Graduation & Commencement
Graduation
Commencement
What is it?
Graduation
Graduation is the process whereby your degree is conferred so that you can officially use your new title/credentials. Upon your graduation, (if you have no outstanding financial obligations to the University), your diploma is mailed to you approximately three weeks later.
Commencement
Commencement is the symbolic ceremony held in Utah to celebrate the completion of your degree. Degrees are not officially conferred in the ceremony, nor do you actually receive your diploma here.
Is it Required?
Graduation
Commencement
When does it occur?
Graduation
The degree conferral process begins once grades for the final semester are posted (one week after the last day of the semester), and approvals then take 1-2 weeks to finalize. Upon completion of the process, the effective date of graduation is posted as the last day of each semester. Semester dates can be found on the Academic Calendar.
Commencement
Commencement ceremonies are typically held in the last week or two of the semester. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for ceremony dates.
Guest Count: Due to limitations in venue size, our Commencement ceremonies have limited seating. In order to accommodate the available space, each graduate will receive a set number of tickets to the ceremony, which they can distribute to their guests. Generally, each graduate receives approximately 6-8 tickets, but this is only a rough estimate and may change for a given ceremony based on the number of graduates who register to participate. Once the registration deadline for a particular ceremony has passed, the Registrar’s Office will finalize the number of attendees and distribute tickets to the graduates.
Live-streaming: All Commencement ceremonies at RMU are available to watch via live-stream. We offer this as a way to ensure that family and friends of the graduates can participate in the celebration, even when they are unable to attend in person.
What form/fee is required?
Graduation
Commencement
What is the deadline to apply?
Graduation
(This is the deadline to apply only – declaring your intent to graduate that semester. Degree requirements must then be met by the last day of the semester.)
Fall 2023: October 23, 2023
Winter 2024: February 26, 2024
Summer 2024: June 24, 2024
Commencement
Fall 2023: December 15, 2023
Winter 2024: TBA
Summer 2023: TBA
What are the eligibility requirements (these don’t have to be met upon application - just by the deadline stated)?
Graduation
All Programs:
– Successful completion of all courses with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00
DSc/PhD programs:
– Qualifying Exam Pass
– Practicum Completed and Approved (if applicable-reference your curriculum)
– IRB Closure Report approved
– Manuscript incorporating all committee revisions must be submitted to the Director of Research no later than ONE MONTH prior to degree completion deadline
– Receipt of approved, bound dissertation by the University
– Receipt of electronic copy of your final dissertation by the University
DNP and SLPD programs:
– Receipt of approved, bound capstone project by the University
– Receipt of electronic copy of your final capstone by the University
– IRB Closure Report approved
Commencement
Those eligible to participate in a Commencement ceremony include the following:
–Graduates who have been granted their degrees by the RMUoHP Board of Trustees within the past 18 months and have not already attended a previous ceremony
–Current Students who:
- Are enrolled in their final semester
- Hold a minimum required GPA of 3.00
- Have received approval from their Program Director to attend Commencement
Further Details on Graduation
A degree is conferred when the student has completed all academic, financial, and graduation requirements for the course of study as outlined in the University Handbook and with approval of the College Dean or Provost (under authority of the University President and the Chair of the Board of Trustees). All students must complete program coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.0. DSc and PhD degree students must additionally pass a qualifying exam, complete practicum hours (as applicable), and satisfy all the steps in the dissertation process (committee formation, proposal development and defense, IRB approval) leading to the final defense and subsequent submission and acceptance of the bound dissertation. DNP and SLPD students must additionally complete and successfully defend the capstone project (which may also require intermediate steps such as proposal defense, capstone advisor approval, and submission of the bound copy of the capstone project).
Students must apply for degree conferral by completing the graduation application. A graduation fee of $75 for all degree programs is due before the application can be processed. After the application is submitted, the Registrar’s Office conducts an audit of academic records and the University Finance Office audits the financial records. Students who clear the academic audit and desire their diplomas/transcripts released upon degree conferral must be cleared by the financial audit.
Recommendations for degree conferral require sequential approval of the Program Director or Co-Directors and the College Dean or the Provost. Following these approvals, the degree is officially conferred, and the graduate can begin using the credentials once notified by the Registrar’s Office. The following will occur once the Registrar’s Office is notified of the Dean/Provost approval: 1) the Registrar’s Office will notify the student of approval via email or other written format (along with information about obtaining one free copy of their official transcript through the National Student Clearinghouse), 2) the diploma will be ordered, and 3) the diploma will be mailed to the student. Those students who have completed all academic requirements and have had their degree conferred, but who also have outstanding financial obligations to the University, will not receive official transcripts and diplomas until cleared by the University Finance Office.