Graduation Requirements
Graduate Student Degree Eligibility
To be eligible for a Ph.D., certificate of graduate study, or master’s degree, a student must satisfactorily complete all requirements of the specific degree program with a minimum average of 3.0 quality points (based on a 4.0 scale). Only courses numbered 5000 or above are acceptable for graduate degree programs.
Students enrolled in graduate programs must complete their degree requirements within seven (7) years from the year of the first course that was taken as either a degree or non-degree student at Lesley University or another regionally-accredited institution. Courses completed more than seven (7) years before the anticipated date of graduation will not be accepted. The Ph.D. programs have specific requirements pertaining to courses taken at other regionally-accredited institutions. These are detailed in the Transfer of Credits section of this catalog.
See the “Grades” section of this catalog for specific information about grade requirements for required and elective courses. Please check the degree requirements for specific programs in each school.
Course Registration and Grades for Final Semester
Students enrolled in spring courses who expect to graduate in May must register for all courses by the add/drop deadline for the spring semester. Students who expect to graduate in September must be registered by the add/drop deadline for the summer semester. Those enrolled in fall courses must be registered by the add/drop deadline for the fall semester for the January conferral. Students must be registered for a minimum of 1 credit in the semester they intend to graduate; doctoral students must be registered in a continuation course in the semester they intend to graduate. Coursework must be completed, and grades submitted to the Office of the University Registrar, by the dates published in each year’s academic calendars.
Faculty should submit final grades via Self-Service to the Office of the University Registrar for all students expecting to graduate by the deadlines published in the academic calendars. Grades submitted at this time by faculty are final and cannot be changed.
Students are responsible for seeing that all degree or certificate requirements have been met and should consult with their academic advisor to review their degree requirements. It is important for students to consult with their advisor at the beginning of the semester or term prior to graduation. Students will not be eligible for graduation the same semester or term that acceptance to a degree or certificate of advanced graduate study program is given. Students must have a minimum of one full semester or term between the time of acceptance and the date of graduation.
Important Note: Transfer and prior learning assessment (PLA) credits, as well as course waiver and substitution processing, must be completed at least one semester/term prior to the beginning of the final semester or term before graduation. If the above documentation is not received within the stated timelines, a student's degree conferral may be moved to the following conferral period.
Graduation Application
Candidates who complete their course of study and expect to graduate must complete and submit an electronic Graduation Application via Self-Service at www.lesley.edu/selfservice. The online form must be submitted by the published deadlines listed in the academic calendars. No exceptions to these dates will be made. Any student not filing online by the appropriate date is ineligible for that conferral period. The degree completion fee is $75 (subject to change) and will be billed to the student’s account when the Graduation Application is submitted online.
The degree completion fee is non-refundable. If requirements are not completed, the Graduation Application and degree completion fee will be moved to the next conferral period only one time. No additional extensions will be permitted and a new Graduation Application must be submitted and an additional fee will be billed to the student’s account. Students should check with their academic advisor before filing the application.
The Graduation Application must be submitted regardless of plans to participate in the May commencement ceremony.
Graduation Ceremony and Degree Conferrals
Degrees are conferred three times each year in September, January, and May. However, Lesley University holds one commencement ceremony each year, in May. Students participating in the May commencement ceremony will pay an additional fee for cap and gown. September and January graduates are also invited to attend the May ceremony.
Diplomas are mailed within four weeks of each conferral date. Graduates are not eligible to receive their diplomas unless all financial obligations to the university, including fines for overdue library materials and outstanding parking fines, have been paid prior to graduation.
Commencement Participation Policy
In order to participate in the May commencement ceremony, students must complete all degree requirements of their programs and fulfill all financial obligations to the university. To participate in the commencement ceremony, students must file the electronic Graduation Application via Self-Service (www.lesley.edu/selfservice) by the appropriate deadline listed on the academic calendar.
Students who will complete their degree requirements by taking courses in the summer and/or fall following commencement may be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony as a “March Only” candidate. Graduate students with no more than three (3) credits left to complete may participate in the May commencement ceremony, provided they file a Graduation Application for their chosen conferral period. Students who have more than the maximum number of credits left to complete (including incomplete grades not yet changed) will not be eligible to participate in the May commencement.
Note: Ph.D. candidates are not eligible for “March Only”. All degree requirements for Ph.D. candidates must be met in order to participate in the May ceremony.
Post-Graduation Changes to Records
After graduation the student's academic record is sealed and cannot be changed. All academic records held by the University must be maintained as they were at the time the student's degree was conferred.