Student Success Help Desk

The Student Success Help Desk consolidates all of the tools available to help students stay on track to graduate and offers students assistance enrolling in classes required to fulfill degree requirements. Student Success Help Desk staff work with students, advisors and faculty to resolve roadblocks to timely graduation.

Help Desk Checklist for Students

  1. Contact your academic advisor. Advisors are the experts in your degree plan and can answer most questions. This is an important step because processes can vary by college or school, and advisors are the most knowledgeable resources about specific degree and graduation requirements.

  2. Check the frequently asked questions below.

  3. Still have questions? Email studentsuccess@utexas.edu.

Receiving Your Degree

Once you successfully complete your degree requirements, you have earned your degree and will have your degree conferred. Students whose degree audit is 100% are eligible for graduation and will be notified via a Secure Academic Note (SAN) after the semester’s deadline to apply for an undergraduate degree.

Colleges and schools might require you to confirm your intent to participate in commencement ceremonies. Contact your college or school directly for information on confirming commencement ceremony participation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best way to know if you’re on track to graduate is to meet with your academic advisor and review your Interactive Degree Audit, which allows you to estimate how courses you plan to take will apply toward a degree.

Interactive Degree Audit

The Interactive Degree Audit cannot be used to register for courses and does not guarantee that the courses listed will be offered for the semester indicated, nor does it guarantee that you will be able to enroll in those courses. Some courses are offered infrequently or only in certain semesters.

If you are enrolled in Senior Countdown, you are guaranteed assistance to get the courses you need to graduate or help finding an appropriate substitution. If your academic advisor is unable to help, email the Student Success Help Desk.

Course guarantee is for Senior Countdown participants in their final year only. Senior Countdown guarantees that participating students will have guaranteed assistance for courses that meet their graduation requirements, not a particular course. Students not yet participating in Senior Countdown should meet with their advisor to discuss alternative solutions and sign up for Senior Countdown.

One extra year of college can cost a student $150,000 in tuition and fees, increased student loan debt and interest, lost wages, and lost retirement savings. It’s important to decide if two majors or two bachelor’s degrees are worth an extra $150,000. Most experts would suggest a graduate degree might make more sense.1

1New Rules. Policies to Strengthen and Scale the Game Changers (p. 6, Rep.). (). Indianapolis, IN: Complete College America. https://myecc.ecc.edu/excels/Completion/initiative49/Shared%20Documents/NEW-RULES.pdf

If you are completing your last courses at another institution and are not registered at The University of Texas at Austin at the same time, you can still apply to graduate from UT Austin in your final semester. This is called graduation in-absentia. Contact your advisor to see if you are eligible to complete this process. If you still have questions, contact us at studentsuccess@utexas.edu.

When transferring coursework to finish your degree, you will need to make sure the institution you are sending it from sends it to UT Austin’s Office of Admissions. Once your transcript has arrived, the Admissions team and your college or school work together to add the coursework to your record and your degree audit. If you are not enrolled for longer than one semester, the Office of Admissions will not automatically upload your document; in this case, reach out to your academic advisor or the Student Success Help Desk for assistance.

Students are expected to complete their degree requirements within four years (eight consecutive long semesters) of their first semester enrolled or within three years (six consecutive long semesters) for transfer students. ALL students who receive a graduation Secure Academic Note (SAN) and wish to delay their graduation MUST appeal.

You can still take coursework to complete requirements for a second degree or a second major after graduating with your first degree.

Most students will have already registered for next semester’s courses during the previous registration period. Registration slotting for the following semester will be based on your progress toward your second degree.

Graduating with one degree while completing a second degree or certificate does not automatically prevent you from receiving all types of financial aid. You should consult with the Texas One Stop to confirm your options.

You have one year after graduating to complete a transcriptable certificate.2 A maximum of nine hours of certificate coursework may be taken after you have earned an undergraduate degree.

2Minor and Certificate Programs. (2018). Retrieved July 21, 2020, from  https://catalog.utexas.edu/undergraduate/the-university/minor-and-certificate-programs

All UT alumni have free lifetime access to the HireUTexas job board, virtual career development tools, and online resources through Texas Career Engagement. Additionally, Texas Exes members can access the association’s Career Resources Library and are eligible for career coaching at a discounted rate. You should also check with your college or school to learn about other benefits available to recent graduates.

You can also grow your career, connect with other alumni, and find a mentor by joining HookedIn, the official networking platform for UT students and alumni.

Learn more about career services available to alumni.

Some colleges and schools require that students confirm their intent to participate in commencement ceremonies. The best source for the most accurate information is your academic advisor or the dean’s office in your college or school. For information about the university-wide celebration, please visit the Commencement website.