Degree Conferral
Lesley University holds one commencement ceremony in May of each year. Degrees are conferred three times each year: September, January, and May.
Graduation is not automatic. Students who complete their course of study and expect to graduate must file a graduation application via Student Self-Service by the deadline stated for each conferral. The graduation application will be moved to the next conferral period only once if requirements are not completed. No additional deferrals will be permitted; a new graduation application must be submitted, and a new fee will be billed to the student's account.
Students must file online by the published conferral deadlines, regardless of whether or not they intend to participate in the May commencement ceremony. All students who complete degree programs during the September or January conferral dates are invited to participate in the following May commencement ceremony. All financial obligations, including fines for overdue library materials, must be met prior to graduation.
Responsibility for meeting the requirements for graduation rests primarily with the student. The individual student should become acquainted with the various requirements of general education, liberal arts, and their professional program. Before filing the online graduation application, students should review their progress with their advisor and/or program director to determine that they have satisfactorily completed all degree requirements needed for graduation.
REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION ELIGIBILITY
Most students are enrolled at least half-time status (6 credits for undergraduates, 3 credits for graduate students) in order to maintain eligibility for Federal Financial Aid, and some students, such as international students, must be registered at full-time (12 undergraduate, 9 graduate) throughout their enrollment, including their final semester prior to graduation. Doctoral students should be registered as continuing students every semester until completion of their degrees.
Only students who are actively enrolled at Lesley University are eligible to graduate from Lesley University in any conferral period. Therefore, students may not complete degree requirements through transfer credits, CLEP exams, or other external credits alone. Students who have not attended Lesley University for a semester or more and who intend to complete degree requirements with transfer credits of any type must be registered for at least one academic credit at Lesley University during the semester proceeding degree conferral (i.e. - spring registration is required for May conferral, summer registration is required for September conferral, and fall registration is required for January conferral).
Study abroad is not allowed in the final semester at Lesley University.
Requirements Completed Transcript
Students who complete degree programs between conferral dates may request a Requirements Completed Transcript. See "Request a Transcript" on the Transcript web page at lesley.edu/transcripts. A Requirements Completed Transcript is an official transcript with a date verifying that all degree requirements are met. The statement on the transcript will serve as official confirmation of degree completion prior to the next conferral date. Requirements Completed Transcripts are acceptable to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and by most other state departments of education and school systems.
Latin Honors at Graduation
Latin Honors for official transcripts, diplomas, and reader cards at the May Commencement Ceremony are based on the final semester cumulative G.P.A. standings. However, the Commencement Programs are printed before May degree candidates’ final semester grades have been received from the faculty. Therefore, the Latin Honor status for the Commencement Program is determined based on the graduation residency requirement (i.e., 30 credits for CLAS students and 57 credits for LA+D students) and the cumulative grade point average at the end of the last Fall or penultimate semester.
To graduate with Latin honors a student must have met the graduation residency requirement outlined above and must have achieved the following minimum cumulative grade point average:
| Summa Cum Laude
|
3.90 |
| Magna Cum Laude
|
3.75 |
| Cum Laude
|
3.50 |
Only undergraduate students receiving degrees will be recognized for Latin Honors. All degree requirements must be fulfilled to be recognized with Latin Honors.
*This policy will go into effect with the 2020-2021 Academic Year, starting with the September 15, 2020 Conferral.
Request to Participate in Commencement Ceremonies with Outstanding Credits
To participate in May commencement exercises, students must complete all degree requirements of their programs and fulfill all financial obligations to the University. Students with up to 6 credits of outstanding coursework will be invited to participate in commencement with "march only" status. To participate in the commencement ceremony, students must also file an electronic Graduation Application via Self-Service (www.lesley.edu/selfservice) by the appropriate deadline listed on the academic calendar.