Office of the Registrar
Administration Building
Phone: 209-228-7178
Email: registrar@ucmerced.edu
Web: registrar.ucmerced.edu
Graduation Application
Students expecting to complete work for their degree by the end of a semester must declare their intent to graduate by submitting an application, accompanied by the appropriate fee, for the semester or term in which they plan to receive the degree. Students have until February 15 of each year to file to graduate in the spring semester, until June 15 to file to graduate in the summer term, or until September 15 of each year to file to graduate in the fall semester. For more information, see registrar.ucmerced.edu/policies/graduation.
Filing a Graduation Application with an outstanding Incomplete grade on your record or with outstanding transfer work may prevent degree conferral, and you will be required to re-file for a later term.
No changes, except completion of an I grade, can be made to the student’s record once he or she has graduated.
MyDegreePath
UC Merced students can check their degree progress at any time using their audit online through connect.ucmerced.edu. MyDegreePath analyzes degree requirements for a major, concentration, and minor according to the catalog year when a student enters UC Merced. The audit gives a complete picture regarding what degree requirements have been met, are in progress, and are remaining. It is a quick tool that can be used to check progress toward any degree program. Students are also able to create term-by-term academic plans and compare those planned courses to degree requirements. Although MyDegreePath provides a comprehensive description of program requirements, it is unofficial and not intended to supplement the role of the School advisors, who help students with course selection and assist in making informed decisions. See registrar.ucmerced.edu/mydegreepath for more information.
Undergraduate Students
Residency Requirement
Senate Regulation: Part II, Section 2. A.
A minimum of 24 of the last 30 units in academic residence is required prior to the award of the bachelor’s degree. Under certain circumstances, the appropriate dean or Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education may grant exceptions, such as when a student attends classes at another UC campus as an approved visitor or participates in one of the following: UC Education Abroad, UC Washington Center Program or UC Sacramento Center.
Scholarship Requirement
Senate Regulation: Part II, Section 2. B.
To receive a bachelor’s degree, a candidate must have a cumulative 2.0 grade point average for all courses attempted in the University.
Degree Check
The Office of the Registrar will check all pertinent records to ensure that the student has completed a minimum of 120 units and appropriate institutional requirements. The student’s School will check for the fulfillment of major and general education requirements.
Honors at Graduation
Senate Regulation: Part II, Section 4. A.
To be eligible for honors at graduation, a student must have completed a minimum of 50 semester units at the University of California, of which a minimum of 43 units must have been taken for a letter grade and a minimum of 30 units must have been completed at UC Merced. The grade point average achieved must rank in the top 2 percent of the student’s School for highest honors, the next 4 percent for high honors, and the next 10 percent for honors at graduation. The number of recipients eligible under these percentages shall be rounded up to the next higher integer.
Graduate Students
Before a graduate degree can be conferred, candidates must have been advanced to candidacy and completed the master’s thesis (if required) or doctoral dissertation and any required comprehensive or oral examinations. For assistance, go to the Graduate Division office.
Commencement
UC Merced conducts its annual Commencement ceremony following the spring semester. Commencement celebrates the academic achievements of our undergraduate and graduate students and the impact they will have as they transition from the University to the world beyond.
Graduating students are strongly encouraged to participate in Commencement. Each student may participate in only one Commencement ceremony as an undergraduate. Graduate students may participate in two ceremonies if master’s and doctoral degrees are conferred in separate years. Students may choose to participate in the Commencement ceremony if they completed their degree requirements the prior fall, or if they anticipate completing their degree requirements in spring or summer.
Participating in Commencement does not indicate confirmation that degree requirements have been fulfilled. Diplomas are not distributed at Commencement and degrees are not awarded until all requirements are completed.
Diplomas
Diplomas are not distributed at Commencement, but are available several months afterward. The Office of the Registrar emails students when diplomas are mailed and will retain diplomas for five years only. Multiple copies of diplomas are not issued, in accordance with University of California policy (Standing Order 110).
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