A well-planned course of study as well as a clear understanding of requirements will help the student avoid graduation problems and delays. While each student is responsible for meeting all degree requirements and graduation deadlines, assistance is available from faculty advisers assigned through the major department, from staff in the Advising Center, and from evaluators in Undergraduate Evaluations.
Degree Dates: Three official graduation dates are scheduled each year—one in the Fall, one in the Spring, and one in the Summer. To qualify for graduation, the student must complete all requirements for the bachelor's degree by the official graduation date listed in the University Calendar published in this Bulletin and in the Class Schedule.
The graduation application and filing fee entitle students to an official graduation evaluation of progress toward meeting baccalaureate degree requirements. If students qualify for graduation by the designated graduation date, they may participate in the annual commencement ceremony.
Graduating with Multiple Majors and Minors. A graduation application must be submitted for each major and minor that the student declares for graduation. If applying to graduate with two majors, the following apply: (1) if the two majors are under the same degree (e.g., two B.A.s or two B.S.s), the student can apply for and graduate with both majors in the same semester; (2) if each major is under a different degree (e.g., one B.A. and one B.S.), only one degree can be awarded at one graduation, and the second degree will require a second application for a subsequent graduation date/degree cycle.
Graduation Ceremony: The formal commencement ceremony occurs once a year, at the end of May. Only those students who graduated the previous summer (August graduation date), those who graduated the previous fall (January graduation date), and those who have applied for graduation in spring (May graduation date) are eligible to participate in the ceremony. Cap and gown rental is available in the Bookstore at an additional cost.
Participation in commencement does not mean that the student has officially graduated and is qualified for the bachelor's degree. If, in the final semester, students do not complete a course or earn a grade as anticipated, they will still need to complete all courses and credit requirements required for the degree. Students will need to refile for graduation in the semester of actual completion of the outstanding requirements.
It is the general policy of this university to consider courses taken prior to the award of the baccalaureate degree as undergraduate courses. However, a student may request on the Application for Award of Baccalaureate Degree that up to twelve (12) semester units of upper division and/or graduate level work, taken in the final semester before the award of the baccalaureate degree be granted provisional post-baccalaureate status, providing these units are in excess of those required for the baccalaureate degree. It is preferred that such courses taken at this time be upper division courses, leaving graduate course work to be taken after the baccalaureate degree has been officially completed. Seniors may enroll in graduate courses only with special permission of the instructor.
If such a request is filed, the total unit load taken, in all institutions and for all purposes, by the student during that final semester must not exceed the maximum unit load in effect for graduate level students as outlined in the section Maximum Unit Load. Any exceptions must have the approval of the Dean of the Graduate Division in advance of registration for the final term. If the baccalaureate degree is not completed at the end of the term in question, all the work taken is subject to being counted as undergraduate work and the provisional post-baccalaureate status for specified courses voided.