Degree Completion & Conferral

The Chicago School’s policy on Degree Completion may be found in the Student Handbook. A student must complete all program requirements before their degree can be conferred. Academic program requirements include but are not limited to coursework, clinical training (practicum/internship), and a capstone project, i.e. thesis, dissertation.

A candidate’s degree progress and eligibility for conferral is assessed by the Office of the Registrar. A student must file the Petition for Degree Conferral form by the deadlines listed below in order to be considered for degree conferral. Late petitions are not accepted.

Note: Doctoral students who opt to earn a nested master’s degree are required to petition for the master’s degree and are subject to all degree conferral requirements.

Petition for Degree Conferral
Filing the Petition for Degree Conferral form will initiate the degree auditing and, if earned, degree conferral procedures. Once the petition is completed and submitted, the petitioner will receive a notification of receipt email at their Chicago School email address. This email will serve as confirmation that the petition has been received in the Office of the Registrar.

To submit a Petition for Degree Conferral, please access your account through the Student Gateway navigate to Student Resources > Registrar Office > Degree Conferral and submit a Petition for Degree Conferral.

Degree Conferral Procedure

The Office of the Registrar operates within these timeframes related to degree completion:

Degree Audited and Conferred: Will occur after the student completes their final term of enrollment, assuming all final grades have been posted for degree auditing and conferral. Once the auditing process has been completed, the student’s conferral date will be posted to their transcripts no more than 15 business days after the eligible conferral date. An email will be sent to your Chicago School email account when your status has been updated to graduate and your degree has been posted to your transcripts.
Diploma Ordered: Diploma orders are placed on the 5th and 20th of every month. When your order has been submitted, an email will be sent from The Chicago School/Parchment to your Chicago School account with login credentials to review your information, place your order, and provide you access to your digital diploma which will be available for immediate download. *Diploma order date is determined by actual degree conferral date*
Diploma Delivered: Will occur 6-8 weeks after a student’s diploma is ordered, assuming his/her student account is clear of holds.

Degree Conferral Fee
The $215 degree conferral fee is charged to all degree-seeking students and funds degree auditing and other related activities. The fee may be paid online via myChicagoSchool or mailed to the Office of Student Accounts. Students enrolled in a certificate program are not assessed the degree conferral fee.

Certificate students do not pay the degree conferral fee.

Students completing Dissertation or Thesis, Internship or Practicum
A student whose final degree program requirement is completion of a practicum and/or internship must be enrolled in a corresponding course unless the practicum or internship concludes prior to the end of the term/semester. A student whose final degree program requirement is a thesis or copy editing of a dissertation must be enrolled in a corresponding course unless the copy editing will be completed prior to the end of the term/semester. Please refer to the Degree Completion of the Student Handbook for more information on degree conferral dates.

Diplomas and/or Certificates

Diplomas and certificates are typically available eight (8) to ten (10) weeks after all degree requirements have been verified and degree has been conferred by the Office of the Registrar. Expedited requests cannot be honored.

Graduates will be sent an email from The Chicago School/Parchment to their Chicago School email account regarding ordering their complimentary diploma or certificate. This email will also contain a link for the graduate to download a digital diploma that can be shared across social media immediately.

All diplomas and certificates are mailed to the student’s address of record with The Chicago School. A student is strongly encouraged to verify the accuracy of the address of record upon degree completion. A student will also have an opportunity to update the mailing address when confirming the complimentary diploma/certificate order. If a student fails to keep an accurate address on record with the school that results in a diploma or certificate being mailed to the wrong location, the student will be responsible for the diploma or certificate replacement cost. A diploma cannot be delivered to a P.O. box.

A student may not receive a diploma, certificate, or other official school documentation until all library materials are returned, any outstanding tuition and fees or other indebtedness to the institution are paid, and financial aid exit counseling is completed. When an account hold is resolved, a student is responsible for contacting the Office of the Registrar to request the release of the diploma or certificate. The diploma or certificate will not be ordered until all holds are resolved and notification of such is received from the student.

Diploma and/or Certificate Name
All diplomas and certificates are issued in the student’s name of record with The Chicago School. The diploma or certificate name may not include any degree abbreviation or other titles. To change the name of record with The Chicago School, the student must submit a Student Personal Information Change Request with supporting legal documentation (driver’s license, marriage certificate, passport, court order, etc.) to the Office of the Registrar. A student must contact the diploma vendor (Parchment) for any name changes made after the diploma or certificate is issued and pay the replacement fee in order to receive a new document.

Diploma and/or Certificate Replacement
A lost or damaged diploma or certificate may be replaced for a fee. The replacement diploma or certificate will bear the signatures of current school officials but carry the original degree awarded date and degree title. The diploma or certificate will indicate that the document has been reissued. Graduates may request a diploma and/or certificate replacement directly from Parchment. A replacement fee is assessed at the time of the order.