Graduation & Commencement Services
Please make sure that you have applied for graduation a minimum of one full semester prior to your anticipated graduation term. The graduation application is now accessed only through your Student Center in WINS. Please refer to the WINS How-To page for further direction here. If you have questions regarding your degree requirements, please contact your college. The deadline for students to apply for graduation and appear in the commencement program for the May 2023 term is March 13, 2023. The last day to submit orders for cap and gowns from the University Bookstore is April 3, 2023. Please refer to the University Bookstore for details. Students who apply after this date will not be included in the program. Please note that a graduation fee of $65.00 will be added to your account during the semester you plan to graduate.
The May 2023 conferral date for degrees is May 12, 2023. Diplomas will be mailed out end of July 2023 to the address you provided on your graduation application. If you should need to update your diploma mailing address, please do so by updating your Student WINS account prior to June 30, 2023.
Tickets can be picked up from the Registrar's Office beginning April 14, 2023. We will also have a Will Call Box Office open the morning of commencement for students to pick up tickets. The Will Call box office will open at 8:00 am and will be located in the Williams Center on the 2nd floor.
Please make sure that you have applied for graduation a minimum of one full semester prior to your anticipated graduation term. The graduation application is now accessed only through your Student Center in WINS. Please refer to the WINS How-To page for further direction here. If you have questions regarding your degree requirements, please contact your college. The deadline for students to appear in the commencement program for the December 2023 term is October 19, 2023. Students who apply after this date will not be included in the program. Please note that a graduation fee of $65.00 will be added to your account during the semester you plan to graduate.
The December 2023 conferral date for degrees is December 15, 2023. Diplomas will be mailed out at the end of February 2024 to the address you provided on your graduation application. If you should need to update your diploma mailing address, please do so by logging into WINS prior to February 2024.
General Diploma Information
- The University of Wisconsin Whitewater’s diplomas are 8.5” x 11”.
- Diplomas will be mailed to your Diploma address that is listed in your student WINS account. If you need to update your address:
- Log into WINS.
- Click on USER PROFILE > PERSONAL INFORMATION.
- Verify the information and update accordingly.
- Click SAVE.
- Log into WINS.
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Degree clearance will begin after grades are reported to the Registrar’s Office. Once degree clearance has ended, it will take approximately four weeks for diplomas to be mailed out.
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Students will be notified that the diploma has been mailed through their UWW email address.
- Your diploma will NOT be mailed out if you have certain types of holds on on your academic record. Once holds are cleared, your diploma will be released for mailing.
- UWW diplomas list the student’s diploma name (from WINS account), degree earned and any applicable Honors earned. *Majors are not listed on the Diploma. Majors will appear on transcripts, to order please click the link.
- Diploma Covers are handed out to students that attend the commencement ceremony. If you did not attend the ceremony but would like to request a cover, please contact graduation@uww.edu and we will send one in the mail.
- Commencement Programs are available after the commencement ceremony for those individuals who are requesting extra programs or did not attend and would like to receive one. Please come by the Registrar’s Office to pick up or contact graduation@uww.edu to receive it by mail.
Certified Electronic Diplomas
A certified electronic diploma is an official, portable, and secure PDF version of your diploma that can be shared with employers, agencies, licensing boards, educational institutions: anyone who needs to verify your achievement.
Certified electronic diplomas are available, for $15.95, to students whose UW-Whitewater degree was awarded May 2021 or after. For student degrees awarded December 2020 or earlier, a certified electronic diploma is available to order for $60.00.
Your CeDiploma gives you:
- Instant proof of education — An official, portable, and verifiable electronic version of your accomplishment.
- Unlimited downloads for life — Easily share, as many times as you like with family, friends, credentialing boards, recruiters
- The quickest way to connect on LinkedIn — A great advantage with your job search
For additional information or to validate the Certified Electronic diploma, click here.
Reorder a Diploma
To request a replacement diploma, please click the link. Once the request is received, UW-Whitewater will review the order within 2-3 business days to ensure that it is eligible for fulfillment and you will be notified via email if approved. If the request is approved, the order will be placed. Please allow 2-3 weeks plus mail time after the request approval for delivery of the diploma.
The cost is $55.00 for the replacement diploma. While express processing is not available, options for express shipping will be offered during the order process.
All diplomas, regardless of your degree or when you earned it, will be printed on 8.5” x 11” paper.
Sample Diploma
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a special certification applied by the Wisconsin Secretary of State to your original or replacement diploma. An apostille is sometimes required by employers outside of the United States to verify the authenticity of your diploma. For more information about apostilles visit the Wisconsin Secretary of State website.
Do I need an apostille on my diploma?
Check with your employer to verify whether you actually need an apostille. Each country is different and many are accepting just your official transcript or a certified copy of your diploma as proof of your degree.
Fees
The State of Wisconsin charges a fee of $10 per document for apostille, payable by check or money order. If expedited services are requested it is $35 per document. Express mailing to the state is available by selecting FedEx Rush Domestic on the Replacement Diploma Request form.
How do I request an apostille on my diploma?
If in fact you need to have an apostille on your diploma, it must be notarized before being sent to the Wisconsin Secretary of State. Please scroll down to reorder diploma found under Diploma in the Graduation and Commencement section on the Registrar’s Office web site. Click on Replacement Request. In the request select notarization under reason and indicate it is for an apostille in the explanation box.
Please mail the Apostille Request Order Form along with payment to the Registrar's Office at the address below, under "Contact Us". Please read the instructions carefully to ensure you have included everything needed to have the document returned to you from the state. The Registrar's Office will notarize your diploma and then send it to the Wisconsin Secretary of State for apostille, who in-turn will send it to the mailing address you provide.
Salute to Grads is similar to the involvement fairs or job fairs held on campus. It gives graduating students an opportunity to make arrangements for all their needs before graduation. The event is held in March for the spring graduation and October for the winter graduation.
Salute to Grads provides an opportunity for you to order your cap and gown, purchase personalized invitations and thank you cards, diploma frames, and class rings. A photographer may be available to take your photo in full graduation regalia, which is provided for the photoshoot.
There will be representatives from the following campus offices: Financial Services (loan repayment and paperwork to get your $100 deposit back), Career Services and Alumni Center, University Bookstore (cap and gowns), and Registrar's Office. If you have any questions about Salute to Grads, please contact the University Bookstore at 262-472-1280.
