Graduation
Graduation Forms
All students must fill out a graduation form by the application deadline in order to walk across stage at the graduation ceremony and receive their diploma.
Once you have verified with your advisor that you will complete your academic requirements and you are registered for your final semester, please fill out the graduation application in MyCSU. You will need to login to MyCSU, click on the Academics tab, then click on the Application For Graduation form under Academic Forms. Your Academic Advisor must approve your graduation application before submitting to the Office of the Registrar.
To apply online, you will need to know your Student ID number and Personal Identification Number (PIN). If you do not know your ID or PIN, you may obtain them online through MyCSU. Click ‘I forgot my CSU ID #’ or ‘I forgot my password.’
How to Get Your Diploma
Diplomas will be mailed to graduates after Commencement. Graduates will receive an email to their CSU email address when the diploma has been mailed. Graduates will be given their diploma cover during the ceremony to be used for pictures.
Please make sure your diploma mailing address is up to date by verifying your address is correct on your MyCSU account. Once you log in, click on your picture or the circle in the upper right hand corner and choose My profile & settings; on the left hand side, choose contact information; click on the drop down arrow under addresses; if your current address needs to be updated, click on Current address, make the changes and save.
The official document of awarding of your degree is the official transcript. You can order your official transcript in MyCSU once all final grades are posted in May, and your degree is conferred. Once your degree has been conferred, the ‘A0’ hold will change to ‘RA’ (Readmission required). This means you have graduated.
Duplicate Diploma Information
Students may request a duplicate diploma. The cost is $50. The request takes about 6-8 weeks for processing and delivery.
You may mail a completed duplicate diploma request to
Charleston Southern University
Office of the Registrar, PO Box 118087
Charleston, SC 29423
Please include your check or money or online receipt number.
What to Know for the Commencement Ceremony
Students should submit a completed graduation application to the Office of the Registrar to initiate the graduation process. Once the application is received, your record will be audited, and you will receive a confirmation email from the Assistant Registrar to your CSU student email after the application has been approved and processed.
For information on attire, rehearsal, pictures, etc. head to the 2025 Graduation page.
Academic Eligibility
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. A double major does not mean you have completed two baccalaureate degrees. Therefore, you will only receive one diploma.
To receive two degrees from CSU, you must first complete one degree, with a major and minor (if required). Then, you will have to choose a new major (and minor if required) and complete at least 36 new hours.
For more information about receiving a second diploma, see Policy R 28.
Bachelor’s Degree
A student will be eligible for graduation upon successful completion of 120 credit hours, including all Liberal Arts Core (LAC), major and minor requirements, with an overall 2.00 GPA and a 2.00 GPA in his/her major and minor.
Students who took -099 level courses will require 124-128 credits to graduate.
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.
Master’s Degree
To be eligible for graduation a student must complete professional core and specialization area requirements with a 3.00 GPA. (See graduate catalog for specific degree requirements.) A student does not receive honors in the graduate program.
Chapel Credits
You can find information about chapel credits by going to the Academic Catalog under the Student Development/Activities section or by going to MyCSU to see your total recorded chapel credits.
Degree Audits
It is solely the student’s responsibility to meet the requirements for graduation.
All forms of advising are for informational purposes only. Students may view their unofficial advising worksheet (degree audit) through their MyCSU account. After logging in, go to the Academics tab, then navigate to My Degree Progress, then select view all details and Print Degree Audit Report.
Your advising worksheet is an unofficial check of the requirements you have completed and the requirements you have remaining. Though is is unofficial, it should accurately reflect your progress in meeting your graduation requirements.
If you believe there is an error on your advising worksheet, contact the Office of the Registrar. If you do not understand how to read your audit, please contact your academic advisor. If you are having trouble understanding your advising worksheet, this resource for Understanding your Degree Audit may be helpful to you.
Clearing Common Graduation Holds
The following are common holds placed on a graduating student. All true holds must be cleared in order for your degree to be conferred, to be eligible to participate in commencement and to receive your diploma. Any student who has a hold on his/her account during the last week of classes may not be eligible to graduate. If you do not graduate because of a hold, you will need to clear the hold and then reapply for graduation.
There is a $50.00 fee to re-apply. You will not have to pay the $115.00 graduation fee again. Your degree will then be conferred at the end of the next term/semester. Please do not apply for graduation if you will not be able to clear all holds before the end of the term/semester.
A0: This is not a hold that you need to clear to graduate. Once you apply to graduate, we place this hold on your account. If you need to drop, add or withdraw from a class, you will need to see the Associate Registrar to make these changes. Once your degree is conferred, the A0 hold is removed, and we place a RA hold on your record.
AG: Need to pay the $55.00 graduation fee. You can pay at the cashier’s window, online through Online Payments (Scroll down to Student Payments, click view category, scroll down to graduation fee, click view details and fill out the online form as it pertains to you), or mail your check to the business office.
AI: Need to pay the $50.00 graduation reapplication fee.
AL: Need to pay the $50.00 late graduation application fee.
AM: Student has a balance and has applied to graduate. Contact Student Accounts to clear this hold 843-863-8058.
AN: Student needs to submit an application for graduation. Go to the Office of the Registrar.
AP: Student applied for graduation but is not in all of the correct courses; contact the Associate Registrar, 843-863-7990.
AR, AS or AT: This is not a hold that you need to clear to graduate. When a student applies for graduation before the next registration period is open, or if a student applies for graduation and is not registered for courses, an AR warning will be placed on his/her account. This warning reminds students and their advisor to register for their final semester of courses. Often, this warning will remain on the student’s account until the beginning of his/her last semester. For example, if a student applies for Spring graduation in the Fall, the AR warning may remain until Fall grades are posted. After Fall grades post, the AR warning will change to an A0 hold which means that the student is in his/her last semester of courses.
B1: Student has a balance. View your account through MyCSU. Contact Student Accounts to clear this hold 843-863-8058.
BX: Need to complete the Perkins Loan Exit Interview:
- Step 1: Log on to www.heartland.ecsi.net
- Step 2: Select Students
- Step 3: On the following screen, you will login to access your account
- Step 4: It will ask you for the following information:
School Code: W8
Account Number: Your Social Security Number
Password: If you do not remember your password that you created for your promissory note, call 1-888-549-3274. ECSI will give you your password. - Step 5: On the following screen, select Sign my E-Exit.
BT: Student has a balance. View your account through MyCSU. Contact the Business Office to clear this hold 843-863-8058.
CP: Each year The Career Center at Charleston Southern University is mandated to collect crucial placement information from ALL CSU GRADUATES prior to graduation. This crucial information is being collected for statistical purposes related to recruitment and retention and would serve as your contribution to the continued well-being of CSU. As a graduate of Charleston Southern University, your name will never be used in connection with disclosure of salary or employment information.
F3: Student must complete Exit Counseling. All students who received either the Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan or Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program must complete the Exit Loan Counseling online at www.studentaid.gov. You will need your FAFSA Pin to access this site. Federal Regulations require Charleston Southern University’s Financial Aid Office to provide Exit Loan Counseling to all Federal Student Loan borrowers who are no longer enrolled half-time (6hrs), are scheduled to graduate, who have withdrawn or do not return to school, or even if you plan to attend another university, so they will better understand their rights and responsibilities. The Exit Counseling provides important information about your student loans. Upon completion of the exit counseling, confirmation will be sent to Charleston Southern University and the Department of Education. If you have any questions, please contact the Enrollment Services Office at 800-947-7474/843-863-7050 or by email at financialaid@csuniv.edu.
RA: Once a student’s degree is conferred, an RA hold is placed on your record. If you plan on attending CSU again, you will need to submit an application for admission.
S4: Student does not have enough chapel credits to graduate. If there are enough opportunities to attend chapel to meet your requirement, attend chapel. If there are not enough chapels left to meet your requirement, contact the Dean of Students at 843-863-7212.