Degree Application

Students planning to graduate must formally apply for graduation by submitting an online Application for Degree.

Online Application for Degree

The Application for Degree is an online form that all students must use to apply for graduation formally, indicating that they intend to complete degree requirements by the expected graduation date. This application begins the review and certification process that results in the conferring of a student's degree(s) when all requirements are successfully completed. Near the beginning of each Fall semester, the online Application for Degree will be made available in ESTHER for the upcoming academic year (fall, spring, and summer degree conferrals). The application is available to all students in degree-granting programs and remains accessible in ESTHER until the Application for Degree deadline date posted in the Academic Calendar. Students cannot submit the application for a graduation term beyond the academic year in progress, nor can they apply to graduate for a previous graduation term.

Instructions for Undergraduate Students

  1. Login to ESTHER.
  2. From the Students tab, click Students - General.
  3. Click on Graduation.
  4. Click on Application for Degree - Undergraduate Students.
  5. Carefully review your degree information (graduation date, degree(s), declared majors/minors/certificates, etc.) and confirm that everything is correct.
    • If your listed graduation date is incorrect (i.e., you plan to graduate earlier/later than originally expected), email the Office of the Registrar immediately to request a change of graduation date.
    • If you are missing a degree, major, major concentration, minor, or university certificate from your record, you will need to submit a Declaration of Major/Minor, and/or University Certificate form to the Office of the Registrar.
    • The online Application for Degree must be completed by the published deadline on the Academic Calendar regardless of any changes you plan to make at a later date (i.e., changing your graduation date and/or adding or dropping a major, minor, or certificate).
  6. Answer all of the questions on the questionnaire.
  7. Click Save Responses.saveresponse
  8. Carefully review your answers to confirm that everything is correct then click the Complete Questionnaire button. Your Application for Degree is not officially submitted until you click the Complete Questionnaire button.completequest

Notes for Undergraduate Students:

  • Students can submit the application once per academic year (for either fall, spring, or summer semesters). If your graduation term changes to another term within the same academic year, your application for degree is still valid. However, if your graduation term is updated to a term in a future academic year (i.e., May 2025 to December 2025), you will need to resubmit an application at the beginning of the Fall semester for that academic year (when the online application is available for the next academic year). Students can confirm their graduation status in ESTHER, Degree Works, or by emailing registrar@rice.edu.
  • If your expected graduation term needs to be updated, please email registrar@rice.edu with the new expected graduation term.

Instructions for Graduate Students

  1. Login to ESTHER.
  2. From the Students tab, click Students - General.
  3. Click on Graduation.
  4. Click on Application for Degree - Graduate Students.
  5. Answer all of the questions on the questionnaire.
    • Semester for degree completion (December (Fall semester), May (Spring semester), August (Summer semester), or “I am not applying for this degree yet”)
    • Diploma Name
    • Select the degree(s) for which you would like to apply by highlighting the check box to the left of the degree(s)
    • Notes:
      • If more than one degree is on your record (such as a master’s degree and a doctoral degree), and you are only completing the Application for Degree for one of the two degrees, then select “I am not applying for this degree yet” for the degree you are not yet completing this academic year. For example: applicationfordegree
  6. Click Save Responses.saveresponse
  7. Carefully review your answers to confirm that everything is correct then click the Complete Questionnaire button. Your Application for Degree is not officially submitted until you click the Complete Questionnaire button.completequest

Notes for Graduate Students:

  • After logging in to ESTHER, If you receive an error message when accessing the Application for Degree, please email registrar@rice.edu. Please be certain to include your name, your expected graduation date, and the error message received in your email. You may be receiving the error due to system records reflecting a different expected graduation date, or due to missing curriculum on your record.
  • If the expected degree information listed on the application is incorrect, please contact the graduate program administrator of your home department, or (if applicable) complete an updated Graduate Declaration and Change of Certificate Form via ESTHER and/or an updated Graduate Declaration and Change of Major Concentration Form via ESTHER and submit it to the Office of the Registrar.
  • If you are a doctoral (PhD) student seeking to apply for a master's degree that does not yet appear on the Application for Degree (such as a candidacy master’s degree), please contact the Office of the Registrar by emailing registrar@rice.edu. The Office of the Registrar will add the missing degree to your record so that you can apply for that degree.
  • Students can submit the application once per academic year (for either fall, spring, or summer semesters). If your graduation term changes to another term within the same academic year, your application for degree is still valid. However, if your graduation term is updated to a term in a future academic year (i.e., May 2025 to December 2025), you will need to resubmit an application at the beginning of the Fall semester for that academic year (when the online application is available for the next academic year). However, if your graduation term is updated to a term in a future academic year (i.e., May 2025 to December 2025), you will need to resubmit an application at the beginning of the Fall semester for that academic year (when the online application is available for the next academic year). You can confirm your graduation status in ESTHER, Degree Works, or by emailing registrar@rice.edu
  • If your expected graduation term needs to be updated, please email registrar@rice.edu with the new expected graduation term.

Confirm Your Degree Status and Graduation Date

  1. Login to ESTHER.
  2. From the Students tab, click Students - General.
  3. Click on Graduation.
  4. Click on Verify Graduation Status.
  5. If you successfully submitted the online Application for Degree, your Degree Status should show AP (Applied). If your Degree Status shows Sought (SO), you have not completed the Application for Degree.
    • Note for Graduate Students: If you have a previously Awarded (AW) degree from Rice, or if you are applying for one of many degrees on your record (such as a master’s degree and a doctoral degree), then you will see other degree statuses associated with other degrees on your record. Verify that the degree for which you are applying shows the Degree Status of Applied (AP). A Degree Status of Sought (SO) will appear for the degree you are not yet completing this academic year. For example:studentdegree
  6. Confirm that your Graduation Date listed is the correct Expected Graduation Date for the degree for which you are applying.
  7. If any corrections need to be made, please contact the Office of the Registrar by emailing registrar@rice.edu.

Confirm Your Diploma Name and Address

  1. Login to ESTHER.
  2. From the Students tab, click Students - General.
  3. Click on Graduation.
  4. Click on Verify Diploma Information.
  5. Confirm that your Diploma Name and address listed are correct for the degree(s) for which you are applying.
  6. If any corrections need to be made, correct them within the ESTHER form and click SUBMIT.

Graduation Statuses

You may see some other graduation statuses after you apply for graduation or elsewhere in ESTHER.

  • AG - Approved to Graduate - student has met all degree requirements and is waiting on degree conferral
  • AP - Applied to Graduate - student has officially applied to graduate with the Office of the Registrar but requirements have not yet been reviewed
  • AW - Degree Awarded
  • CC - Approved to Graduate - student has met all degree requirements and is continuing at Rice for an additional degree
  • D0 - In Progress Non-Course Requirement – student has officially applied to graduate but has a deficiency due to a requirement that is not met by the completion of an in-progress course. The deficiency should be satisfied with successful completion of the non-course requirement by the end of the current semester
  • D1 - University Deficiency - student has officially applied to graduate but has a deficiency in the university requirements for the degree
  • D2 - Department Deficiency - student has officially applied to graduate but has a deficiency in the major, minor or certificate requirements for the degree
  • D3 - University and Department Deficiency - student has officially applied to graduate but has a deficiency in both the university requirements and the major, minor or certificate requirements for the degree
  • D9 - Under Review - OTR Management - student record is being reviewed by Office of the Registrar management staff
  • EL - Completing Requirements Elsewhere - student has received permission to complete degree requirements at another institution and transfer the coursework back to Rice
  • ND - No Degree Awarded
  • PN - Pending Final Grades & Review
  • PT - Pending Thesis Submission - student is pending submission of thesis
  • SO - Sought Degree - student has not officially applied to graduate with the Office of the Registrar
  • UR - University Requirements Review - degree audit is being reviewed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to confirm that university requirements have been met (graduate students only - except MBA)

Application for Degree Deadlines

Please consult the semester-specific Academic Calendar for degree application deadlines.

Please Note: All students applying for graduation and submitting an online Application for Degree after the published Academic Calendar deadline will be assessed a $100 late processing fee.

Questions

If you have questions related to the Application for Degree or graduation, please contact the Office of the Registrar.