Applying for Graduation

How to Apply for Graduation

It is recommended that students begin the process of applying for graduation two quarters before their anticipated graduation term. This will allow the student to successfully meet the priority degree application deadline and will also allow enough time to make any necessary modifications due to unforeseen circumstances, overlooked requirements or scheduling conflicts.

If you are a biology minor seeking a minor evaluation for degree application, you must follow these same steps to obtain the departmental approval note.

(1) Review Degree Application Requirements             

Degree application is managed by the Registrar's Office. Visit the Degree Application webpage to review the steps to degree application including application deadlines, requirements and access to the official form. Before submitting your degree application, you must first obtain a major/minor evaluation approval note. You will work with your faculty advisor to finalize your course plan for your remaining quarter(s) and then an approval note will be entered into Degree Works. 

(2) Review Degree Works Worksheet

Identify any remaining degree requirements for your major or minor by reviewing your Degree Works Worksheet. In consultation with your faculty advisor, create a course plan to satisfy any remaining course requirements. Use the What If audit feature (with the "use current curriculum" box checked) in Degree Works to verify how the courses you selected will apply to your major or minor requirements.

Using the What If tool in Degree Works may also be helpful if you are considering changing your Biology emphasis before graduation. To see how you courses would apply to a different emphasis or major, leave the "use current curriculum" box unchecked and select a major program from the drop-down menu.

(3) Complete What If Report

Finalize your What If audit by adding your planned courses (omitting ones that you are currently registered for or have completed) and process the report. There is no option to save your What If audit, so you'll need to print to pdf and email a copy to your faculty advisor for approval. If you are requesting a course substitution or waiver for coursework listed on your Degree Works Worksheet, you must get Department Chair approval. Please refer to the Course Substitution of Waiver section below.

The faculty advisor will then submit the approved What If audit to biologyadvising@wwu.edu so that the departmental approval note for graduation may be entered in Degree Works. This note satisfies the "major/minor evaluation" requirement of the Degree Application. You will be notified by email when the note has been entered.

(4) Submit Completed Degree Application

After your approval note has been entered by the Department in Degree Works, you may submit your completed Degree Application form(s) to the  Registrar’s Office. The folks in the Registrar's Office will be looking for the approval note when reviewing your application.

Degree Works

Degree Works is an academic planning and degree evaluation tool that reflects your academic progress towards the completion of your program of study at Western. Degree Works is designed to help you track degree progress and know which courses to take to plan your path to graduation. Instructions for students about how to access Degree Works and use the What If feature.

Course Substitution/Exception or Waiver

Any exceptions, substitutions or waivers of major or minor requirements must be approved by your faculty advisor and the Biology Department Chair via the Degree Works Exception Approval webform. If approved, the exception will be entered in Degree Works and will be visible on your Worksheet and What If report.