Degree request should be sent to the department.  If the department receives the Certification of Degree request, the department should complete the departmental section.
     • Check box showing that all departmental requirements are met.
     • Print and sign your name.
     • Date

The form should then be sent to the Graduation Unit.  Fax is acceptable.

Note:  If the Certification of Degree request is received by the Graduation Unit, the staff will notify the department via email and will accept email verification that the departmental requirements are met.