Graduation

Graduation

Policy title
Graduation
Category
Academic Affairs
Registrar
Policy statement

Graduation Application

Students apply for graduation through Self Service online graduation application (both undergraduate and graduate). The graduation application is available for undergraduate students who have completed a minimum of 90 credit hours; graduate students have no minimum credit hour requirements to apply for graduation. A student should apply for the graduation date they plan to have degree requirements finished. The graduation application deadlines are: 

  • November 15 for May graduation
  • May 15 for December graduation (eligible to walk during the following May commencement ceremony) 

Students will be required to complete a Petition for a Late Graduation Application if they do not meet the deadline for the semester they are submitting an application for. The form will be routed to their Advisor for approval. 

Students should check their progress toward completing degree requirements using Self Service>Student Planning>My Progress. It is the student’s ultimate responsibility to verify and complete all NWU degree requirements set forth in the university course catalog which they matriculated under. 

Graduation will be certified when all academic requirements are complete. May graduation requirements must be completed by September 1. December graduation requirements must be completed by February 1. 

View the Commencement website for schedule and details of the graduation ceremonies.

Graduation Policy

A commencement ceremony is held once a year, in May. Students are eligible to walk in the ceremony if they completed their degree in the previous December, will complete all degree requirements in the spring semester, or have 9 credit hours or less to complete remaining degree requirements (these remaining degree requirements must be completed in the summer semester following the May ceremony).

To be eligible to walk in the commencement ceremony with outstanding (remaining) degree requirements, a student can have no more than 9 credit hours of degree requirements to be completed during the summer semester following the ceremony.

A student is not allowed to participate in the May ceremony if they have more than 9 credit hours of degree requirements remaining at the time of commencement. Students with more than 9 credit hours of degree requirements remaining at the time of the May ceremony will be considered December graduates, and the student will walk in the following May commencement after the remaining requirements are completed.