Graduation

The terms graduation ceremony and graduation are confusing. Instinctively you are graduated when you receive your diploma. In theory you are graduated when you have completed all study requirements of the master programme and have applied for your diploma. Whereas the graduation ceremony is the celebration for receiving the diploma.

Pre-work

You can apply for your master’s diploma the moment you completed all requirements.
It is not possible to apply for your diploma before then. This does not mean that you cannot do any pre-work for your application. Check your transcript well before you want to apply for your diploma. You can get a transcript from the secretariat of the IIS or check your grades via studieweb.

Are all courses administered? Are all the courses that you participated in and want to be part of you diploma administered?
Are the grades correct? Are the grades that are administered also the grade that you received from the lecturer. If there is a discrepancy, please go to the IIS secretariat with prove of the other grade and they will be able to change it for you.
Do the passed credits add up to 120 EC? The amount of credits that you must have for your master is minimum 120
Did you pass all core curriculum courses and are your electives approved by the Board of Examiners? Your only need to get your electives approved by the Board of Examiners when they have not been pre approved. The pre approved electives are in the course catalogues of the year in which you participated in the elective. If the electives are not approval of the Board of Examiners you cannot graduate.
Are your research projects approved by the Board of Examiners? Your research projects needs to be approved by the Board of Examiners. This is something you should have done before you started with the projects. If you do not have approval of the Board of Examiners for your research projects you cannot graduate.
Do you have hard copies of both your research projects and literature thesis? In order to archive all the individual work our students do we ask of everyone a hard copy of both research projects and literature thesis.

Apply for diploma

You can apply for your diploma every day of every month (except for the closing dates of the UvA). Your diploma date will always be the last workday of the month in which you applied for your diploma. You can apply for your diploma at the study advisors by making an appointment, studieadviseur-iis@uva.nl

Submit your theses online

You need to submit the digital versions of your two research project theses and your literature thesis online. You can do that here.

Bring to this appointment the following:

Copy passport or birth certificate or European ID card (no driving license!)
Hard copy version of both your research project theses
Hard copy version of your literature thesis
Diploma Supplement Application Form (Download Diploma Supplement Application Form)
Application for Diploma (Download Application for Diploma)
Transcript print out (obtainable from the IIS secretariat)

Upcoming Graduation Ceremonies

You need to apply before the given deadline (see below) for the graduation ceremony in order to participate in that ceremony.

Friday November 5, 2010 (submit no later than October 8, 2010)
Friday February 4, 2011 (submit no later than December 23, 2010)
Friday May 27, 2011 (submit no later than April 21, 2011)

If you cannot be present at one of the ceremonies you can choose to collect your diploma with the study advisor. You need to make an appointment beforehand.

Cum Laude (With Distinction) degree status

If the student has shown exceptional competence in the final examination, the Board of Examiners may decide to award the designation 'cum laude' on the degree certificate. A degree designation does not need to be applied for, this classification will be determined for all students. Read more...

Questions

If you have questions concerning graduating please do not hesitate to contact the study advisors, studieadviseur-iis@uva.nl