Degree Completion Eligibility & Checklist

• Students must have all degree requirements in-progress during the intended semester of graduation (includes transfer work from other institutions) to be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony.
• The Registrar must formally approve you as a candidate for degree completion to participate in a commencement ceremony. Approval is given once the degree audit shows all requirements met or in-progress.
• Students completing degree requirements in summer have the option to participate in the preceding spring or following fall ceremonies. Students who will complete requirements in the summer but wish to walk in the preceding spring commencement ceremony must apply for summer graduation by March 1. Students who complete requirements in summer but wish to walk the following fall must contact the Registrar’s Office by Oct. 1.
• Undergraduate students who meet the criteria and wish to participate in an early or late commencement ceremony must petition the Committee on Academic Petitions.
  • Students given permission to participate in an early or late commencement ceremony will not have their name included in the printed commencement program nor will they officially graduate until the conclusion of the semester in which all graduation requirements are completed.
  • Students given permission to participate in an early commencement ceremony are not eligible to be recognized for scholastic honors during the commencement ceremony.

After each semester and once the listing is finalized by the Registrar’s Office, the Office of University Marketing and Communication distributes the names of degree recipients to their hometown newspaper, based on the graduation application.

Printing the information is at the discretion of the hometown newspaper. The listing also is published online at Northwest's Media Center.

Office of the Registrar's role in degree completion (graduation)

The Office of the Registrar maintains the accuracy of the degree audit system, making sure degree and program requirements are correct and match the catalog. The office reviews and processes the Application to Graduate for undergraduate students, notifying students and advisors of issues, or approving the candidates to be added to the graduation list. Once grades are posted, the Office of the Registrar awards degrees based on the requirements listed on the degree audit and prints and mails diplomas accordingly. Diplomas are mailed approximately six to eight weeks after the official graduation date.

Academic advisor's role in degree completion (graduation)

Academic advisors should review students’ degree audits and help plan a path to graduation. An advisor should look at a student’s degree audit to make sure the student is not missing any requirements for graduation. All items on the audit must show complete or in-progress. Advisors should submit any exceptions needed by the student to ensure those exceptions are processed.

Advisors must meet with the student to complete an Advisor Graduation Check when a student completes 90 earned hours. The purpose of the check is to determine requirements left to complete in the last two semesters of the degree. 

Degree completion (graduation) process for undergraduate students

• Undergraduate students must submit an application to graduate through CatPAWS at least one semester preceding the term in which graduation is planned.
• It is the responsibility of the student to review the degree audit prior to the application and seek assistance from their academic advisor if they are unsure of degree completion (graduation) eligibility, or if they do not understand how to resolve a deficiency in their degree audit.
• When an undergraduate student applies to graduate, the following steps occur:
  • During the term preceding the one in which degree completion (graduation) is planned: The Office of the Registrar checks the student record to see if the student has an Advisor Graduation Check on file. If one does not exist, it is sent to the advisor as soon as possible to expedite the process; approval to be added to the graduation list may be delayed as a result.
  • During the term in which degree completion (graduation) is planned: The Registrar’s Office reviews the student record after the first week of classes (last date to add/drop). If the degree audit is not completed with in-progress courses, the student is notified and the advisor is copied on the message.
• Once final grades are posted at the end of the semester, students should complete the following steps:
  • Review the degree audit to ensure the audit shows all requirements completed (checkmarks) or in-progress.
  • Ensure all cashiering holds have been cleared (these display on the audit). A hold does not prevent participation in the commencement ceremony, but will prevent the release of the diploma and transcript.
  • An email is sent toward the end of the semester, reminding students to be sure the diploma mailing address is accurate (and to contact the Office of the Registrar if it needs to be changed) and to check to see if there are holds that will prevent the release of the diploma and transcript.
  • NOTE: A graduation hold is placed on each pending graduate’s record to ensure transcripts do not go out until the degree has been awarded.
• The final degree completion (graduation) clearance review takes place after grades are posted. This happens the week after the posting of final grades. Each student’s degree audit and transcript are checked to see if all requirements are met. If all requirements are met, the degree and honors are posted, and the graduation hold removed.
  • Students who are ineligible for graduation will receive emails notifying them that they have been removed from the graduation list and must re-apply for a future semester. Examples of ineligible students include but are not limited to those who fail classes in the last semester, did not meet GPA requirements and/or have various other issues preventing them from graduation.
  • Students who have pending issues (e.g. transfer work, incomplete grades) receive emails notifying them of the deadline to resolve the issue and still be awarded a degree for the intended semester of graduation.

• Failure to have exceptions processed.
• Failure to meet the 40 hours of upper division (300 level or higher) undergraduate coursework. Note that substituting a lower division course to satisfy an upper division requirement does not mean that the lower division course counts toward meeting the 40-hour requirement.
• Failure to meet the 120 or 124 minimum (depending on catalog) undergraduate credit hour requirement.
• Failure to take into account enrollment in activity courses or coursework under the 100 level that do not count as academic credit.
• Failure to take into account the effect of repeated courses as repeat codes are added to the academic record once final grades are posted at the end of the semester. Make sure to deduct any repeated courses from the minimum credit hour counts as the audit will not deduct them until the repeat codes are applied during end of semester processing once final grades are posted.
• Failure to inform the Registrar’s Office of adding or dropping a second major and/or minor.
• Failure to have the required advisor graduation check on file.

• Students are within six hours of completing their degree or enrolled in their final semester.
• Students must be admitted to candidacy and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in graduate coursework or 3.25 in specialist coursework.
• Students completing degree requirements in summer have the option to participate in the preceding spring or following fall ceremonies. Students who will complete requirements in the summer but wish to walk in the preceding spring commencement ceremony must apply for summer graduation by March 1. Students who complete requirements in summer but wish to walk the next fall must contact the Office of the Registrar by Oct. 1.
• Graduate students who meet the criteria and wish to participate in an early or late commencement will not have their name included in the printed commencement program nor will they officially graduate until the conclusion of the semester in which all graduation requirements have been completed.

• The Graduate Office maintains the accuracy of the degree audit system, making sure degree and program requirements are correct and match the catalog. The office reviews and processes Applications to Complete Degree (graduate) for graduate students, notifying students and advisors of issues, or approving the candidates to be added to the graduation list. Once grades are posted, the Office of the Registrar grants degrees based on the requirements listed on the degree audit and mails diplomas accordingly.
• Advisors should review student degree audits and help plan a path to graduation. An advisor should look at a student’s degree audit to make sure the student is not missing any requirements for graduation. Advisors should submit information to complete any exceptions needed by the student and ensure that those exceptions are processed.