Graduation and Commencement
Degrees are conferred in May, August, and December. There is one formal Commencement ceremony in May.
A student must submit a graduation application (available online in Marynet) by the posted deadline. NOTE: The completion of a graduation application does not guarantee that a student will graduate. A student’s degree audit will be completed by the school in which the student is matriculated once a student applies to graduate. The degree audit will determine if a student is eligible to graduate.
Graduation applications submitted after the posted deadline will be processed at the discretion of the university and are subject to a late processing fee. Students who submit the application after the published deadline may not receive their diplomas by the close of the semester, may not graduate until the next graduation date, and — in the spring semester — may not be listed in the Commencement program and may not participate in Commencement exercises.
Students who do not meet graduation requirements at the end of the semester in which a graduation application was submitted will automatically have their application moved to the next semester provided they can complete their requirements within the maximum period for degree completion. Students who are unable to complete their degree requirements within the maximum period for completion must obtain permission from the program director to continue. For any delays beyond one semester, the student must submit a new application and indicate the new anticipated graduation date.
Participation in the Commencement ceremony held in May is open to students who have applied to graduate in the current spring semester, the preceding fall semester, or the preceding summer semester. Students may only participate in one Commencement ceremony.
In addition, students who are not in the Ed.D. program* and need to take no more than two courses (up to 8 credits) during the upcoming summer semester to complete their degree requirements may also participate in the previous May Commencement ceremony if they meet both of the following conditions:
- They complete an application for graduation by the designated deadline.
- The associate dean notifies the Office of the Registrar that the student needs to complete their degree requirements in the summer semester immediately following Commencement.
No exceptions or exemptions to these two conditions will be made or given. *Note: Ed.D. students must have completed their dissertations before they may participate in a Commencement ceremony.
Diplomas
Diplomas for May graduates are issued during the Commencement ceremonies provided the graduation application has been submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the posted deadline. Diplomas for August and December graduates are mailed by the Office of the Registrar at the close of the summer and fall semesters provided the graduation application has been submitted in a timely manner.
Diplomas are issued in the student’s legal name as it appears in official university records. Diplomas are mailed at no charge. Diplomas are withheld from students who have unsettled obligations to the university.
Students who participate in the Commencement with a projected date of completion in the summer following will not receive the diploma at Commencement; the diploma will be awarded only after all program requirements are completed.
Diploma Replacement Policy
A replacement diploma in the name of the student as it appeared at the original time of issue will be provided upon written request by the student, return of the damaged diploma if possible, and payment of a $90 replacement fee. The replacement will include appropriate dates, signatures, and notations where possible. If the student’s name has been legally changed by marriage or court order, a new diploma may be issued upon written request. This request must include legal proof of change, payment of the fee, and return of the original diploma.