Graduation Criteria

General graduation information, including instructions on how to petition for graduation, can be found on the Registrar's page under Graduation Information.

Graduate Students

A cumulative quality point ratio of 3.00 and completion of all program and university requirements are required for graduation and the conferring of master's degrees.  All students must file a graduation petition form in order to have their names placed on the list of potential graduates.

Graduate petition forms are available at https://www.newhaven.edu/academics/22280, Graduate Records Office, Bursars Office and University College.  No fee is charged for an initial petition for a degree.  A candidate who does not complete all the requirements for graduation before the deadline will have to petition again at a later date.  At that time, only the refiling fee of $50 will be charged.  All financial obligations to the university must be met prior to graduation.

Undergraduate Students

Graduation is not automatic.  Graduation petitions, once filed, ensure that a student's record will be formally assessed in terms of degree requirements.  A petition may be denied if graduation requirements are not met.  If a petition is approved, a degree will be awarded for the appropriate commencement.

A degree will be conferred when a student has satisfied all program requirements and met all university requirements by having done the following:

1. successfully filed a petition signed by the department chairperson;
2. earned a cumulative quality point ratio (gpa) of no less than 2.00 in all courses applicable toward the undergraduate degree;
3. earned a cumulative quality point ratio (gpa) of no less than 2.00 (or higher if required by an individual department) in all courses in the student's major field of study;
4. passed the university's Writing Proficiency Examination (for bachelor's degree candidates);
5. been recommended by the faculty (via department chairperson approval of the petition);
6. met all financial and other obligations and conformed to any local, state, or federal law concerning graduation; and
7. met the residency requirement of the university.

If a student does not meet all the requirements as outlined above prior to the commencement date, a diploma with the requested commencement date will not be issued.  It is the student's responsibility to file a new petition for a future commencement date.  At that time, a refiling fee of $50 will be charged.

For more details on the ceremony and important information leading up to it, visit our Commencement page.