Graduation and convocation

Your legal name (first, middle, last) - exactly as it appears in Quest - is the name that will be used for convocation: it is the name printed on your diploma, the official ceremony program, as well as the ceremony name card.

Sign in to Quest to verify that your legal name is as it should be (see the Names section under Personal Information).

• Check for: missing names, repeated names, incorrect title case/capitalization, spelling errors, etc.
• Any accents, hyphens, apostrophes, and spaces must be included on your Application to Graduate as they are not recorded in Quest.
• Note: If you request an updated name on your diploma after convocation - for any reason - you will be required to submit a request for a replacement diploma and pay the associated fee.

To make changes to your legal name, complete and submit an Update Legal Name form with the required documentation by the following deadlines:

• May 1 for spring convocation
• September 1 for fall convocation

Contact The Centre with any questions about how your name is recorded in Quest.

Submit an Application to Graduate during the application window listed below for your desired convocation ceremony. Do not wait until you have received your grades for your final academic term - should you not complete your degree requirements, your application will be cancelled and our office will reach out to you.

You will receive an automated email copy of your application; this is your confirmation that your form has been received for processing.

Note: Refer to your responsibility as a student regarding convocation and your application to graduate.

Determine if you'd like a gender-neutral degree

When completing your Application to Graduate, you may request that the word "Bachelor" be replaced with the gender-neutral term "Baccalaureate" on your diploma. This option is available for all applicable undergraduate degrees offered by the University of Waterloo.

Graduates who have previously been awarded a Waterloo degree may request that their degree be re-issued in the gender-neutral nomenclature by contacting The Centre.

The term "Baccalaureate" will only appear on your diploma. Transcripts and any degree verification will only refer to "Bachelor". This terminology discrepancy between documents may result in border-crossing issues.

Verify your application status

In Quest, you can view the degree and plan information you provided on your application to check and ensure that it is correct. For step-by-step instructions, view the How do I view my application to graduate information? page. The timing of appearance will vary depending on the time of year you submitted the application, the volume of submissions, and the status of your degree completion.

Important: If your degree requirements are not met and our office is unable to reach you, your Application to Graduate will be cancelled.

Cancel your application to graduate

If you have decided you no longer want to graduate after submitting your Application to Graduate, email the applicable convocation contact in the Office of Registrar so your Quest record can be updated. All existing convocation-related processes will be terminated and you will need to reapply again when you are ready to graduate.

In Quest, you need to confirm your Mail address - this is the address that will be used to ship your diploma after convocation (if you are unable to attend convocation) at no cost to you. Photography proofs from your convocation will also be mailed to your address on file.

The accuracy and format of your listed address in Quest is important for postal and courier services. To avoid your diploma from being sent to the wrong address or not being accepted by courier services, review our detailed instructions for reviewing and updating your address. Additionally, ensure you have an up-to-date telephone number listed in Quest (needed for courier services). Updates should be made by:

• June 1 for spring Convocation
• October 1 for fall Convocation

Note: If your diploma is shipped to you and then returned to the University as it was undeliverable, you will be required to pay courier fees before the diploma is re-shipped to you.

Important: If you move any time before convocation, sign in to Quest and update your Mail address to keep it current.

In Quest, check whether you owe the University money (for parking fines, library fines, tuition balances, etc.). Your diploma and transcript may be withheld if outstanding fees aren't paid by:

• June 1 for spring Convocation
• October 1 for fall Convocation

Learn more about holds on your student account. If you have questions about your holds, contact The Centre.

When you have been recommended to graduate, two things will happen in Quest:

1. Your application to graduate information will disappear from the My Undergraduate Program page.
2. Your degree will be listed at the beginning of your unofficial transcript in a newly added Degrees Awarded section.

After you see your degree listed - but at least one week before convocation - is your window of opportunity to:

• Ensure all desired credentials (specializations, options, minors, certificates/diplomas) and co-operative education are present.
• Ensure any petitions or other outstanding changes to your record have been made.
• Note: Per your responsibility as a student, student-initiated changes to your record will not be made once you accept your degree.

The timing of the appearance of your degree will vary; the process to become recommended to graduate is a multi-step process that begins once all grades have been submitted to the Office of the Registrar for your last academic term (e.g., early May for June ceremony, early September for October ceremony).

• Once your degree is listed in Quest: Requests for Proof of Enrolment letters indicating you have met your degree requirements start to be fulfilled.
• Once grades become official for your last academic term (see Important Dates): Requests for ordering an official transcript with your degree listed and final term grades can now be made.

Important: If your degree requirements are not met and our office is unable to reach you, your Application to Graduate will be cancelled.

Up-to-date information about upcoming convocation ceremonies is available on the Convocation event website, review it frequently. Some details you will find on the website:

• Your ceremony date and time
• Convocation checklists, including key deadlines and what to expect at your convocation ceremony
• Convocation ceremony registration information: Although you have applied to graduate, you are not yet registered for a convocation ceremony. Registration is mandatory to obtain tickets and participate in convocation.

Watch for emails from convocation@uwaterloo.ca beginning 1.5-2 months prior to the ceremony with specific details for that ceremony.

If you have questions on the status of your Application to Graduate, or your degree is not listed on your Quest account by the date academic standing decisions are released (and grades become official) for your last registered academic term, direct your inquiry to the contact in the faculty area indicated below.

For inquiries about the ceremony details (e.g., gown rentals, guest tickets, etc.), contact convocation@uwaterloo.ca.

Arts
Vanessa Hall
records.arts@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 43166

Engineering
Architecture, Architectural, Biomedical, Civil, Environmental, Geological, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Systems Design:
Matthew Morgan
records.eng@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 43165

Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Management, Nanotechnology, Software:
Emily Aguiar
records.eng@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 41110

Environment
Linda Bloos
records.env@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 43164

Health
Rita Hadaya
records.hea@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 43092

Mathematics
Melissa Fehrenbach
records.math@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 41546

Science
Hasieba Omar
records.sci@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567, ext. 40363

After you have graduated and have become alumni, access to some University services may continue.

• Alumni have access to Quest indefinitely after graduation to generate account statements and to access tax receipts.
• Alumni have access to their @uwaterloo.ca email address. For more information, visit the Alumni website.