Graduation Preparation
What do you need to do before applying for Graduation?
Fulfill all Outstanding Obligations
Holds will prevent you from applying for graduation online, receiving a transcript and/or a diploma. These include, but are not limited to:
- Athletic holds
- Bursar Office holds
- Housing fees
- Library late fees
- Parking tickets
- Financial Aid holds
Complete Financial Aid Exit Counseling
If you received loan funds while you were enrolled at Middle Georgia State University, you must complete Exit Counseling. This must be done whenever you cease enrollment or are no longer enrolled at least half-time or meet any of the criteria listed above. Here is how you may complete Exit Counseling on the web:
- Sign on to studentaid.gov
- Click on “Complete Exit Counseling”
- “Log in to Start”
- Click on “Start Demo”
- Upon completion of the counseling session, confirmation of your completion is automatically sent to the MGA Financial Aid Office
Meet all Degree Requirements
In order to graduate, you must meet all degree requirements as listed in a single Middle Georgia State University catalog. Choose any catalog less than 5 years old beginning with the catalog you’ve used during your studies here.
- Seeing your advisor each semester will help you stay on track
- Re-Admittance or Change of Major circumstances: If you stop attending and are subsequently readmitted to MGA or if you change major, your matriculation catalog is reset to the year of readmission or change of major. You must have attended at least one term under your chosen graduation catalog.
Applying for Graduation
Hour and Residency Requirements
Meet all deadline dates: including graduation application deadline, cap and gown order deadline. Resolve deficiencies (petitions, course substitutions, History and Constitution Requirements). Failure to do so can cause you not to graduate in a timely manner.
Hour and Residency Requirements:
Go online to SWORDS account and apply online
Go online to SWORDS account and apply online.
- The first term the online application asks for is the curriculum term.
- Choose a term, then click submit. You will be asked to choose a graduation term a few steps later.
- Check your SWORDS account to confirm the spelling of your current name and make sure we have your correct address.
- Payment instructions can be found here.
What happens after you apply for Graduation?
Audits
When you apply online via SWORDS, the graduation application is retrieved by the Graduation Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar. They will then begin the auditing process.
- Associate Degrees:
- Audits are processed in the Registrar’s Office within 2-4 weeks by the Graduation Coordinator
- Bachelor Degrees
- Audits are processed in the Registrar’s Office within 4-6 weeks (audits are dispersed to each academic department for review)
- Second Degrees (only if the first degree was received at MGA):
- For both Associate and Bachelor Degrees, a Second Degree Application is completed by the Graduation Coordinator in the Registrar’s Office and dispersed to each department for review
- Once reviewed by the Department, the Second Degree Application is returned to the Graduation Coordinator in the Registrar’s Office and then mailed to the student
- Allow 4-6 weeks for processing
MyDegree Audit
The MyDegree audit will indicate if anything is missing or if you are on track to graduate.
Printer-friendly Graduation Preparation Outline