Important Dates for Graduation and Commencement
Please don't order an official transcript until you see that ALL of your grades and/or awards are posted on your unofficial transcript in connectColumbia.
| Summer 2024 | |
| Application period to apply to graduate | November 20, 2023 - July 12, 2024 |
| Degree/Certificate posted to transcript | October 15, 2024 |
| Degree/Certificate mailed to student by | November 1, 2024 |
| Fall 2024 | |
| Application period to apply to graduate | July 29, 2024 - November 8, 2024 |
| Degree/Certificate posted to transcript | February 15, 2025 |
| Degree/Certificate mailed to student by | March 1, 2025 |
| Spring 2025 | |
| Application period to apply to graduate | November 8, 2024 - April 4, 2025 |
| Degree/Certificate posted to transcript | June 15, 2025 |
| Degree/Certificate mailed to student by | July 1, 2025 |
You can apply for an Associates Degree, Certificate of Completion, or Skills Attainment Certificate by following the link to these forms on the Student Forms web page. There are several steps that will happen after you submit your graduation application.
Application for Graduation Process
To find and contact your Counselor, please refer to our Counseling Staff page. Counseling office: 209-588-5109, Special Programs office 209-588-5130 or visit the Counseling Appointments page.
1. If you plan to complete your application with a counselor, it should be smooth sailing for you! The counselor will confirm that you have met all requirements to graduate, or, that you plan to complete your final classes by the end of the semester in which you plan to graduate.
2. If you have met with a counselor in the past and have a current, approved education plan on file in Starfish, your graduation application will be routed to your counselor for approval.
3. If you have NOT met with a counselor and DO NOT have an approved education plan on file in Starfish, your application will be routed to the Counseling Department and you will be contacted to make a counseling appointment to complete that step.
4. Once you have a counselor-approved graduation application on file, your application will be in a "pending" status until the final evaluation is complete (6-8 weeks after the end of the semester).
5. You will receive an email to your student email account letting you know if you are eligible or ineligible for for your award after a counselor reviews your application.
6. To check the status of your submitted graduation application, go to your Etrieve activity tab here: https://etcentral.yosemite.edu/#/activity. Find the completed application in the list and then click on the "History" button at the bottom of the form.
In order to be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony, students must have a counselor-approved application for a degree or certificate on file.
Columbia College Commencement Ceremony
Save the date for next year's Columbia College Commencement on May 2, 2025.
Click here for more information.
