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On August 4, 2026, American Public University System combined with Rasmussen University and Hondros College of Nursing to form a single higher education institution. American Public University System (the System) now includes American Public University, American Military University, Rasmussen University, and Hondros College of Nursing. The System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc. (APEI). We are continuing to update our website to reflect our new structure.

 
Welcome to the APU Help Center

Applying for Graduation

You can apply for graduation as early as 6 months prior to your anticipated conferral date. The conferral date is the date on which your degree is officially awarded, not the date you finish courses or receive academic clearance for graduation. If you are requesting any extensions in your last courses, please remember that the END date of your extension must be prior to your anticipated conferral date.

If your course is a Capstone, Practicum, Thesis, or Comprehensive Exam course, your instructors are not able to post your final grades for your courses or extensions early in order for you to have your degree conferred prior to your courses being officially over.

Please follow the due dates below for graduation application deadlines:

For conferral onApplication due no later than
February 1December 2
April 1February 2
June 1April 2
August 1June 2
October 1August 2
December 1October 2

Submitting Your Application for Graduation

  1. Log into the ecampus.
  2. Under the Student Services/Graduation menu, choose the Apply for Graduation link.
  3. Review the information at the top of the form.
  4. Type your name in the box as you would like it to appear on your diploma. No prefixes, ranks, or titles will be placed on the diploma.
  5. Select your intended conferral date from the drop-down menu (you’ll want to choose a conferral date that is at least one month beyond the date of the end of your last course).
  6. Confirm your email address.
  7. Click Submit.
  8. Pay the graduation fee.

The one-time, non-refundable fee covers:

  • administrative costs associated with the graduation review;
  • processing your diploma;
  • supporting alumni and career services available to all alumni.

Diploma Name

You may use a preferred name on your diploma. Please list the name you wish to have on your diploma on the graduation application. No prefixes, ranks, or titles will be placed on the diploma.

Please note that Official academic records, including transcripts and documents required for certain funding programs, will reflect your legal name. Students should be aware that differences between the name displayed on their diploma and the name listed on official academic records may create challenges when presenting documentation to employers, licensing agencies, educational institutions, or other third parties, particularly outside of the United States. Requests for a replacement diploma reflecting the student's legal name will require the purchase of a new diploma.

American Military University reserves the right to update any requested name to the student’s legal name.

Graduation Review Process

After receiving your application, a representative from our graduation department will contact you to discuss the review process, which includes academic and financial audits, and loan repayment counseling, if necessary.

Once you have been cleared of all graduation audits, you will be eligible to attend our annual commencement ceremony held each summer in the Washington, DC area.

For more detailed information, read Your Graduation Process in the student handbook.

If you have specific questions regarding your graduation status, please email graduations@apus.edu.