Degrees are conferred at the close of each fall, spring, and summer semester. A Degree Application fee is charged to the student account early in the semester of graduation and is payable to Student Account Services prior to graduation.
Degree Application & Diplomas
To graduate, all students must submit a Degree Application through myBama by the deadline published on the Academic Calendar. The Degree Application should be filed for the term in which all degree requirements are expected to be completed. Students pursuing multiple degrees should submit a Degree Application for each degree.
Degree Completion
After the Final Grade Entry deadline published on the Academic Calendar, all degree applicants will be audited for completion of requirements. Degrees will be awarded for pending applicants who meet all requirements and a notification will be sent to the Crimson email account. Once awarded, degrees are immediately viewable on the transcript. Degree Applications will be denied for pending applicants who have not met all degree requirements by the end of the term and a notification will be sent to the Crimson email account. Students have until the Degree Completion Deadline published on the Academic Calendar to resolve any outstanding issues related to their academic record and ensure they have met all requirements for degree. This includes issues related to transfer work, substitutions/exceptions, grade changes, withdrawals, late registration, etc. If all requirements are not met by the published deadline, the Degree Application will be denied and the student will be required to submit a Degree Application for a subsequent term. Degrees will only be awarded at the end of the term in which the student earned the necessary credits to satisfy all degree requirements. No degrees will be awarded after the published deadline. It is the responsibility of the degree applicant to ensure all requirements are met by the published deadline.
Diploma Shipping
Students who complete degree requirements will receive diplomas by mail in accordance with the shipping dates published on the Academic Calendar for the term of graduation. Diplomas are mailed to the diploma mailing address provided by the student on the Degree Application.
Diplomas are not released until the student account has been paid in full and any past due balances cleared with Student Account Services. Students who satisfy financial obligations after the published diploma ship date are responsible for notifying the Office of the University Registrar that the student account has been cleared. The diploma will not be mailed until notification is received.
Once diplomas have been shipped, if a diploma is returned to the Office of the University Registrar as undeliverable, the student will be contacted at the Crimson email address. Diplomas will be held for one calendar year after the graduation date and will then be destroyed. The student must then order a re-issued diploma at the cost of a replacement diploma. If a diploma is delivered damaged, the student should notify the Office of the University Registrar immediately and return the damaged diploma by mail to the office. Once received, a new diploma will be shipped at no charge to the student. Students have 60 days after the diploma ship date published on the Academic Calendar to report a damaged diploma. After that time, a student must order a re-issued diploma at the cost of a replacement diploma.
Replacement Diploma
The University of Alabama issues only one diploma to each graduate at the time of graduation. Graduates needing an additional copy or a replacement copy of the original diploma can place orders online through the Office of the University Registrar.
Diploma Name
The name on the diploma will appear as it does on the academic record in the student information system. On the Degree Application, students will have the option to edit middle name and suffix. These edits are for the diploma only and do not change the official name on the academic record in the student information system. Name changes for the student information system must be filed in accordance with the University of Alabama name change policy.
Graduation Requirements
Residency Requirement
To be eligible for a baccalaureate degree in any school or college, a student must earn in residence at The University of Alabama at least one-fourth of the semester hours required for the degree. The schools and colleges may specify that advanced course work and additional course hours in the major and minor fields be taken in residence. Students should review the individual college residency requirements found in each college or school section of the undergraduate catalog. A student who is within one semester of graduation and plans to complete coursework at an institution other than The University of Alabama must seek the approval of the student's dean's office to ensure compliance with University degree requirements. Students enrolled in the College of Education should consult with the dean's office to ensure compliance with state teacher certification eligibility factors.
GPA Requirement
In order to qualify for a degree from The University of Alabama, a student must earn a GPA of at least "C" (2.0 on a 4.0 grading system) for all work attempted; transfer students must also earn GPAs of at least 2.0 ("C") for work attempted at The University of Alabama. In addition, the student must earn an average of "C" or higher for all work applying to the major. Some divisions of the University may have higher GPA requirements for graduation; the divisional requirements for graduation are found in the sections of this catalog pertaining to each school and college.
Catalog Requirement
Students are required to complete degree requirements as stated in the catalog for the academic year during which they begin earning baccalaureate credit at The University of Alabama. Transfer students will be held to the same standard regardless of when baccalaureate credit may have been earned at other institutions. If students do not complete degree requirements within seven years from the date they began earning baccalaureate credit at The University of Alabama, they must change to a current or more recent catalog, under which they will have seven years from the start of that catalog year to complete their degree. Students may choose a later catalog up to or including the one current at the time of their graduation.
Credit Hour Requirement
Bachelor’s degrees awarded by The University of Alabama require a minimum of 120 hours; some degree programs require more than 120 hours. It is the responsibility of the student to be familiar with the degree requirements of the student's chosen program. For detailed information regarding requirements for a specific degree, please refer to the appropriate section of this catalog.
Guidelines for Substitution/Exception Requests
Students are required to complete degree requirements as stated in the catalog for the academic year during which they begin earning baccalaureate credit at The University of Alabama. A student wishing to deviate in any way from program requirements defined in the catalog must seek an exception/substitution with the college of enrollment. Authority for granting exceptions to major and minor requirements resides with the Dean of the student's college of enrollment. Requests for exceptions to core/general education requirements will be submitted by the college of enrollment to the Office for Academic Affairs for review. Final authority for granting exceptions to core/general education requirements resides with the Office for Academic Affairs. Approved exceptions to major and minor requirements will be posted to the student's audit in Degree Works by the college of enrollment following Dean's approval. Approved exceptions to core/general education requirements will be posted by the Office of the University Registrar following approval by the Office for Academic Affairs.
Degree Amendment
Once a degree has been conferred and posted to the student’s academic record, the record is considered closed. A University of Alabama degree is a public credential and the quality of the education, the integrity of the degree, and the reputation of the institution must be preserved. As a result, only in the rarest and most extenuating of cases would the University make an adjustment to the academic record once the degree has been conferred and posted.
“Rare and extenuating” circumstances would include the withdrawal of a degree awarded in error, withdrawal of a degree due to misconduct [investigation, hearing pending at the time of commencement], action based on a grade appeal, etc. Circumstances which do not qualify as “rare and extenuating” include attempts by a student to cleanse his/her record to enhance their acceptance into a graduate or professional program.