Degree certification

Several steps and rules determine whether a student is eligible to graduate. Students must also announce their candidacy for graduation, and have a variety of commencement and convocation ceremonies.
 

1. Notification of intent to graduate

In order to graduate, you must notify the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences of your intent. This is done at the same time that you register for your final semester of classes through the student registration system. If, for some reason, you do not do so by the 10th day of class, contact your admissions/records officer. Otherwise, your name will not be added to the pending degree list, and the date of your degree award and diploma will be delayed. Also, you should be aware that if you are removed from the list, for any reason, such as dropping a required course, you cannot register for additional course work without the approval of the associate dean in LAS Student Academic Affairs.

Please note, indicating your intent to graduate does not automatically register you for commencement and convocation ceremonies. Please follow individual instructions about deadlines, tickets, and other important information.
 

2. Completion of degree requirements

The university establishes a degree certification date following the completion of each term. If you are on the graduation list you must complete all degree requirements — including requirements to formally announcement your candidacy for a degree — by the degree certification date for that term.
 

3. Forgiveness clause

Under certain circumstances a faculty-established "forgiveness clause" may be applied toward the evaluation of the student's cumulative GPA required for graduation. Use of this forgiveness clause requires a determination by the dean that the student's record warrants the application of this method of evaluation under established academic policies.

Specifically, if students have completed all other degree requirements, but also have a deficiency in their cumulative GPA, the college may employ one of the following two methods to certify that they are eligible for special consideration:

  • Exclusion from the computation of the GPA courses in which grades of C- or below have been reported, but these are not to exceed a total of 10 semester hours achieved before the last 30 hours of work completed on this campus and counted for the graduation requirement; or
  • Use of the student's GPA of no less than 2.10 for the last 60 semester hours of work counted for graduation requirements and completed on this campus—except in those curricula where a higher graduation requirement is specified.

These methods of evaluation may not be used to determine the student's true academic status (good standing, academic warning, or drop). In addition, they may not be used in evaluating the requirement that the student must achieve a 2.00 average or better in their major course work counted toward the degree.
 

4. Extension of eligibility to enroll

Students who are removed from the graduation list for any reason, such as dropping or failing a required course cannot register for additional coursework during regular terms (fall or spring semesters) without the approval of the associate dean in LAS Student Academic Affairs.
 

5. How your degree is certified

The university establishes a degree certification date following the completion of each term. Students on the graduation list and others who wish to graduate at the end of a given term (for example, students who are completing make-up work or who are completing remaining requirements through non-residential enrollment) must have all degree requirements officially completed by the degree certification date for that term.
 

6. If you miss certification deadlines

LAS and campus policy do not allow for the retroactive awarding of an individual degree; nor does that policy allow for the retroactive posting of additional majors, minors, or other academic curricular certifications to a degree that has been awarded. Students who confirm their completion of outstanding degree requirements — including the requirement to formally announce their candidacy for the degree — after the official degree certification date for a particular term will have their names added to the next available graduation list. However, such students may request and receive from LAS Student Academic Affairs for personal use a letter confirming their completion of all requirements for the degree and confirming the date upon which the degree will be awarded.