GRADUATION 101

The purpose of our office is to determine the eligibility of students for graduation and the official awarding of degrees. Degrees are awarded 4 times a year; Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer.

Prior to Graduation: Reading the Academic Requirements Report General Education Requirements Major/Minor Requirements Transfer Credits/Transcripts All students are assigned an Academic Advisor when first enrolled at CWU. As any major and/or minors are added, then students are assigned a Faculty Advisor as well.

Viewing Academic Requirements Report This report is located on MYCWU, by clicking on Student, under the Student Dashboard choose PLANNING and then My Academic Requirements.

How to read the Academic Requirements Report (ARR) Every student must complete a total of 180 (Transfer and CWU combined) credits in order to qualify for graduation. Within those 180 credits, a total of 60 Upper Division (300 level and above) must be taken as well as 45 CWU credits (Residency) along with all major/minor requirements. Think of the 180 credits as an umbrella that the other requirements fall under. When viewing the AR report, all requirements that are not completed will show as NOT SATISFIED (in most instances) in red so it is easily visible.

General Education Requirements General Education requirements are located below the Undergraduate Requirements. General Education requirements can be different for every student; some have DTA’s, some with partial DTA’s and others that must complete all requirements. Something to keep in mind is that Foreign Language is a requirement for all students who’s major falls under a Bachelor of Arts. 2 years of foreign language in high school will satisfy this requirement or 1 year of college foreign language (3 quarters/2 semesters). General Education requirements are eligible for petition. For more information on this please visit: http://www.cwu.edu/student-achievement/general-education-requirements. Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

Major and Minor Requirements Things to keep in mind about majors and/or minors: Some majors require a Course of Study form to be filled out with a Faculty advisor. Elective approval forms are needed for some majors and minors as well. Some majors/minors have grade requirements (can be found in catalog as well). As you can see from the second arrow that the courses under the Law & Justice Core have a C- grade requirement. Course substitutions are accepted by our office from Faculty advisors. Major’s that have 490’s, please take note that this course must have enrollment on AR report. Major’s that have Internships or Student Teaching must apply for graduation within the quarter these will be completed. If agreed upon hours fall after the official end of the quarter, application for graduation must move to the next term. Students wanting to repeat a course should note that credit for both courses will appear on the unofficial transcripts and AR report until the last course is completed and graded at which time the prior course credits will be removed. Adding or Dropping any major/minor must be done with the corresponding Department. Please keep in mind that some small major plans require a 2nd major or a minor. Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

It is important to remember that your CAPS report does NOT include course work that has a incomplete or in progress grade so please factor that in when you are looking at your degree requirements. Also, if you repeat a class during your last quarter of enrollment remember that you only get credit for that course once. So prior to the grade coming in you could be getting double credit for the 180 requirement or upper division requirement and when the grade comes in those credits will be removed. So your CAPS could say you are good when in reality you might be short credits.

Unofficial Transcript and Transfer Credit To view the unofficial transcript and transfer credit report, go to the Student Center. CWU accepts a maximum of 135 total transfer credits from regionally accredited four-year schools, including a maximum of 105 total credits from regionally accredited community colleges. The university recognizes college credit from a number of sources, including Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), International Baccalaureate (IB), DANTES and military educational experience or correspondence credit. Up to 45 quarter credits from these programs may be counted toward graduation. Unofficial transcripts are a good resource when combined with the AR report to see eligibility for graduation. Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 Graduation Applying Once Applied Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 Applying for Graduation: There are two different ways to apply for graduation 1. Online Application - When applying online, please keep deadline dates in mind as a term will not appear if the deadline has passed. To apply online, go to MYCWU, under Student Dashboard, choose graduation tab and then click Apply for Graduation link. 2. Hard Copy - If you are re-applying for your degree or missed the deadline you must submit the graduation application by downloading it from this link www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout Graduation application deadlines are posted on our website. The standard graduation fee is $50. Once a deadline has passed, petitions will be accepted for a short time, which result in an additional $35. Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

After Applying for Graduation - Degree Checkout will not inform a student if an application has been accepted, so it is important to check Student Accounts, as graduation fees will be posted when applicants are approved. - Once the application is approved, Degree Checkout will begin the 1st of 3 audits preformed on a students academic record (audits can begin 4-8 weeks after applying). All communication from DC comes in email form, so it is imperative that an applicant checks their CWU email daily. - The first audit performed will alert the applicant to any missing requirements that are not satisfied (typically 1 quarter out, so next enrollment will satisfy those requirements). After the second audit if requirements are still missing, an applicant could be subject to denial and have to re-apply for the degree. - Missing requirements are posted on your Advising Notes, CWU email, AR report and To Do List. Check all of these regularly. - Incomplete grades, as well as any grade changes, are the responsibility of the student. Degrees will not be awarded to those with Incomplete grades on their academic records (checking the Unofficial Transcript is important). Any time there is a question about an audit or missing requirements, it is best to contact your Academic and/or Faculty advisors. Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 Degree has been awarded, now what? - Honors Recognition: The following conditions must be met in order to be considered for graduation with distinction: At least seventy-five (75) of the credits required for the degree must be earned at Central with a minimum of sixty (60) credits in courses taken on the A-F graded basis. Credits earned by course challenge, CLEP and other national examinations, military experiences or courses, non-college courses and industrial experience will not be allowed toward the 75-credit eligibility requirement. Honors shall be based on the GPA of all credits earned at Central and all transfer credits accepted by CWU. Baccalaureate honors are awarded to recipients of a first bachelor’s degree according to the following standards: 3.5 to 3.69 - cum laude 3.7 to 3.89 - magna cum laude 3.9 to 4.00 - summa cum laude For spring quarter degree candidates, the Registrar will calculate the top percentage for the declared spring degree candidates based on the end of winter quarter data. Final determination of honors will be made after the spring quarter graduation ceremony when all grades are recorded. Students completing degree requirements during the summer, who are permitted to participate in the preceding spring quarter commencement, will not be eligible for honors recognition until the following spring commencement ceremony. Diplomas are mailed out 8-10 weeks after the last day of the term and are sent to the HOME address. Diplomas will not be sent to any student with a hold or balance on their account (must be at 0). Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 Graduation VS Commencement: Graduation (degree awarded) The formal completion of an instructional program or course of study. Students graduate after successfully completing the application process, meeting all credit and course requirements and other criteria set by the college or university (compare to commencement). Commencement ceremony The ceremony at the end of an academic year, for students who have applied for their degrees in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer, when students are celebrated for their academic achievement. Only Fall and Winter degree applicants have been awarded their degree for the actual ceremony. Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout

Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 QUESTIONS? Degree Checkout/ Mitchell Hall/ 509-963-3524 www.cwu.edu/registrar/degree-checkout