Graduation
Information about commencement ceremonies can be found online at commencement.gallaudet.edu. Students who expect to complete the requirements for a graduate degree must file an application for graduation online by the deadline stated in the University's academic calendar. The graduation application must then be approved by the student's academic advisor. If the student has filed a graduation application but does not ultimately complete the requirements for a degree, the Registrar's Office will defer the student’s application for graduation.
Academic advisors verify that the graduate student has completed all requirements for a degree. If all requirements are met, the academic program approves the student to graduate. Graduate students who have not completed all requirements by the end of the spring semester may march in the commencement ceremony only if they are eligible to march through the Petition to March policy.
Grace Period
There is currently no grace period for graduate students. In order to be conferred a degree in a given month, all final grades must be complete, with no pending incomplete courses.
Class Designation
Degrees are conferred three times a year: in August, December, and May. Commencement is held one time each year, in May. All graduates who participate in commencement are recognized as part of a graduating class. Students who complete degree requirements in time for May graduation are always members of the class year corresponding to their degree conferral. Students who complete degree requirements in December are recognized during the May commencement ceremony that follows their degree conferral and are considered part of the graduate class that is recognized that year (e.g. a student who graduates in December of 2022 will be a member of the class of 2023). Students who complete degree requirements in August who successfully petition to march in the commencement ceremony before their degree is conferred will be a member of the graduating class corresponding to their degree conferral. August graduates who participate in commencement ceremonies the year following their degree conferral will be a member of the subsequent graduating class (e.g. a student who graduates in August of 2022 and does not petition to march in 2022 will be recognized as a member of the class of 2023).
Petition to March Policy
A master's, clinical doctoral, or specialist student who desires to participate in May commencement but has not completed all program requirements may request that their program director file a Petition
to March Form with the Registrar’s Office who will verify the Petition to March request complies with this policy.
It is the sole discretion of the student's academic program to decide whether to proceed with a student's request to file a Petition to March Form. Each program director has the final authority to
decide on whether to submit a Petition to March form.
Programs deciding to file a Petition to March form must attest that the student is in good standing and is expected to complete outstanding degree requirements before or on the forthcoming August graduation date (i.e., last day of summer session). The Petition to March may only be considered when one of the following extenuating circumstances exists:
- The student is enrolled in a master's, clinical doctoral, or specialist degree program and needs to complete one additional content course (through Gallaudet or the consortium) during the upcoming summer session.
- The student is enrolled in a non-traditional graduate program (e.g., online or summer) and needs to complete a maximum of two additional courses before the last day of the upcoming summer session.
- The student is enrolled in 1 or more consortium courses (in the spring semester) that will not post grades until after Gallaudet University’s grade submission deadline.
- The student is completing an externship or internship that allows for an August graduation date.
No exceptions to the marching rule are permitted for students who have not yet completed their required research project, thesis, or dissertation defense or those enrolled in non-clinical doctoral programs. In rare cases when a student has not yet met degree requirements due to circumstances beyond the student’s or program’s control, the graduate school may request that Council for Graduate Education (CGE) consider exceptions beyond those listed above.
Petition to March Forms must be filed by April 1st. Petitions received after this deadline will not be considered. Incomplete forms will be returned and not considered at a later date. Students who march without completing all the requirements will receive a special designation in the commencement program. A notation will indicate that fulfillment of program requirements is anticipated before or on the
last day of the August summer session.
If unexpected circumstances arise in which a student whose anticipated graduation date is in May receives an unanticipated incomplete grade in one non-research-related course (final research project
(e.g., dissertation, thesis, final capstone), program directors may file a Petition to March form with the Registrar’s Office no later than the deadline for entering spring grades (provided that the student plans to complete remaining assignments by August.
Students who petition to march are not eligible to receive an honors stole if their final cumulative GPA cannot be calculated due to remaining coursework. If the remaining requirements will not result in a
course grade, the student may be eligible to receive the honors stole.
Students who are permitted to march will not have their degree conferred until all program requirements have been completed. It is the responsibility of the student's program to notify the Registrar's office when the student has successfully fulfilled all program requirement