A. Graduation

Policy

1. Degree or Graduate Certificate Requirements

 a. Graduation Requirements

College/School and program faculty set their own requirements for degrees or graduate certificates, which are subject to review and approval by the Faculty Senate Curriculum Committee.

Students must complete all published degree requirements and be in good academic standing (See Grade polices policy)  in order to graduate.

Graduate Students:  Graduate students cannot graduate if their transcripts include a “D+”, “D”, “D-” “F”, “NP” or “I” grade.

Undergraduate Students: students cannot graduate if their transcripts include an “F”, “NP” or “I” grade for a required course (See Grade Policies).

b. Completion of Requirements for the Degree or Graduate Certificate

Students must complete their graduate program within 3 years or undergraduate program within 6 years, not including time accrued during withdrawal.  If they do not finish in that period, their candidacy will be terminated.

Procedure

2. Degree/Graduate Certificate confirmation

a. Filing a Petition to Graduate

A “Petition to Graduate” form must be filed by the student before the published deadline and submitted with the respective fee.   

b. Degree/Graduate Certificate Confirmation Requirements

The University will confer the degree or graduate certificate when the following minimum conditions have been met:

     * satisfactory completion of a capstone or culminating project, if required, and
     * achievement of the grade requirements as defined by the university (See Grade policies policy),
     * achievement of the requirements established by the appropriate College, School or Center for the respective degree or graduate certificate,
     * certification by the head of the academic unit administering the degree or certificate that all requirements of the degree being sought have been completed as formalized in the Graduation Evaluation Form.

No student shall be approved for graduation before the head of the academic unit administering the degree or certificate has certified to the Registrar that all academic requirements have been met. The Registrar must promptly notify the candidate and the program chair, and College or School dean, or director head of the academic unit administering the degree or certificate if graduation is not approved for any reason.

Degrees are conferred twice a year. (See Degree Conferral)

3. Commencement ceremony

Commencement is held once annually.  Only students who have fulfilled the degree requirements and have been cleared for graduation may participate in the commencement ceremony.   Students who complete their program requirements during the following summer term or fall semester and are cleared for graduation are eligible to participate in the following commencement ceremony.   .

Participation in the commencement ceremony does not guarantee degree conferral.

B. Obtaining a Diploma or a Degree-Bearing Transcript

Policy

All degree-bearing documents and their certified copies are obtained from the Office of the Registrar. Copies must have the signature of the Registrar or the Registrar’s designee and the AUA seal to be valid.

Procedure

Diplomas are provided by the Office of the Registrar only after notification from the head of the academic unit administering the degree or certificate about the completion of graduation requirements and confirmation of administrative clearance of other university obligations.

Original diplomas are provided free of charge once. The Office of the Registrar can certify copies of diplomas upon written request. A Letter of Standing or Transcript, may be issued upon request subject to the fees and the form set by the Office of the Registrar.  A certified copy of the duplicate diploma, marked as such, may be issued upon request subject to the fees set by the Office of the Registrar and RoA regulations.