Preparing for Graduation

If you think you may be eligible for the upcoming graduation, you may check your degree audit on My.SBTS.edu. Then if you are ready to graduate, you will register for the 1GRAD course under the “Registration” tab in My.SBTS. The course will be available after the previous graduation ceremony is completed.

If uncertain about eligibility, please contact Academic Advising.

• Students who are eligible to graduate must waitlist for the 1GRAD class in My.SBTS.edu under the “Registration” tab. This is different from the “Student Information” tab.
  • December Deadline- September 15
  • May Deadline- February 15
• Once the Registrar reviews your account, you will receive an email from our office and be officially added to the course.
  • Generally, you can expect to receive this email by October 1st for December graduation and March 1st for May graduation.
• Failure to waitlist for the 1GRAD class by the deadline will result in a $50 late fee or the postponement of your graduation to the next semester.

• Master and Doctoral students who have more than 6 (six) hours remaining will have to graduate in a later graduation cycle.
• Master and Doctoral students who are within 6 (six) hours of meeting all the degree requirements may participate in the graduation ceremony as long as the remaining requirements will be met in the term following graduation:
  • December Graduation – Winter term
  • May Graduation – Summer term
• It is a student’s responsibility to make sure the missing requirements are being offered in the next term.  Contact an Academic Advisor for more options.

The Registrar will send your graduation degree audit to your SBTS student e-mail account by March 1st (May Graduation) or October 1st (December Graduation).

• If you meet all the requirements, you will be added to the 1GRAD course in Canvas, which will have more details regarding graduation.
• If you don’t meet all the requirements, you will receive a copy of the graduation audit that has the missing requirements.  Please read the e-mail carefully to see your options.

Yes.  All students who want to have their degree conferred must pay the graduation fee regardless of graduation attendance.

There is no cost-breakdown for the graduation fee.  It is a single fee to supplement all the expenses that are part of the graduation process.

Yes, you will be listed in the graduation program as having your degree conferred in absentia though your name will not be announced at the ceremony.

Yes.  If for some reason, you are not able to attend the graduation ceremony, you can attend a later one if you let Academic Records know your situation.  Your name will not be in the graduation program for the later ceremony, but you will walk across the stage and your name will be announced.

Once a student has access to the 1GRAD course, they will find all of the regalia ordering information in the course. You will need to pick-up your regalia in The Bookstore at Southern during the week of graduation.

All required regalia worn in the ceremony is free of charge.

For regalia ordering questions contact graduation@sbts.edu.

Attending the ceremony: If you have met all of your degree requirements and cleared all of your financial holds by 4pm on the day before graduation, your diploma will be handed to you as you cross the stage.

Not attending the ceremony: If you have met all of your degree requirements and cleared all financial holds by the graduation ceremony, your diploma will be mailed out starting June 1st (May graduation) or January 1st (December graduation) to the address the graduate provides on the Graduation Information Form in the 1GRAD course.

Not completed my degree requirements: If your graduation requirements are pending at the time of the ceremony or if you have any financial holds, your diploma will be mailed after you have completed the requirements and all final grades have been posted on your final transcript. It will be sent to the address you provided on the Graduation Information Form in the 1GRAD course.