You can view your current expected graduation date on the MyBU Student portal under your Academic Summary for the current semester. This date is populated with an approximate graduation date and you can update it with our office. The date listed is not a guarantee that you will graduate in a particular term. You still need to apply to graduate and go through the graduation application process.
If the graduation application is open for your intended graduation date, you need to fill out the appropriate Graduation Application on our forms page. Make sure that you apply by the listed deadline. If the graduation application is not open for your intended graduation date, you can send an email to sphregr@bu.edu from your BU email with your BUID and your intended graduation date.
You need to fill out a Graduation Application for the appropriate term on our forms page. Make sure that you are filling out the grad app for the correct term. The grad app deadlines can be found in our registration emails, on our forms page, and on our graduation page.
New graduation application links are sent out with BUSPH registration emails. After you apply to graduate, you will receive a confirmation email that includes important deadlines and a timeline of the review process. There are 3 graduation statuses during the grad app cycle:
You can view your Graduation Application status on your MyBU Student portal. Click on the Academic Summary link under the Academics tab. Click on the relevant semester on the left side of the page and look under “Graduation Summary”. You will see one of the following statuses:
You can also view these statuses in the summary information at the top of your degree advice but there is a time-delay when viewing your status in degree advice.
If you are in applicant status, you will be receiving email updates from our office. Make sure that you read any emails from our office regarding your grad app.
You should receive a grad app confirmation email within a day of applying to graduate. If you do not receive that email, you should contact our office as soon as possible at sphregr@bu.edu to ensure that your application has been received. We will let you know if you need to reapply. You should not fill out another application if you’ve received a confirmation email. Grad apps are reviewed in the order that they are submitted and a duplicate application could delay processing of your application.
The most common reasons for not having a response yet are the following:
If your final semester has started, you applied prior to the deadline, and you have not heard from us regarding your graduation application; please contact us as soon as possible at sphregr@bu.edu.
We recommend that you consult your degree advice/bulletin and your advisor prior to each registration cycle to ensure appropriate course selection. After you apply to graduate, check your degree advice/bulletin again to complete your own review of your record. Our program requirements page has links to the most recent academic bulletins and instructions on how to view your degree advice. If you rectify issues prior to the grad app deadline, it will make our review of your grad app smoother and will allow for faster processing.
Our program requirements page has links to the most recent academic bulletins and instructions on how to view your degree advice.
Program requirements are based on matriculation year. If you have a course that was allowed in later years, you can request that the course count towards a requirement using the Course Substitution form that is available on our forms page– note that you will need your program or certificate director’s signature on the form.
MPH students need to complete a practicum to fulfill degree requirements. Students must be registered for their practicum before they can be registered for their ILE. It can take some time to secure a practicum and get a proposal approved, please see the Practicum Policies page on practicum timing with regard to the graduation application and the ILE.
Students take the ILE or Integrative Learning Experience in their last semester. To register for this course, you will need to fill out a graduation application by the appropriate deadline . Once the SPH Registrar’s Office is able to determine that you are on track to complete all remaining degree requirements in the given semester, we will register you for your ILE. You need to resolve any graduation application issues by the ILE registration deadline, which is listed on the BUSPH Academic Calendar . The ILE registration deadline is also listed in the BUSPH registration email and your grad app confirmation email. It is your responsibility to make sure that you check your schedule and ensure that you have been registered for your ILE by the ILE registration deadline.
After final grades come in, the SPH Registrar’s Office completes a systematic review of all students in tentative grad app status. Read the FAQ about viewing your grad app status to see how to check your status on the student link. Note that due to high volume, we are not able to complete individual requests for review during the time between the end of classes and the graduation date.
After final grades come in, the SPH Registrar’s Office completes a systematic review of all students in tentative grad app status. If requirements are not successfully completed by the end of the semester, you will not graduate in that term (ex. not complete in spring means no May graduation). Grades that are not considered successful completion:
Please note that receiving one of the above grades does not affect your eligibility to participate in the convocation ceremony.
Official students’ degree awarded notation will show up on the transcript on the day of graduation (January grad date, May all-University graduation date, August 25).
Students in tentative status receive an email requesting diploma name and address information. Please contact our office at sphregr@bu.edu if you are in tentative status and you have not received this email. Once the graduation date passes, official status students will have their diploma mailed to that diploma address.
Please contact our office to discuss your plans for Reduced Course Load. It is important to discuss the relevant deadlines with us as soon as possible so your RCL can be approved in time. You also need to be in contact with the ISSO about your plans.
You can contact us at sphregr@bu.edu — please include your BUID in your email. You can also call us at 617-358-3434 or via Virtual Office hours located on our contact information page.
You need to fill out Graduate Student Life’s RSVP form to indicate that you want to attend the May convocation ceremony. If you change your expected graduation date from May to August, you are still able to walk at graduation. Students who graduated in January and students who expect to graduate in May and August are invited to attend the May convocation ceremony.
The SPH Convocation Ceremony page has more information about the ceremony. You can also contact Graduate Student Life if you have additional questions.
Get the latest from Boston University School of Public Health
