Important Senior Information
Spring 2026 Graduation Timeline for BA/BS/BSED Degree Candidates
August/September 2025
All BA/BS/BSED students who submitted a graduation application for Spring 2026 will meet with their major advisor(s) to review the senior checksheet and return the signed verification form to the Office of the Registrar by Monday, September 22, 2025. Even if you plan on delaying your graduation to a time later than Spring 2026, you must complete the senior checksheet, or a registration hold will be placed on your account. If your advisor receives a checksheet for a major that you do not plan on completing, please submit a Major/Minor Declaration Form to the Registrar’s Office to officially drop the major.
January 2026
All students who expect to graduate in May 2026 should be monitoring their degree evaluation and academic transcript as they make changes to their Spring 2026 schedules. Students who are missing requirements will be contacted by the Degree Auditor to determine whether their graduation date will need to be moved to a later term.
February thru April 2026
All degree candidates for May 2026 should be monitoring their progress toward fulfilling all degree requirements. Please review the full list of degree requirements and review your degree evaluation to ensure you are on-track to graduate. If your degree evaluation does not show all requirements completed after registering for your Spring 2026 courses, please contact your advisor and the Degree Auditor for assistance. Remember, it is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with and fulfill all degree requirements.
If you determine that you will not graduate in the Spring 2026 term, please notify the Degree Auditor so your graduation term can be adjusted.
University policy allows students who are no more than one course short of fulfilling all degree requirements to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Students who are one course short must submit a petition and receive approval from the Office of the Registrar to participate. The “Petition to Participate in Commencement” will be available on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage March 9, 2026.
“Grad Fair” is an opportunity to purchase your Commencement regalia (cap, gown tassel, hood) and typically occurs in March each year. See the Commencement webpage for more details.
May 2026
After Spring 2026 term final grades are processed, students who have not fulfilled all degree requirements and are unable to graduate will be contacted by close of day Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Be sure to monitor your UMW email account for important notifications from the Degree Auditors!
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 is the deadline for students transferring in credits to fulfill final degree requirements. Students transferring in final credits must have a Request to Study at Another US Institution Form on file. Official transcripts showing final grades must be received by the Office of the Registrar by 5PM.
Degrees for Spring 2026 graduates will be conferred on Friday, May 15, 2026. All graduates will be notified once their academic transcripts reflect completion of their degrees. Diplomas will be ordered soon after degree conferral and typically are sent to graduates within 4-6 weeks from conferral; graduates with a hold precluding release of their diploma will not have their diploma ordered until the hold is resolved.
Commencement 2026
All graduates of the Class of 2026 are expected to participate in the Commencement ceremony. However, if you are unable to attend the ceremony, please notify Reina Hammer that you will graduate in absentia.
Your name and hometown will be listed in the Commencement Booklet based on the information you provided on your application to graduate. You may review your graduation application via Banner Self-Service. If your information is not correct, please contact Brian Ogle in the Office of the Registrar by Thursday, April 2, 2026.
For more information on Commencement 2026, please visit the UMW Commencement webpage.