You’ve completed your graduation application through Utah CIS and selected the semester when you expect to finish your degree.
The application appears in your student records, and your Degree Audit shows that most requirements are complete.
But your graduation status still hasn’t changed to Awarded Degree.
Submitting a graduation application is only the beginning of the University of Utah’s degree certification process.
Applying Doesn’t Automatically Approve Your Degree
Undergraduate students apply through the Graduation tile on the Student Homepage in Campus Information Services.
The application normally becomes available after completing 90 credits.
Once submitted, it tells the university which degree and graduation term you intend to pursue.
However, the Registrar’s Office must still verify that you’ve satisfied the requirements for that degree.
An accepted application isn’t a guarantee of graduation.
Check Your Graduation Review Status
Utah CIS provides a dedicated graduation status function.
Open the Graduation area and select View Graduation Status.
The Graduation Review Status field shows where your application stands in the evaluation process.
Some of the most important statuses are:
Application Received: Your application has been received, but your degree hasn’t been certified.
Initial Evaluation Complete: The Graduation Division has compared your academic record with your Degree Audit.
Review Complete On Track: Your requirements are completed or currently in progress.
Review Complete Ready to Award: The audit indicates that all requirements have been completed.
Ready to Award: The university has determined that the requirements are complete and the degree can be awarded at or after the conferral date.
Awarded Degree: Your degree has officially been certified and added to your academic record.
These statuses represent different stages, not interchangeable descriptions.
On Track Doesn’t Mean Finished
The Review Complete On Track status can be confusing.
It means the Graduation Division has found that your requirements are either completed or in progress.
For example, you may be taking your final required course during your expected graduation semester.
That course can appear as in progress on your Degree Audit.
But until a qualifying final grade is recorded, the requirement isn’t completed.
The university still needs to evaluate the final academic record.
What Happens During Final Review?
The Graduation Division examines your declared major, degree type, catalog year, and any applicable emphasis or minor.
It also checks degree requirements, credit totals, and academic records.
Repeated courses or duplicate transfer credits can affect the evaluation.
A student who appears to have enough credits may discover that some coursework cannot be counted twice.
That’s why reviewing your Degree Audit before the final semester matters.
What Does Contact Advisor(s) Mean?
If your status changes to Contact Advisor(s), the Graduation Division has identified deficiencies requiring attention.
This doesn’t necessarily mean graduation is impossible.
However, it means something needs to be reviewed before the degree can be awarded.
Contact your academic advisor to determine whether the requirement can still be completed during the current term.
Don’t assume that the application will resolve itself.
Transfer Credits Can Delay Graduation
The university requires transfer coursework to be posted to your academic record within the applicable graduation deadline.
If you’re completing courses at another institution during your final semester, the official transcript may not arrive and be processed in time.
Even if you passed the course, an unposted transfer record can prevent degree certification.
Check the status of outstanding transfer work early rather than waiting until the end of the semester.
What If Your Minor Isn’t Complete?
A minor isn’t awarded independently from a bachelor’s degree.
If your major requirements are complete but your minor remains unfinished, you may need to choose between delaying graduation and formally removing the minor, where permitted.
The university requires students to communicate such changes to the Graduation Division.
Simply leaving the minor unfinished doesn’t automatically remove it from your graduation requirements.
Denied Doesn’t Mean Your Coursework Disappeared
A Denied – Contact Advisor(s) status means the Graduation Division couldn’t certify completion of all degree requirements.
It doesn’t mean previously earned credits have been erased.
However, you’ll need to work with your advisor and follow the appropriate reapplication process for a future graduation term.
If you realize in advance that you cannot finish on schedule, contact the Graduation Division about changing your expected graduation term.
Graduation Ceremonies and Degree Awards Are Different
Participating in commencement or convocation isn’t the same as receiving an officially awarded degree.
Ceremonies celebrate academic achievement, while degree conferral is an administrative certification recorded by the Registrar.
Your degree cannot be awarded before the university’s applicable conferral date.
For undergraduate students, the final evaluation and posting process may take several weeks after the semester ends.
When Is Graduation Official?
The clearest confirmation is the Awarded Degree status.
At that point, the Graduation Division has certified your completed requirements and the degree becomes part of your academic record.
The university also sends a UMail notification when the degree is awarded.
If you need proof of graduation, distinguish an anticipated graduation date from an officially conferred degree.
They aren’t equivalent.
What to Do While Waiting
Review your graduation status in Utah CIS, check your Degree Audit for outstanding requirements, and monitor UMail for messages from the Graduation Division.
If the status identifies a deficiency, contact the appropriate advisor promptly.
Avoid submitting another application simply because your existing application is still being reviewed.
Utah CIS can show that you’ve applied for graduation or are on track to finish, but neither status confirms an awarded degree. Final certification happens only after the University of Utah verifies that every applicable requirement has been satisfied.