Graduation Procedures

Participation in graduation ceremonies is for students who have completed all degree requirements and for those who meet the minimum requirements to participate without completion (See Participation in Graduation Ceremonies below).

Participation without completion applies only to students on the Andrews University main campus. Candidates from affiliation and extension sites must complete all degree requirements and obtain clearance through the Affiliation and Extension Programs Office to participate in main campus graduation ceremonies.

Candidates must meet the following Applications and Final Clearances guidelines for graduation or participation:

Applications and Final Clearances

• Students must file an Application for Graduation/Marching form. Graduation/marching application forms from graduate students will be accepted only when their Advancement to Candidacy form has been submitted. (Graduation /marching application forms are available at and must be returned to the Academic Records Office.) All students filing for December conferral and undergraduate students applying for graduation/marching in May must complete the graduation/marching application no later than the October date specified in the academic calendar. All graduate students applying for graduation/marching in May must complete the graduation/marching application no later than the January date specified in the academic calendar.
• Transcripts for transfer credit must reach the Academic Records Office a minimum of 15 days before graduation/degree conferral.
• All Incompletes and Deferred Grades in classes needed to complete degree requirements must be changed to a satisfactory grade in the Academic Records Office a minimum of 15 days before graduation/degree conferral.
• Students must receive financial clearance from the Student Financial Services Office to participate in graduation ceremonies or to receive a diploma.

Graduation in Absentia
On-campus commencement services occur in May and August. Students are expected to participate in all of the services unless graduating in absentia.
At the time of application for graduation/marching, students must indicate whether or not they plan to participate in the ceremony. Those who complete all degree requirements and choose to graduate in absentia forfeit their right to participate in a later graduation ceremony. Those who participate in a graduation ceremony before completing all degree requirements under the terms specified below may not participate for a second time when they complete their requirements.

Participation in Graduation Ceremonies

Graduation ceremonies are intended to recognize students who have completed all degree requirements and to celebrate their achievements. Students who are nearly completed with their degree requirements are also permitted to march and participate in the celebration within guidelines designed to maintain integrity of the degree-awarding process.
Upon submission of their Application for Graduation/Marching by the published deadline, students are authorized academically to participate in graduation ceremonies when they meet one of the following criteria:

1. Following registration for the term culminating in a Spring or Summer graduation ceremony, they fall within one of the following categories:
   
   

   1. Undergraduate students who lack no more than 6 semester credits for degree completion and meet both overall and major GPA requirements. Credits lacking include I's, DG's and unregistered work.
   2. Graduate or undergraduate students who lack only completion of an unregistered practicum or internship or student teaching requirement which could be expected to be completed before the next graduation event.
   3. Master of Divinity students who lack no more than 6 semester credits for degree completion, including practical field work courses. Credits lacking include I's, DG's and unregistered work.
      
2. Master or Specialist students without a thesis or project option who have been advanced to degree candidacy, lack no more than 4 semester credits for completion and by the official deadlines have met all other graduate degree requirements, including passing comprehensive exams (if required in the program). Credits lacking include I's, DG's and unregistered work.
3. Master or Specialist students with a thesis or project option who have completed all coursework, passed comprehensive exams (if required), and obtained approval of their thesis/project by the appropriate graduate committee, but have yet to file the thesis/project, as required. Notification of thesis/project approval must reach the Academic Records Office no later than 11:30 a.m. on Friday, one week before graduation.
4. Doctoral students who have completed all coursework, have met all graduate degree requirements, including passing comprehensive exams, and no later than four weeks before the graduation ceremony obtain approval of the appropriate graduate committee following successful defense of their dissertation/project (if required in the program), with one of the following results: "Accept the dissertation/project as defended" or "Accept the dissertation/project with minor revisions." For candidates whose result is "Accept the dissertation/project with major revisions," written notification from their committee that they have made satisfactory revisions as required must reach the Academic Records Office no later than 11:30 a.m. on Friday, one week before graduation.

The graduation program does not distinguish between those students who have actually completed all requirements and those who have not. All students authorized to participate will receive diploma covers, and all doctoral candidates will be hooded. However, for those who march without completion, diplomas will be issued and dated on the next official graduation or degree conferral date following completion of all degree requirements.

A list of graduates who have completed all requirements and received degrees for each commencement will be made public through a posting on the Andrews University website.