Graduation and Participation in Commencement
The University confers degrees four times annually – at the conclusion of the fall semester, winter term, spring semester, and summer term. Formal commencement exercises are held in December and May of each year. Participation in the December ceremony is limited to degree candidates who will complete their graduation requirements in the fall or winter sessions. Participation in the May ceremony is limited to degree candidates who will complete their graduation requirements in the spring or summer sessions. Students must initiate an application for graduation in the semester/term that they plan to participate in commencement to be considered a candidate for graduation.
Graduate Students
A graduate student may have two (2) classes OR a maximum of six (6) credits remaining, not in-progress, to complete their program and degree by the deadline posted for a given ceremony (September for December commencement and February for May commencement). The plan to complete the remaining classes OR credits must be clearly documented on the application including the specific semester those classes OR credits will be completed. All requirements must be planned for completion in winter to participate in the December commencement ceremony. All requirements must be planned for completion in summer to participate in the May commencement ceremony. The two (2) classes OR six (6) credits cannot include a capstone project, master’s thesis, or dissertation. A degree is not awarded until the term in which all degree requirements have been fully met.
Applications
Undergraduate and Graduate applications are available on the Registrar’s website and the Commencement website. The deadline to submit graduation applications is published on the fall and spring semester calendars on the Registrar’s Office website. Undergraduate degree applications must be signed by the Registrar’s office, the academic advisor, and the department chairperson. Graduate degree applications must be signed by the Registrar’s office, the candidate’s program advisor and graduate program coordinator.
Awarding of Degrees
A degree will only be awarded in the semester/term that the work is completed and reported to the Registrar’s Office. Any student applying for graduation must complete all requirements including “I” grades within four (4) weeks of the graduation date. Coursework that extends into a future semester or term will result in the graduation term being moved to that semester/term. Students who use transfer work to complete their requirements will have their degree conferred during the semester/term when the Registrar’s Office is notified via official transcript, regardless of when that coursework was taken.