Graduation

Apply to Graduate when you have 90 Completed Credits - See the "Apply to Graduate" section for further information.

Timeline and Dates

Below are the dates when the Graduation Application is available in RamPortal, by term.  Additionally, we have indicated which Commencement Ceremony students should attend.

How To Apply

Students are encouraged to apply to graduate once they have reached 90 completed credits. This permits enough time to review your General Education Requirements to ensure you are on track to meeting your graduation requirements. 

• Be sure you have declared all programs (majors, minors, certificates) on record. You can see all declared programs in your Degree Audit.
• Confirm your anticipated graduation date with your advisor. Your anticipated graduation date should correspond to the end of the semester in which you complete your final degree requirements (including any anticipated transfer credits).
• Apply to graduate online via your Graduation Application & Status card in RamPortal. Click on the "Apply to Graduate" link and follow the prompts.
  • Students with dual majors must apply for graduation under each major and select the same graduation term for both.
  • Declared minors will not appear as they are attached to your degree seeking (major) record.  Please check your Degree Audit for a full list of your declared programs.
  • If your future graduation term is not available, it may not be open for applications yet (see the chart under Timeline and Important Dates). Please check back at a later date.
  • If your application deadline has passed (see the chart under Timeline and Important Dates), please email Degree Completion at registrar@wcupa.edu to request a Late Graduation Application form for manual processing. 
  • Review your graduation status  in your Graduation Application & Status card to ensure you have selected the correct graduation term

---

Why Can't I Apply?

If you receive an error when applying it could be one of the reasons below:

• Have you earned 90 or more credits?
  • Only students who have completed 90 or more credits can apply to graduate. 
  • Check your earned credits in your unoffiical transcript. 
• Did you already apply?
  • You may have already applied to graduate. Check your "Graduation Status" in your Graduation Application & Status card.
  • Students can only apply once per declared program.

How to Change My Graduation Term

Did you apply to graduate in the wrong term? Has there been a change in your intended completion? We can help!

If you need to change your graduation term, you can submit a request in your Graduation Application & Status card in RamPortal. 


Reminder: If you missed the deadline to apply, you must email registrar@wcupa.edu to request a late graduation application for manual processing. 

Review Your Degree Audit and Meet with Your Advisor

• Students are encouraged to review their Degree Audit at least once a semester. 
• Students should connect with their advisor regularly to review their progress and ensure they are on track.

University Requirements

• All undergraduate students must meet the following mandatory graduation requirements:
  • Students must meet a minimum of 120 completed credits
  • Earn a minimum 2.0 cummulative GPA
    • Some majors may require higher. 
  • All grades must be posted
    • Students must resolve all IP (in-progress) and NG (not graded) courses.
  • Credit Residency Requirements 
    • All students must compelte at least 50% of their major/minor/certificate requirements at WCU or another Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) institution.
    • Students must complete 30 of the last 60 credits at WCU or another Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) institution.

General Education Requirements

• After a student applies for graduation, a Graduation Analyst is alerted and reviews the student’s current progress toward completing their General Education Requirements.
• The Graduation Analyst will add a note to the student’s Degree Audit documenting the outcome of the General Education Requirements review.
  • Students may be reviewed more than one time and may recieve multiple notations. 
  • Students should refer to the most recent timestamped note for the most up-to-date information.
• Once the review is complete, the student will receive a Navigate alert directing them to review their Degree Audit.

Questions? - Email

Degree Completion.

---

 Major, Minor, and Certificate Requirements

• After applying for graduation, students should work with their respective Academic Advisor(s) or Department Chairperson to address any outstanding major, minor, and/or certificate requirements.
  
  • Each department reviews a students declared program curriculm requirements. 

Students should be reviewing their Degree Audit every term and meeting with their advisor to discuss their progress.

Update Your Personal Information in RamPortal

1. Update Your Home Address
   
   • Diplomas will be sent to your home address on file. Make sure it is accurate and up to date!
2. Update Your Personal Email
   
   • Make sure your personal email address is updated, this is where you will be notified when your digital and paper credential has been processed.

---

Clear Your Holds

A hold on your record will prevent you from receiving your diploma or from ordering an official transcript, even if you have successfully completed all of your academic requirements.

Some of the most commons hold that will prevent you from receiving your diploma or ordering your official transcript include, but are not limited to:

Hold	Description
Bursar	If you have a past due balance for tuition or fees, or if you received a Perkins Loan, a Perkins Loan Exit Interview may be required to be completed. Questions? - Visit the Bursar website or call 610-436-2552.
Parking Violation	The Department of Public Safety has an online service for students to pay tickets. Your WCU user name and password are required. Pay My Parking Ticket Online
Athletics	All equipment must be returned to the Athletics Department.

Commencement ceremonies are held in December (following the Fall semester) and May (following the Spring semester). Commencement is ceremonial only; no degrees are awarded at the ceremony. Please see the section below, “When Will My Degree Be Awarded?”, for more information about the degree conferral timeline.

• Fall and Winter graduates participate in the December Commencement.
  • Winter graduates will not have their degree awarded until after the Winter term and their final course(s) have been graded.
• Spring and Summer graduates participate in the May Commencement.
  • Summer graduates will not have their degree awarded until after the Summer term and their final course(s) have been graded.

Graduation honors are a distinction for undergraduate students only and based upon a students cumulative GPA below:

• The honors list for Commencement is based on a student’s cumulative GPA and completed credit hours as of the next-to-last semester before graduation.
  • Final honors may differ from the honors listed in the Commencement Program.
  • Final honors are determined at the end of the student’s final semester, once all grades have been posted.
  • Final honors will be recorded on the student’s diploma and final transcript.
• Graduation Honors apply to undergraduate students only.

Several checks need to occur before a degree can be awarded.

The Process

1. Grades Are Posted
   • It typically takes 6 days after the last day of the semester for official grades to be posted for a semester.  All grades posted must be final before a student is considered eligible to receive their degree.  
2. Department Review
   • Once grades are posted, each department begins reviewing the records for students in their major(s), minor(s), and certificate program(s).  They ensure all requirements have been completed for their respective programs.
3. Registrar Review
   • After the departments complete their clearances, the Office of the Registrar completes a final review to ensure all students have met their University and General Education requirements.
4. Degree Awarded
   • Eligible students will have their degree conferred and be notified via Navigate.
   • Once a degree is awarded, the record is officially sealed and cannot be changed or adjusted.

This process may take up to 6 weeks to complete. Once awarded, your degree will appear on your unofficial transcript within RamPortal and on your official transcripts.

Once all degrees are awarded for a semester, a list is sent to our vendor who prints and mails all the diplomas to our students.  All diplomas will be mailed to student's home address listed in RamPortal.

You will receive an email (at your personal email address on file) when you digital diploma is ready and your paper diploma has started to be produced.

The process for awarding degrees may take up to 6 weeks to complete.  It will take another 4 - 6 weeks for students to receive their West Chester University diploma in the mail.