Last Revision: August 21, 2026
Applying for Graduation
When to Submit
Students are encouraged to apply for graduation when they are 90% complete in their undergraduate program or 85% complete in their Master's level program. Please see the Application Deadlines section, below, for specific deadline information. The link for the Graduation Application is located within the ecampus under Student Services and then Graduation. The link will direct students through the application process, as well as payment of the application fee.
Applicant Information
- Name on Diploma - Students may use a preferred name on their diploma. Students should list the name they wish to have on their diploma on the graduation application. No prefixes, ranks, or titles will be placed on the diploma.
- Official academic records, including transcripts and documents required for certain funding programs, will reflect the student’s 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.
- Students who require an apostille for their diploma must have their legal name printed on the diploma to ensure consistency with supporting official records and to facilitate the authentication process.
- American Public University reserve the right to update any requested name to the student’s legal name.
Application Deadlines for Degree Conferral
A student's Graduation Application must be requested at least 60 days before their projected conferral date. Students should select a projected conferral date that is at least 9 calendar days after their last course end date. The instructor's 8-day grading period should be considered when selecting a projected conferral date. An instructor has 8 days to post a student's final grade after their course ends. Instructors are not able to post a final grade for their courses before the course end date.
For conferral on: | Application due no later than: |
|---|---|
February 1 | December 2 |
April 1 | February 2 |
June 1 | April 2 |
August 1 | June 2 |
October 1 | August 2 |
December 1 | October 2 |
Application Deadlines for Certificates
If a student is in a certificate program, they should submit their Certificate Completion Application as soon as their final grades are posted and all of the courses required for their certificate completion have been fulfilled. Applications for certificate programs must be received no later than the fifteenth of the month for awarding on the first of the following month.
Examples:
- For award on June 1, the application is due no later than May 15.
- For award on August 1, the application is due no later than July 15.
If students do not submit their application until after the 15th, their certificate award date will be moved to a month after the first of the next month.
Please submit a “Certificate Completion Application Form”:
- Log into the student record and refer to the top navigation bar.
- Select ACADEMIC PLAN and FORMS at the top navigation bar.
- Under UNIVERSITY FORMS tab, select All Forms
- Select “Certificate Completion Application Form”
- Complete all required information.
- Submit the form.
Questions regarding the graduation application deadlines may be directed to studentservices@apus.edu.