Graduation

All students must apply for graduation in their Student Profile by the deadline specified on the Registrar’s website (See “Important Dates” under Registration and Semester Schedule Information). Graduation application deadlines are scheduled well in advance to allow time for student degree evaluations, in addition to Commencement preparation. The graduation application should be submitted for the term in which the student intends to complete their degree requirements, which may or may not be the same term as the once yearly Commencement ceremony. Whereas the Commencement ceremony is a symbolic rite of scholarly accomplishment, graduation is the official date on which the students’ degree is conferred and a student is only eligible for graduation after both successfully applying for graduation and fulfilling their degree requirements. An additional fee of $25.00 is assessed for late graduation applications; however, only those applications filed by the published dates can be guaranteed sufficient processing time for Commencement and Graduation.

To qualify for graduation, students must (a) have completed all required coursework; (b) have a grade point average in all coursework of at least 3.0 in the program of study; (c) if required, have successfully completed the comprehensive examination; (d) if required, have the approval of the advisor and appropriate dean on the thesis, essay, or creative project.