Commencement & Degree Completion

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Policies  
Applying to Graduate    Commencement Program Deadline    Conferral of Degrees & Diplomas    Degree Candidacy & Completion    Degree Completion Time Limit    Diplomas    Degree Conferral Fee    Early Commencement

Applying to Graduate

Students nearing degree completion are required to submit a Graduation Application to the Office of the Registrar. The application notifies the University that a student intends to complete all degree requirements by the end of the term for which they apply. Undergraduate students who have completed 88 credits are required to submit a Graduation Application. Graduate students should apply to graduate by the beginning of their final term.

If degree requirements will not be completed by the end of the term for which a student has applied to graduate the application should be updated by the student. Graduation applications for students who have been withdrawn from the University for one academic year will be deleted.

To apply to graduate

1. Access the Graduation module in Student Self-Service.
2. Submit the Graduation Application.
3. It will be be received and reviewed by The Office of the Registrar.
4. Updates to the application can be made by accessing it from the Graduation module.

Commencement Program Deadline

A student must apply to graduate prior to the commencement program deadline for their name to be included in the program. This deadline is listed in the academic calendar.

Conferral of Degrees & Diplomas

 The Office of the Registrar confers degrees three times each year at the conclusion of the fall, spring and final summer terms. Commencement Ceremonies take place once a year in May and are administered by Student Affairs.

Students who are conferred degrees in August or December are invited to participate in commencement ceremonies the following May.

Students should review their degree progress before registration closes during their final semester to confirm they will complete their degree requirements by the conferral date for which they petitioned to graduate. The Office of the Registrar is available to answer questions related to degree progress.

The availability of diplomas for pickup or mailing varies by the time of year. Contact the Office of the Registrar for more information.

Degree Candidacy & Completion

Graduate Students

A graduate student’s progress within their program as well as their thesis proposal will be reviewed by a graduate committee upon reaching the midpoint of their program. The committee will formally determine a student’s eligibility as a degree candidate and if the student is ready to continue toward development and completion of their capstone, graduate project, or thesis.

To be certified for a degree, a graduate student must:

• Submit an Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar via Student Self-Service
• Fulfill all degree requirements within the degree completion time limit
• Satisfy minimum residency requirements  
• Achieve a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA

Undergraduate Students

To be certified for a degree, an undergraduate student must:

• Submit an Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar via Student Self-Service
• Fulfill all degree requirements within the degree completion time limit
• Satisfy minimum residency requirements  
• Achieve a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA

Degree Completion Time Limit

Students are expected to complete degree requirements in a timely manner.  Those who have not met the requirements for graduation within the time allotted may be subject to new degree requirements as determined by the school director and the Office of the Registrar on a case-by-case basis.

Graduate

Undergraduate

Degree Conferral Fee

The degree conferral fee is a one-time, non-refundable fee applied to a student’s account after they apply to graduate.  The fee is assessed regardless of a student’s intent to participate in commencement.  See the tuition and fees  page for more details.

Diplomas

Dimensions

University diplomas are 12 inches wide by 9 inches tall and are printed in landscape orientation.

Included on the Diploma

• Conferral date
• Degree
• Honors (Undergraduate programs only)
• Signatures of University Officials including the Board of Trustee Chairperson, University President, and college dean.
• Student name: Diplomas will be printed using the name provided when a student petitions to graduate.

Not included on the Diploma

Diplomas do not include a student’s major, minor, or concentration. This information is included on official University transcripts.

Early Commencement

The University recognizes there are extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control, which may affect a student’s ability to complete their degree requirements as anticipated. The Office of Student Affairs will consider petitions from students to participate in commencement exercises prior to the degree completion.

Students must meet the following requirements when petitioning:

• Have submitted an Application to Graduate to the Office of the Registrar
• Have no more than 15.0 credits outstanding
• An Approved graduation plan

To petition:

1. The student must submit a written request for an exception to commencement policy, including an explanation of the unusual circumstances supporting this request. Requests may be submitted via e-mail to the Office of Student Affairs at studentaffairs@uarts.edu.
2. The Assistant VP for Student Affairs, after considering the request, will make a determination and communicate the outcome to the student and the Office of the Registrar.
3. Appeals to the Assistant VP for Student Affairs’ decision may be submitted to the Office of the Provost at provost@uarts.edu.
4. The Provost or their designee will review the case and issue a final decision, which will be communicated to the student, the Assistant VP for Student Affairs, and the Registrar.