Student Academic Affairs

Graduation–Key Points and Potential Problems

Review Your DARS in Preparation for Graduation
If your DARS indicates any unmet degree requirements, you will not graduate!  When indicating which degree requirements have been met, DARS assumes successful completion of currently enrolled classes.  If your DARS indicates unmet requirement(s), or appears to contain an error, contact your academic advisor and/or the College immediately.

Common Deficiencies that Prevent Graduation
It is the responsibility of each student to know the requirements of his/her academic program and proceed to satisfy those requirements. Degree requirements can be determined by consulting the relevant pages of the catalog.  The most common deficiencies that arise are:

• Fewer than 124 total earned hours (excluding duplicate hours).
• Fewer than 50 hours earned at the 300-400-level.
• Less than a 2.20 grade point average in the major or minor.
• The grade for a required course is not posted by the term closing date.  This situation tends to arise when students have a grade of incomplete, or are enrolled in correspondence or transfer course work in their graduation term.
• Failure to submit a Petition for Exception to Degree Requirement. When a course substitution or a waiver of a degree requirement is necessary, this petition must be submitted to the Associate Dean by a student's academic advisor . If the petition is approved by the Dean, the student's DARS will indicate that the requirement in question has been met.
• Failure to complete a minor.  Students who have declared a minor will not graduate if the requirements for the minor have not been completed, even if all other degree requirements have been met.  Provided that a completed minor is not required for a student's program of study, the minor can simply be dropped using the College's online form.

Applying for Graduation
You must complete an application to graduate.  The application can be completed online through the portal once total earned hours are equal to or greater than 78.  Your designated graduation term appears on your DARS once you have applied.

Important Note:  If you are certain you will not have met all degree requirements in the term in which you have applied to graduate, you must update your intended graduation date through the portal.  (However, if it has been more than one year since you last applied to graduate, you may not be allowed to update your graduation date via the portal-  you may have to request a paper application for graduation from the Office of Registration and Records.)

Graduation Review Process
After final grades are posted to Student Records, the College begins the process of graduation review.  Each graduation applicant's record is reviewed and a determination of degree completion is made.  The determination is noted on the official graduation record; when complete, the graduation list is submitted to the Office of Registration & Records.  The length of the review process varies by size of the graduating class, but it is likely to be 4-6 weeks before the list is submitted to Records.  Once the list is received by Records, diplomas are issued to successful graduates.  Students who have failed to earn a diploma are also notified.

Participation in Commencement
Although all students are encouraged to participate in commencement ceremonies, marching across the stage does not mean you have graduated.  Commencement occurs prior to the posting of final grades for the term and, therefore, before degree completion status can be determined.

Any student who has applied for graduation in a given term may participate in the commencement ceremony that term.  Some students participate in commencement knowing they have additional hours to complete.  Any student who has no more than 6 hours to complete may march in the commencement ceremony the term preceding his/her graduation term.

Degree Completion Certificate
If you need evidence that you have completed all degree requirements prior to the end of the term in which you have applied to graduate, or before your diploma is mailed, you can request a Degree Completion Certificate.  This generally serves as verification of graduation for employment or post-graduate work.  Note: This service is for Arts & Sciences majors only.

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