Degree checkout for graduate programs
Degree Checkout Procedures – Quarter-based graduate programs
Graduate program coordinators are expected to record their students’ diploma/degree name and expected graduation term in CAESAR by the middle of the quarter in which students plan to graduate. This deadline is to facilitate diploma ordering and federally-required exit interviews for certain financial aid recipients. Programs expecting to offer Spring and Summer candidates the opportunity to participate in graduation events in June should plan to have CAESAR records up to date no later than mid-April to ensure they can order guest tickets and regalia.
After the quarter ends, no enrollment corrections are allowed. After grades post, graduate programs must evaluate graduation candidates’ requirements and approve their degree checkout status in CAESAR, then report their approval to confer degrees to the Office of the Registrar (nu-studentrecords@northwestern.edu).
Documentation on the degree checkout process for graduate programs can be found here.
Northwestern University confers degrees effective the Friday after grades post for quarter-based programs; ideally most degrees are approved and conferred on that day to facilitate graduates’ receipt of accurate transcripts and diplomas. Students who may be clearing deficiencies have a short window of time to do so and still earn a degree dated that term; no degrees may be conferred more than two weeks after the original conferral date due to federal reporting requirements. For students who expected to graduate that term but did not, programs must update their expected graduation term to the next available conferral quarter. Programs must report any final approved conferral candidates to the Office of the Registrar (nu-studentrecords@northwestern.edu) no later than 3 p.m. on the last day to confer degrees.
2023 – 2024 Deadlines:
| Term | Record the expected grad term for graduating students in CAESAR | Record the diploma names in CAESAR | Enrollment is closed (last day of classes) | Online grading opens | Grading deadline | Notify the RO of graduating students | Conferral date | Last day to confer degrees | Diploma Order Submitted to Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 10/13/2023 | 11/17/2023 | 12/2/2023 | 11/27/2023 | 12/11/2023 | 12/14/2023 | 12/15/2023 | 1/5/2024 |
After degrees are conferred |
| Winter 2024 | 1/26/2024 | 2/9/2024 | 3/9/2024 | 3/4/2024 | 3/18/2024 | 3/21/2024 | 3/22/2024 | 4/5/2024 | |
| Spring 2024 | 1/26/2024 | *2/9/2024 | 6/1/2024 | 5/28/2024 | 6/11/2024 | 6/13/2024 | 6/14/2024 | 6/28/2024 | |
| Summer 2024 | 7/5/2024 | 7/12/2024 |
By program/ session |
By session | By session | 8/29/2024 | 8/30/2024 | 9/13/2024 |
*Diploma names must be in SES early for any commencement ceremony notifications.