Degree candidates must have completed all requirements of the curriculum, have passed all prescribed examinations, have a minimum 3.0 grade point average, and be free of indebtedness to the university. Students must file a Notification of Intent to Graduate form before their final semester (or summer session) at Peabody. Deadlines for filing intent forms are published in the Vanderbilt University academic calendar.

The university holds its annual Commencement ceremony following the spring semester. Degree candidates must have successfully completed the aforementioned requirements for graduation to participate in the ceremony. A student completing degree requirements in the summer or fall semester will be invited to participate in Commencement the following May; however, the semester in which the degree was actually earned will be the one recorded on the diploma and the student’s permanent record. Any student who graduates in summer (August) or fall (December) will receive their diplomas by mail. Spring graduates will receive their diplomas at Commencement unless they elect not to attend the ceremony, in which case they will receive their diplomas by mail, as well.