Undergraduate Graduation Planning

Students who complete Berklee Online's degree program are eligible to participate in Berklee's commencement ceremony in early May. For more information on commencement festivities, please visit our Commencement page.

The 2023-2024 Graduation Application was due December 1, 2023. 

Complete the Graduation Application

Graduation Eligibility Requirements

Each candidate for graduation from Berklee Online's degree program must meet the following requirements:

  • Attain at least a 2.70 cumulative GPA in concentrate courses
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00
  • Fulfill all program requirements AND complete a minimum of 120 credits for a single major or 165 for a double major
  • Complete a minimum of 60 institutional credits for a single major or 105 institutional credits for a double major
  • Fulfill all financial obligations to the college

Step 1: Determine if you are eligible to graduate

  • Review your My Progress information available through Self Service to determine if you are eligible. Note that the anticipated completion date listed has no bearing on your eligibility to graduate. 
  • For more information on graduation eligibility, please refer to the eligibility requirements listed above.
  • If you need additional guidance in this process or have questions, please contact graduation@online.berklee.edu. We are happy to help.

Step 2: Decide whether you wish to participate in the Berklee College of Music Commencement Ceremony

  • In order to participate in the Berklee College of Music Commencement ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, you must be within twelve (12) credits of completing your degree requirements by the end of the spring semester. If you will be within this range and would like to participate in commencement, please indicate this on your graduation application.
  • As the Berklee Online spring semester will still be in progress at the time of commencement, you will also need to be in good standing in your current courses at the time of the graduation ceremony.

Step 3: Apply for graduation
(October 1 - December 1)

  • If you plan to graduate within the current academic year, you must submit the application for graduation. The graduation application will open on October 1 and close on December 1. For example, if you plan on completing your degree requirements by the end of the Fall 2023 semester, you will need to fill out the graduation application for the 2023-2024 academic year by December 1, 2023.
  • Even if you do not intend to participate in commencement, completing this application is the only way to notify Berklee Online of your graduation plans. We can only graduate students who have submitted the graduation application. There is no penalization if your calculations are off and you are not eligible to graduate.
  • You must apply for graduation by December 1. If you turn in your application late, it will delay processing of your academic record and diploma order, your name may not be listed in the ceremony program, you will not be eligible to participate in the commencement concert, and there is a chance that you will miss your opportunity to participate in commencement.

Step 4: Graduation application approval

  • Once you submit your graduation application, the Graduation Team will review your application and send you an email confirming whether you have been approved to graduate and/or to participate in the commencement ceremony.
  • This email will include a copy of your degree audit with your remaining requirements highlighted, an estimated graduation date, and important stipulations regarding what you will need to complete in order to be eligible to participate in commencement.
  • Please note that if you fail, withdraw, or do not enroll in the appropriate courses in the semesters leading up to commencement, you may lose your eligibility to participate in the ceremony.

What Happens After My Final Semester?

In order to receive your diploma you must first fulfill all of your program requirements successfully, complete your Financial Aid Exit Loan Counseling, and be free from any and all Berklee holds. Remember, participating in Commencement does not mean that you have graduated!


Once final grades for the semester have been submitted and we have verified that you have met all of the eligibility criteria, we will email you to confirm that you have graduated. Please keep in mind that instructors have up to two weeks after the last day of the semester to submit final grades. At this time, we will request that you contact us with any change of address, as an incorrect address is the most common reason for a delay in receiving your diploma. After your diploma has been ordered, you will receive another email from the Graduation Team with shipping information. Diplomas should arrive with 6-8 weeks of completing your program requirements.


If you are not contacted by the Graduation Team after what you believe to be your final semester, this may mean that you are not eligible to graduate. You are encouraged to reach out to us at graduation@online.berklee.edu with additional questions.


As a Berklee graduate, you will gain access to a number of alumni resources. You may view information regarding these resources on the Berklee Alumni page: https://www.berklee.edu/alumni.

Note: If you have completed your degree requirements but have not applied to graduate, we will not be able to graduate you until your Graduation Application has been received and processed.


Download the Graduation Checklist