The term “graduation” is often confused with “commencement”; however, they are different and have different deadlines and procedures. While the graduate degrees are awarded monthly, commencement is held by the School of Nursing twice per year.
Commencement
The commencement ceremonies are held in December and May. Attending the ceremony does not imply that a student has officially graduated. Students who are not near the completion stage of their dissertation (planning to defend at the end of summer for spring commencement or mid-winter for winter commencement) are not encouraged to participate in commencement until they are further along. If you plan to be a part of commencement, please notify Alicia George ([email protected]) and Karen McCray ([email protected]) through email at the beginning of the semester in which you plan to participate in commencement.
Graduation/Award of Degree
Graduate School degrees are awarded monthly on the last day of the month for which a student applies for graduation (July 31 if a student applies by June 30 to graduate in July). All Graduate School requirements must be completed by the last working day of the month prior to the month of intended graduation. To graduate at the end of any given month students must:
• Apply to Graduate on or before the first workday of the month.
• Complete all other requirements by the last workday of the month.
Graduating before the end of the term may affect eligibility for student loans, housing, etc. Check with the appropriate office if there are questions related to eligibility. The diploma will be mailed 6 to 8 weeks after graduation.