Do you have a general question about graduation or commencement? Send an e-mail or call the Office of the Registrar at 843-863-8060. They will help you out or direct you to the right place!

Graduation Announcements & Rings
Diploma
Graduation Requirements
Chapel Credits
Academic Requirements
Graduation Application
Transcripts

Deadline to Apply for graduation
Fall 2011 - apply by August 30th
Spring 2012 – apply by January 13th

To purchase graduation announcements please visit the University Bookstore or call at 843-863-8017. Jostens provides beautiful custom Announcements and Thank-you cards to upcoming graduates.  Jostens will be available to take orders at the Graduation Fair in March 2012. If you are unable to attend on this date, orders can be placed on line at www.jostens.com.

The Class of 2006 designed the Official Charleston Southern University Ring.  It is available exclusively to Alumni and enrolled students that have completed 60 credit hours and have achieved junior status. Orders can be placed at the bookstore or at www.balfour.com . Stop by the bookstore to view this symbolic representation of Charleston Southern values. Balfour will be available to take orders at the Graduation Fair in March, 2012 in the University Bookstore.

Conferring
Degrees will be conferred at the end of summer II, fall and spring semester. It is important to apply for graduation during the term you are going to meet your academic requirements.

Duplicate Diploma
A student who has graduated from Baptist College or Charleston Southern University may request a duplicate diploma. Please fill out the Request for Duplicate Diploma Form. There is a fifty dollar fee that may be paid online or at the Business office. Diplomas take 6-8 weeks to be received. Request Duplicate Diploma

Framing
The University Bookstore provides six attractive options to display and protect your diploma. All feature distinctive solid woods in a cherry or black finish with an archival quality matt with silkscreen lettering, and the University logo. Each frame is also available in a dual 28x16 picture frame depicting the Lightsey Chapel. Frames can be ordered through our website, www.csuniv.bncollege.com, and are also in stock in the bookstore.
 
Multiple Degrees and Multiple Majors
Degrees, not majors, are listed on your diploma. You will only receive one diploma at commencement. For information about receiving a second degree from CSU please see Policy R-28.

Pick Up
All fall diplomas will be available for pick up in the Office of the Registrar beginning December 14, 2011. All of your grades must be posted and all holds must be cleared to be able to pick up your diploma. You will need to bring a picture ID.  Diplomas can be mailed at the student’s request. Please allow up to six weeks.

All full-time students (with 12 credit hours or more) are required to fulfill the Chapel attendance requirement (this includes students who have recently converted to full-time status after having attended Charleston Southern University as part-time or evening students). These units are independent of the 125 academic credits needed for graduation. Chapels credits can be checked on MyCSU.

The Chapel requirement is as follows:

All students attending CSU before Fall 2010:

All students must earn an average of three (3) Convocation Enrichment Units (nonacademic credit), to a maximum total of 24, for every semester that they are enrolled as a full-time student in order to be eligible to graduate from Charleston Southern University (for these purposes, a student is any student who is not taking at least 50 percent of his or her courses through online and nontraditional programs).

All students attending CSU Fall of 2010 and beyond:

All Students must earn an average of six (6) Chapel Enrichment Units (nonacademic credit), to a maximum total of 48, for every semester that they are enrolled as a full-time student in order to be eligible to graduate from Charleston Southern University (for these purposes, a day student is any student who is not taking at least 50 percent of his or her courses through online and nontraditional programs). These units are independent of the 125 academic credits needed for graduation.

A student may satisfy this requirement by one or a combination of the following options:

1. Attend regularly scheduled Chapels offered approximately eight Wednesdays per semester at 11:00 a.m. (one unit per program) during the fall and spring semesters.
2. Satisfactorily complete up to three of the approved academic courses listed below (three units per course). A student may earn three credit hours and get three Chapel units for each of the three courses selected.

Eligibility

1. Major/Minor Requirements: A student desiring to graduate must have selected a major and minor field of concentration. Some majors do not require a minor. Additionally, students selecting a double major are not required to select a minor.
2. Bachelor Degree: A student will be eligible for graduation upon successful completion of 125 credit hours, including all Liberal Arts Core (LAC), major and minor requirements, with a 2.00 overall GPA and a 2.00 GPA in his/her major and minor. To be eligible for graduation with honors, at least 60 hours of the course work to be applied to the degree must have been earned at Charleston Southern University. For the purpose of calculating GPA for graduation with honors, only course work taken at Charleston Southern University will be included in that calculation.
3. Master Degree: To be eligible for graduation in a Master Degree program, a student must complete professional core and specialization area requirements with a 3.00 GPA. (See graduate catalog for specific degree requirements.)
4. All holds on a student’s record must be cleared in order for the degree to be conferred.

Graduation Application

A student should declare intentions to graduate by completing an Application for Graduation by the following date.           

Deadline to Apply for graduation
Fall 2011 - apply by August 30th
Spring 2012 – apply by January 13th

If you submit your application for Graduation after the date listed above, you must pay a $25.00 late fee.  Graduate students may fill out the application and mail, fax to 843-863-8023 or hand carry the form to the Office of the Registrar in the Strom Thurmond Center. Undergraduate students need a mandatory degree check and may call 843-863-7994 to schedule an appointment.

There is a $115.00 graduation fee that may be paid online or at the Business office. A graduation fee is mandatory for all graduates.

The fee covers the cost of your diploma, cover, cap and gown, tassel and hood or honors cord, when applicable. We will not issue a refund if you choose not to march in the spring commencement.

If you do not graduate in the term you have applied for, it is your responsibility to resubmit or update your application for graduation again.  There is a $25.00 fee to reapply.

There will be one commencement ceremony on May 5, 2012, at the North Charleston Coliseum at 10 a.m. for all 2011-2012 graduates.

Are you planning on graduating in spring 2012?

You must apply by January 13, 2012. You must submit an Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar. For more information please click below:

Potential Spring 2012 undergraduate graduation information

Graduation with Honors
Graduation honors will be based on GPA for coursework completed at Charleston Southern University. Residency requirements for graduation honors shall be 60 semester hours. The graduation honors and required cumulative GPR are as follows: Summa Cum Laude (3.90 - 4.00); Magna Cum Laude (3.75 - 3.89); Cum Laude (3.50 - 3.74).  This applies to bachelor degree recipients only. Honors are reflected on the student’s transcript and the diploma. CSU does not round up for GPA purposes. There are no honors for Graduate programs.

Honor Cords and Hoods
Honor cords and hoods will be issued the morning of commencement.

Multiple Majors
At commencement you will be seated and recognized by academic department and degree. If you earn degrees or majors in two different departments, you must indicate the degree/major for which you wish to be recognized in commencement on your Application for Graduation.

Requesting
If you need a transcript to be sent to an employer or graduate school or desire one yourself, visit the Office of the Registrar's web site and complete a transcript request form, or stop by the Office of the Registrar. Please bring the name and address of the intended recipient of your transcript. There is a five dollar charge per transcript and you can pay it online. To request a transcript after leaving the University, send your request in writing to the Office of the Registrar, Charleston Southern University, P O Box 118087, Charleston SC 29423. You may also fax your request to them at 843-863-8023. Please allow three to five Business days to process your request.

Content
Your transcript will not reflect your degree until after final grades are submitted and the Registrar verifies that you have met degree requirements. In addition to the courses you took and grades you earned in each, your transcript includes the date your degree was earned, major(s), minors you have earned including the total number of credits earned, your final cumulative GPA and the honors(if applicable) .