Graduation Information
Degree Conferral:
Caldwell University has three conferral periods per academic year, culminating on one Commencement Ceremony in May. Graduates from the preceding Fall, current Spring, and preceding Summer* may be eligible to participate. *To be eligible for Summer graduation, all degree requirements must be fully completed prior to the conferral of degrees as indicated on the Academic Calendar. Note, not all summer terms will qualify.
All students must file an Application for Graduation to obtain degree conferral and a diploma. Deadlines to file for graduation can be found on the Academic Calendar. *Requests received beyond the deadlines listed will be held until the next available conferral period.
To earn a Bachelor’s Degree: Students must complete a minimum of 120 credits; have a minimum GPA of 2.0 (certain majors may require higher); satisfied all program required coursework; and earn a grade of ‘C’ or higher in all major, minor, and/or concentration coursework. See our University Catalog for more information.
To earn a Masters Degree: Students must complete all program required coursework and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Grade requirements may be higher for specific programs. See the University Catalog for more information.
To earn a Doctoral Degree: Students must complete all program required coursework, maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher and completion of all dissertation requirements. See the University Catalog for more information regarding dissertation percentage completion requirements for eligibility to apply for graduation.
Degree Audit: After a student applies for graduation, their academic record will be audited for completion by their program advisor/coordinator. If approved, the application will be sent to the Registrar’s Office for a final evaluation. Students will receive email alerts notifying them of their status. See the Application for further information on email notices.
Graduation Clearance: Students must receive graduation clearance to be eligible to participate in Commencement activities.
Commencement:
Commencement is the annual celebration to acknowledge students who have been approved for graduation with a Doctorate, Masters, or Bachelors degree within that academic term.
In order to be eligible, students must have 1. Applied for graduation by the due date listed on the Academic Calendar 2. Obtained Advisor and Registrar Approval of their Application Status and 3. Be anticipated to complete all degree requirements by the conferral date established for the designated graduation term. *Summer graduates must be enrolled into their outstanding requirement(s) by April 15th and expected to complete them prior to the conferral of summer degrees to obtain approval to attend Commencement. See the Academic Calendar for graduation application deadlines. *Students enrolled in summer session OB will be eligible for the following year’s Ceremony.
Diploma:
Diplomas are drawn up following final grade collection, which typically occurs 4-6 weeks, after final grading and the conferral of degrees has been completed. Graduates will receive a notice to their CU email from Parchment@parchment.com with access to a lifetime digital diploma (effective Summer 2023) and to notify you the physical diploma has been shipped. Diplomas are mailed to the address on file/you provided on your graduation application. If you need to update or change your address, requests must be made no later than one month prior to the end of the term. All financial obligations to the University must be resolved prior to the release of the diploma.
Questions about your Diploma? Review our help guide!
Latin Honors: Latin honors are applicable to Bachelor’s degree recipients. Those participating in Commencement, who are eligible, will have the Latin honor notated from the preceding term. To read more about Latin Honor eligibility, please refer to the University Catalog.
Duplicate Diploma: Alumni may order a duplicate diploma at www.caldwell.edu/diplomarequest.
*Beginning in Fall 2023 both a digital and physical diploma will be sent to you.
Diplomas are drawn up three times per semester in January, June and August.