To obtain a degree or certificate from Brooklyn College, students completing their coursework must submit an Application for Graduation via CUNYfirst Self Service. If all requirements are not met by the end of the final term of attendance, the student must reapply for graduation in order to be considered for a subsequent term.
To file, login to CUNYfirst, select HR/Campus Solutions→ Self Service→ Degree Progress/Graduation →select Apply for Graduation → click on Apply for Graduation link for the academic program you intend to complete at end of the term. From the Expected Graduation Term dropdown menu, select the term you intend to complete your requirements. Select continue to verify data and then click “Submit Application”. You will receive a message that you have successfully applied for graduation. Review this step sheet (pdf) for help with filing online. Please note that undergraduate students must have completed 90 credits in order to file for graduation.
After you have applied for graduation, a degree audit will be performed to determine if you have met the degree requirements. When your audit is complete, an e-mail will be sent to the e-mail address you have listed in WebCentral. All audits are performed in the order they have been received with the current graduation term being completed first. Graduation audits are performed twice during the term:
Initial audit: Performed after student submits graduation application to determine outstanding degree requirements
Final audit: Performed after all grades for the semester are submitted and other end of term processing is completed to determine if all degree requirements had been met.
The degree audit process is a very detailed one and takes time to complete. You will receive an e-mail from your auditor once your degree audit has been completed. The e-mail will state what, if any, requirements are outstanding for your degree. Your patience during this process is greatly appreciated. If you have questions about your degree requirements in the meantime, it is recommended that you consult your DegreeWorks report (available via the CUNY Portal) or speak to your program head (graduate students) or an academic or departmental adviser (undergraduate students).
Students who complete their degree requirements in the Fall semester (December 31 graduation date) must file for graduation by September 15. If you anticipate completing your degree requirements during the Winter intersession, you should file for Fall graduation. Contact us via this form to let us know you anticipate having a February 1 graduation date.
Students who anticipate completing their degree requirements in the Spring semester (June 1 graduation date) must file for graduation by February 15.
Students who anticipate completing their degree requirements in the Summer semester (September 1 graduation date) must file for graduation by March 15.
If you have missed the deadline to file for graduation, file for the next available graduation date. After you have filed, use this form to alert the Office of the Registrar that you believe you are eligible for the graduation date you missed so that your request can be researched. Requests are processed according to graduation date and in the order the request was received. If you missed the deadline, we cannot guarantee you the graduation date you are seeking.
Students will be able to view their graduation status in the same section of CUNYFirst where they submitted the graduation application. Login to CUNYfirst; select HR/Campus Solutions→ Self Service→ Degree Progress/Graduation→ View Graduation Status. Please note that once you have been assigned a graduation status during the degree audit, the status will not be changed until the final audit has been performed after the semester is over.
There are six types of graduation statuses:
Eligible to Apply – Based on the total number of credits completed so far, CUNYfirst has determined the student is eligible to submit an Application for Graduation online.
Applied for Graduation – The Application for Graduation has been received by the Office of the Registrar and is currently in queue to be reviewed.
Program in Review – The Application for Graduation has been reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, but further action is required from the student before the request can be approved. Once they have been notified via e-mail that their audit has been performed, students should check their DegreeWorks report (available in the CUNY Portal) to review their degree audit, in the Notes section at the bottom.
Need to Finish Pending Work – The Application for Graduation has been reviewed by the Office of the Registrar, and the student will meet all degree requirements upon completion of the courses in which they are enrolled.
Approved – Everything is in order. The Application for Graduation has been reviewed by the Office of the Registrar and the student has been placed on the list of students to be approved for graduation by Faculty Council.
Degree Awarded – Degree has been officially awarded. Students will receive a notification e-mail once their degree has been officially awarded in CUNYFirst.
The Commencement Ceremony is held once a year in late May or early June. It is for students who have graduated in the previous Summer/Fall terms and Winter session as well as candidates for the upcoming Spring and Summer terms. For example, the 2019 Commencement Ceremony included graduates from Summer 2018 through Winter 2019, and potential graduates with an application under review for Spring 2019 or Summer 2019. Information about the upcoming Commencement Exercises can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions About Degree Audit
Most students are very close to graduation when they reach 120 credits. You can check your status on Degree Works through CUNYFirst or by checking with an advisor in CAASS or your major/program department.
If you want your transcript request to be held until the degree is posted, be sure to specify that when making your request. All obligations, whether academic and/or financial, must be cleared before your records will be released. If you are meeting all of your degree requirements with your current courses and need proof of graduation for your employer or graduate school before your degree is posted, you can request a Statement of Graduation through this form.
Once you have graduated, your records are officially sealed. You will have to officially change your name with the Registrar’s Office before the end of your final semester. The Personal Update Form can be requested by e-mailing studentrecord@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
If your diploma has been lost or destroyed, or your name has changed since your initial diploma was received, you can e-mail degreeaudit@brooklyn.cuny.edu to request the form. There is a $30 fee for a duplicate diploma payable by check or money order addressed to Brooklyn College. Please keep in mind that it can take up to 2 months to receive your duplicate diploma.
Yes, you can attend Brooklyn College as a Non-Degree or Second-Degree student. If you are interested in pursuing a second degree, you can contact the Admissions Office (adminqry@brooklyn.cuny.edu) after your last semester. If you would like to take courses as a Non-Degree student, please fill out the Post-Graduation Request to Continue Enrollment (pdf) and submit according to the instructions on that form.
No. Once a student has been granted a degree, grade changes for courses taken in semesters prior to receiving the degree are not permitted. If any student expects to receive a grade change, please notify the Degree Audit Team in the Office of the Registrar immediately at degreeaudit@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
If you happen to miss the deadline to apply for graduation during your final semester of classes, you will need to apply for graduation in the next available semester. You do not need to be enrolled for that semester in order to be awarded your degree. We award degrees four times per year (Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring), so there will almost always be a semester open that you can apply for in CUNYFirst. If you find that you are not able to submit an application in CUNYFirst, please use this form to contact the Office of the Registrar for assistance.
Diplomas
Please be advised that the process described below applies to students who graduated Fall 2019 to present. Graduates from Spring 2019 and Summer 2019 should contact degreeaudit@brooklyn.cuny.edu for assistance with retrieving their diploma from campus storage if they have not already picked it up. Students who graduated Fall 2018 or earlier who wish to order a duplicate diploma should also e-mail degreeaudit@brooklyn.cuny.edu.
Candidates for graduation should ensure that all personal information is correct in CUNYfirst before the end of the semester in which they graduate. This includes:
Primary/legal name
Home address
Preferred e-mail address
Mobile number.
Failure to do so may delay your diploma’s delivery.
Please be advised that any holds that would prevent the issuance of a transcript will also prevent the diploma from being sent out (Bursar, Collections, Financial Aid Exit Interview, etc.).
All graduates will be sent a digital version of their diploma to the e-mail address listed as Preferred in CUNYfirst, followed by paper diplomas sent to their home address in CUNYfirst. Once the digital diploma is ready for students, they will receive an e-mail from the Brooklyn College Degree Audit team as well as Parchment, inviting them to make an account on the Parchment website. This website can be used to access their digital diploma as well as track the paper diploma. For more information about the diploma distribution process, please check the Diploma FAQ below.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diplomas
Once you have graduated, your records are officially sealed. If you have any information that must be changed to appear correctly on your diploma or to ensure your diploma is properly delivered (such as your home address or preferred e-mail address), you will have to make these changes two weeks before the end of the semester in which you are graduating.
To update your contact information in CUNYFirst, navigate to Self-Service > Student Center > Personal Information. (An example of how to change your home address can be found here (pdf)). You should also ensure that the address you are using in BC WebCentral matches your CUNYfirst Preferred E-mail Address.
Please note that students who wish to change their Primary/legal name in CUNYfirst must submit a Personal Update Form with appropriate documentation prior to the graduation date. If you need a Personal Update Form, please e-mail studentrecord@brooklyn.cuny.edu. When submitting it, you will need to include two proofs of the name change, one in the form of a government issued non-expired photo ID.
Please be advised that any holds that would prevent the issuance of a transcripts will also prevent the diploma from being sent out (Bursar, Collections, Financial Aid Exit Interview, etc.). If such a hold exists on your CUNYFirst account, the Degree Audit area will contact you directly before diplomas are distributed.
Graduates who are not initially sent their diploma due to a hold can contact degreeaudit@brooklyn.cuny.edu once the hold is lifted, your electronic diploma will be released to you via Parchment within 1-2 business days.
Degrees are generally awarded in CUNYFirst within one month after final grades are submitted. Graduates will be sent a congratulatory e-mail to let them know their degree has been awarded and any transcripts they request going forward will verify their degree information.
All graduates will be issued a digital copy of their diploma within six weeks of their degree being awarded in CUNYFirst. Graduates will receive an e-mail notification from Parchment with instructions for electronically claiming their diploma through the Parchment website.
Your digital diploma will always be accessible through your Parchment account. You can login and download or share it again and again (as often as you want)—at no cost to you.
Once you claim your account and log in, you can share your achievements!
Easily share your digital diploma with employers with a secure and verified link
Share with family and friends on social media like Facebook and LinkedIn
View your digital diploma online at any time with permanent access through Parchment.com
Download your digital diploma and save it as a PDF
Digital diplomas can serve as an alternative to the apostille. Many countries recognize digital diplomas. Parchment award diplomas are supporting the needs of international credentials.
Paper diplomas are generally placed in the mail within 5-7 business days of the electronic diploma being released. They are sent via the United States Postal Service, and depending upon the time of year and postal delays, should be delivered to you within 10-15 business days of being placed in the mail.
Once you can access and view your digital diploma on the Parchment website, your paper diploma will not be far behind. Diplomas will be shipped vis the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and you can check the status of your order and track its progress through the Parchment website via these steps:
Log into your Parchment Account, click on Orders at the top of the page.
On the next page you will be able to see the status of any diplomas you have requested. Digital diplomas will show Delivery Type: Electronic, while paper diplomas will show the Delivery Type: Mail.
To claim your Parchment account please follow these three simple steps:
Check your e-mail for the award notification from Parchment.
Follow the link to set up your Parchment digital credentials account.
Share your digital diploma on Facebook and LinkedIn or download a secure .pdf version.
If you have difficulty accessing your Parchment account or issues with your login, you can contact Parchment directly for assistance on their website.
