Requirements for Graduation with a Degree or Certificate from GSPH
In addition to fulfilling your academic requirements, you must submit all required forms and paperwork, including the final essay, thesis, or dissertation. Be sure to read all of the information on graduation carefully, and contact the Office of Student Affairs, Joanne Pegher (412-624-3005; jpegher@pitt.edu) with any questions.
Important Dates and Deadlines
Application for Graduation
Registration Requirement
Joint Degrees
Diplomas
Special Requirement for International Students
Academic Requirements
Exit Survey
Local Newspaper Announcement of Graduation
1. Important Dates and Deadlines
Please refer to the section on important dates for information on the deadline for application for graduation, the deadlines for submission of essays and ETDs, and information on late fees.
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2. Application for Graduation
There are four graduation dates per year (April, June, August, December), and each candidate for a degree or a certificate must complete an application for graduation and a prior degree form and submit it to the GSPH Office of Student Affairs, 114 Parran Hall. Students graduating with two GSPH Degrees, or a GSPH degree and a GSPH certificate, may enter all information on one application form. If degrees and/or certificates will be awarded by another school in addition to GSPH, an application must be submitted to each school for the degrees/certificates that it is awarding.
Applications for graduation are valid for only one graduation date. If you must postpone graduation, you must reapply by completing another graduation application and submitting it to the Office of Student Affairs.
Your name on the application must be the same as it appears in the PeopleSoft system. You will be required to provide legal documentation (e.g., marriage certificate, divorce decree, valid passport) to the Office of the Registrar to use a different name on the graduation application.
Note: Your academic department is PPBHL. Include a non-Pitt e-mail in addition to the Pitt e-mail.
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3. Registration Requirement
Degree-seeking students must be registered for at least one credit or FTDR (for doctoral students) in the term of graduation.
Students graduating with a certificate only need not register in the term of graduation, as long as they registered during the 12 months prior to graduation.
International students need permission of the Office of International Services to register for less than a full-time credit load.
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4. Joint Degrees
University regulations require joint degrees to be completed at the same time, with the exception of the MD/PhD joint degree program. Some examples of official joint degree programs are: JD/MPH; MPH/PhD-Social Work; MPH/MPA-GSPIA.
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5. Diplomas
Diplomas are mailed by the Office of the Registrar to graduates approximately six weeks after the actual graduation date. Certificates are printed and mailed by the Office of Student Affairs approximately six weeks after graduation.
Students with any unresolved financial obligation to the University will not receive diplomas or final transcripts.
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6. Special Requirement for International Students
Departments must submit a Departure Notification Form to the Office of Student Affairs when an international student graduates.
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7. Academic Requirements
All students should meet with their advisors to confirm that they have met all of the academic requirements for graduation. Requirements will include but may not be limited to:
a. Completion of all school wide core courses including Public Health Grand Rounds.
b. Completion of all courses required by the student's department or program, including electives, practicum, internship, residency.
c. Completion of at least the minimum number of credits required for the degree or certificate.
d. Successful completion of all required program examinations (e.g., preliminary/qualifying, comprehensive, overview, defense).
e. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. Note: As of August 2009, students must receive a grade of B or higher in school wide core courses.
f. Full (not provisional) status.
g. Satisfaction of the University requirement that PhD students complete at least one full-time term in doctoral study.
h. Submission of an approved master's essay or thesis, doctoral dissertation, and any other paper required by the program for a degree or certificate.
i. All incomplete (G or I) or Z (invalid) grades must be converted to a final grade, or the student's advisor must submit a memo to the Office of Student Affairs confirming that the course is not required for the student's degree or certificate.
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8. Exit Survey
Every student seeking a degree or certificate must complete an online exit survey. Upon completion of the survey you will be redirected to a page where you will be prompted to enter your name, department and PeopleSoft ID number. Your identifying information will not be linked to the survey, so your responses will be confidential.
When you submit the form, your department or the Office of Student Affairs will receive notification that you met the survey requirement.
9. Local Newspaper Announcement of Graduation
Some students have their graduation announced in their hometown newspaper. We suggest that you submit information to the editor of your local paper in the following format:
SAMPLE: Ann Smith of River Forest, Ohio, received a Master of Science degree in Human Genetics from the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the daughter of Lea and Bill Smith. Ms. Johnson will work at Harvard University as a prenatal genetic counselor. Ms. Johnson completed an internship at West Penn Hospital, and was awarded the xyz scholarship for academic excellence.
Please contact Clare Collins, GSPH Manager of Media Relations, at (412)648-9725 with questions about announcements.