Applying for Graduation

  • To become a candidate for graduation and to participate in the commencement exercises, a student must complete and submit an online "Application for Graduation" via the Office of the Registrar.
  • Participating in the Commencement Ceremony does not confirm degree completion/conferral for graduation. 
  • Deadline and information for Undergraduate and Master degree students are sent via email in mid-September (for Fall and Winter candidates) and mid-February for May and August candidates.
  • Names of candidates for whom applications are accepted after the application deadline may not appear in online and/or printed commencement materials. Application deadline information can be found on the Academic Calendar.
  • The online graduation application is located on connect.oldwestbury.edu under "Registrar Forms" > Undergraduate Graduate Application OR Master's Degree Graduation Application.

Important Note: 

  • If you have relevant information that is not evident on your degree audit (courses to be registered in Winter/Summer terms; courses to be transferred from another institution, awaiting official transcripts and/or College Board scores); pending substitutions or waivers from department chairpersons;  please be sure to describe this in the space provided on the application form.
  • After submission, an automatic reply with the subject "Graduation Undergraduate Application Status" will be sent to your Old Westbury e-mail account. This confirms submission and our receipt of your application. (Make sure to monitor your SPAM, JUNK, CLUTTER, or FOCUS, folders.)
  • After review of your academic record, an additional e-mail will be sent to you from gradapp@oldwestbury.edu regarding your application status. If your application is accepted, a $20 graduation fee will be charged to your student account. 

  • Please remember it is your responsibility to monitor your degree requirements and maintain contact with your academic department of major. Students are urged to review their degree audit reports often to make sure they are making progress towards their degree. For instructions on how to view your degree audit, please visit https://www.oldwestbury.edu/office-registrar/how-access-degree-works.
  • There are four graduation terms (December, January, May and August) but only one Commencement Ceremony in May. For example, December 2022 and January 2023 graduates and candidates for May 2023  and August 2023 may participate in the commencement activities.
  • For questions or concerns about your degree requirements, please schedule an appointment with an academic advisor in your department of major.
  • For technical help accessing connect.oldwestbury.edu, please contact the Help Desk at servicedesk@oldwestbury.edu.

For questions or concerns about the graduation application process, please contact Degree Audit via: gradapp@oldwestbury.edu.

Information on SUNY OW Commencement 

Questions about Commencement should be directed to commencement@oldwestbury.edu