The University holds a Commencement ceremony in May of each year, at which May graduates and graduates from the preceding August and December may participate. Only students who have completed all requirements for graduation (including all coursework prior to the Commencement ceremony) are eligible to participate in the ceremony. Students who have completed all requirements for graduation except for a few credits should consult the university’s Commencement webpage three months prior to Commencement for the current policy regarding participation.

Students must apply for graduation by completing and submitting the appropriate form. Undergraduate students following the new "core" general education requirements must have successfully completed a minimum of 80 credits before an application may be submitted. Undergraduate students following the old "cluster" general education requirements must have successfully completed a minimum of 90 credits before an application may be submitted. Receipt of application will result in the preparation of an academic audit.

Deadlines for submitting the graduation application are as follows:

• For May graduation, the application is due by July 1 of the year prior to graduation
• For August graduation, the application is due by February 1 of the year of graduation
• For December graduation, the application is due by May 1 of the year of graduation

A $50.00 late fee will be applicable to late graduation applications received once the graduating semester has begun. Late applications will only be accepted for a limited time.

Late applications for:

• May graduation will be accepted until February 1
• August graduation will be accepted until June 1
• December graduation will be accepted until October 1

Graduation applications will not be accepted if received after the late deadline.

Name changes, verifications of minors/concentrations, substitutions, waivers, transfer credit requests, and amendments to graduation applications are due by the Late Application Deadlines listed above for the term of graduation.

Students who do not apply by the regular due date must apply and pass a preliminary degree audit by the late deadline or will not qualify for graduation. Please refer to the Important Dates page for late application deadlines. Also, please visit the Downloadable Forms page for a copy of the Graduation Application.

Audit results will be mailed to students to the address on file. Please see the Important Dates page for audit mailing dates. Any questions or concerns about the audit should be referred to the academic advisor. If you believe an error was made in your academic audit, you must submit a written notification to the Office of the Registrar.

The Office of the Registrar must be notified immediately if, after applying, you change your graduation date. It will also be necessary to submit a new application for graduation for the appropriate year/term.

 Amendment of Graduation Application:
If you add or drop a minor or concentration, it will be necessary to submit an Graduation Application Amendment Form. This must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the first two weeks of the semester in which you intend to graduate. You must also submit the proper form to declare or drop the minor/concentration. Please see the Downloadable Forms page for a copy of this form.

The name on your diploma will appear exactly as reflected in our official records. If you wish your name to appear differently, a formal change of name request (with acceptable documentation) must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the due date of the graduation application. This includes the addition of a middle name. Please see the Downloadable Forms page for a copy of this form.

A substituted or waived course will not be adjusted on an official record without the Request for Substitution or Waiver of Program/Major Requirement form approved by the program director, the Dean of the appropriate School and the Provost. Forms should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar directly. Please see the Downloadable Forms page for a copy of this form.

Previous graduate credits will not be added on an official record without written request and official transcripts submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar will review for acceptability and forward to appropriate chairperson for content review. Students will be informed in writing regarding the decision. The University will accept up to 6 credits of a student’s graduate work from another accredited institution toward fulfilling the program requirements at Georgian Court. Courses acceptable for transfer are expected to be closely similar or comparable to Georgian Court courses and must have been taken within the last 5 years. Only grades of B or above are acceptable.

All approved forms regarding coursework must be received to the Office of the Registrar before an application for graduation is submitted.

It is the students responsibility to make sure that all University requirements, as listed in the GCU catalog of the semester/year of matriculated acceptance, are fulfilled and that proper course registration is submitted.

All degree requirements must be recorded as successfully completed by the end of the semester in order for graduation to occur. If this is not achieved, you will not receive a diploma or be eligible to participate in any Commencement activity.

If a student requested and was approved for a grade of Incomplete during their final semester, graduation will be processed following the six-week deadline for final grades. Diplomas will be mailed to the address on file if all University financial obligations are satisfied. If financial obligations are not satisfied your diploma and transcripts will not be released. It will be necessary to contact the Office of the Registrar directly when all debts are satisfied.

Undergraduate Minor/Concentration Verification Form

All declared Minors and/or Concentrations must be certified by the Chairperson of the department in order to be included on a final transcript. A minor is NOT required to graduate. Students are responsible for submitting the approved Minor/Concentration Verification form directly to the Office of the Registrar. The Office of the Registrar is not responsible for forms not received. Forms must be submitted within the first 5 weeks of the semester of graduation. Nothing will be added to an academic record after graduation processing has occurred. If this form is not submitted and you have declared a minor or concentration, it will be permanently removed from your academic record. Students should hand deliver this form to our office directly. Please see the Downloadable Forms page for a copy of this form.

Undergraduate Basic Program

Please note: Effective Fall 2007 matriculation the University changed the Undergraduate General Education Requirements. Please refer to the catalog of your matriculation for old requirements.

Georgian Court University insists that a certain breadth of subject matter is essential for the complete development of the truly liberally educated person. The General Education Program and Graduation Requirements are divided into three areas: a) General Education Core Curriculum Part I: Common Core, b) General Education Core Curriculum Part II: Distribution Core, and c) Graduation Requirements. Students must complete the requirements of each area. Please refer to the University catalog for the requirements.

Major Program
The specific requirements for each major are listed under the respective disciplines.

Credits
Every candidate for either the B.A., B.F.A., B.S., B.S.W. or B.S.N. degree must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to qualify for graduation.

The expected period of study required of students who enter as freshmen is a minimum of four years.

Transfer students must be enrolled at Georgian Court during their last two years; they are required to take a minimum of 30 credit hours and at least half of their major and minor courses at Georgian Court.

Undergraduates who do not graduate within the normal four-year time frame must meet the requirements for graduation as published in the catalog in effect at the time of enrollment at the university or in the program.

Georgian Court students enrolled in a joint degree program may count, as Georgian Court credits, up to 30 credits taken at the accredited institution affiliated with the joint degree. These credits may not be used to satisfy the 30-credits-at-Georgian-Court requirement but may be used to entirely satisfy the one half-of-the-major-taken-at-Georgian-Court requirement.

Once a student has earned a total of 90 credits from all sources, all remaining credits must be taken at Georgian Court University.

Graduation Grade
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) must be maintained.

Unless otherwise indicated for a specific major, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 grade point average must be maintained in the major field.

Undergraduate graduation honors will be awarded based on cumulative Grade Point Average earned at GCU. For students following the cluster program, at least 66 credits must be earned at Georgian Court University in order for a student to be eligible for degree honors. Only credits taken at Georgian Court, a minimum of 66, will be used in this evaluation. For students following the core program, at least 60 credits must be earned at GCU in order to be eligible for degree honors.

New Jersey Coastal Communiversity students must earn at least 49 credits at Georgian Court University to be eligible for degree honors (after spring 2012, all 49 credits must be in courses graded A-F).

The required minimum GPAs for degree honors for students at all locations are as follows:

Program
Successful completion of specified credits for each program is required. Please refer to the specific program requirements listed in the Graduate Catalog in effect at the time of your matriculated acceptance to the University.

Graduation Grade
An overall average of "B" (3.0 cumulative grade point average) must be maintained.