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Graduation Requirements

Apply to Graduate →

All students must apply to graduate in order to be considered for graduation.

Before applying to graduate all Course Substitutions, transfer credit, etc. must be on the prospective graduate’s Academic Record.

Once your application has been submitted, an initial evaluation will be done by the Registrar's Office to review that all graduation requirements have been satisfied, are currently pending or are incomplete. After the official graduation date has passed, degree evaluations will be reviewed by our office to check that all requirements have been completed. Due to high volume, this process may take 4-6 weeks after the graduation date has passed.You will be notified via your MassBay email address once your application has been reviewed.

Students can apply to graduate for December, May, or August award dates. However, our Commencement ceremony is held only once per year in May.

Questions?

Email graduationstatus@massbay.edu

Graduation Requirements

The requirements for graduation are both academic and non-academic. Candidates for all degrees and certificates must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Completion of the “Application for Graduation” form online or in the Registrar’s Office.
  2. Completion of program requirements, including all credit hours and Grade Point Average (GPA) requirements, of the particular academic program.
  3. At least 25% or one quarter of the coursework must be taken at MassBay.
  4. An overall cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.000 or better.
  5. Course requirements for graduation are specified under your program of study.

Please Note: The College reserves the right to confer degrees and certificates once graduation requirements have been met.

Students must complete the graduation application by the defined deadline. If a student does not complete the graduation application by the stated deadline, their application will be reviewed for the following semester.

Graduation Vs. Commencement

Commencement is a celebration of students who have, or who are expected to complete, all degree or certificate requirements by the end of the academic year.

Graduation refers to the term in which you have officially and successfully completed all degree requirements. Students can graduate at the end of the Fall (December), Spring (May), and Summer (August) semesters, but there is only one commencement ceremony that takes place in May each year.  It is recommended you meet with your advisor during your last semester to ensure all graduation requirements are met.

Participation in a commencement ceremony does not imply or infer the awarding of a degree at the time of the commencement ceremony.  A final degree audit by the Registrar's Office must be completed before a degree is officially awarded.  

To find out more about the ceremony, cap and gowns and other details, please visit the MassBay Commencement page.

Graduation Application Deadlines:

December Graduation: The last day of Day/Evening Final Exams for the Fall semester

May Graduation: The last day of Day/Evening Final Exams for the Spring semester

August Graduation: The last day of final exams for Summer session III (6 week 2) semester

Academic Calendar

Please refer to the Academic Calendar for specific dates →

Frequently Asked Questions

When are students notified if they are graduating?

MassBay requires that students first:

Apply for Graduation →

Once you submit your application, a confirmation email will be sent to your MassBay email. The Registrar’s Office will continue to communicate with you via MassBay email about your graduation application status. Due to high volume, please allow four to six weeks for the Registrar’s Office to review your application and send an initial communication. If you have applied and have not heard back from the Registrar’s Office after six weeks, please email: graduationstatus@massbay.edu

After the official graduation date has passed, degree evaluations will be reviewed by the Registrar’s Office to check that all requirements have been completed. Due to high volume of applications, this process may take 4-6 weeks after the graduation date has passed.

When is Commencement?

Students can apply to graduate for Fall (December), Spring (May), or Summer (August). However, a commencement ceremony is held only once per year in May. Please refer to the Spring Academic Calendar for the Commencement date. More information about the ceremony, cap and gowns and other details will be available on the Commencement page later in the spring semester. 

How do I apply to graduate?

Students can complete the online Graduation Application →.

Can I apply for more than one degree/certificate program?

Yes, as long as you are currently active in the program for the semester in which you are applying to graduate. You will need to submit multiple applications for each program you are petitioning to graduate from.

When should I apply for graduation?

Students enrolled in a certificate or degree program who anticipate completing all program requirements should apply for graduation in the semester they anticipate graduating or in the semester prior to their anticipated graduation.

How do I know if I am ready to graduate?

You can meet with your academic advisor, visit the virtual advising center, or review your program requirements using MyMap on your Bay Navigator account.

Do I qualify to graduate with honors?

MassBay recognizes students’ academic achievement by applying the following designations to students’ diplomas and transcripts who have earned exemplary grade point averages during their stay at the College:

Highest Honors: Associate degree candidates for graduation whose cumulative grade point average is 3.700 or above.

High Honors: Associate degree candidates for graduation whose cumulative grade point average is 3.500-3.699.

When do students officially graduate and receive their diploma?

MassBay graduates students three times per year:

 
Successfully completed all courses and requirements by the end of:
Summer (August)
Fall (December)
Spring (May)
Degree awarded (i.e. on academic transcript) and diploma mailed:
Between September/October
Between February/March
Between June/July
 

Diplomas will be mailed out once all applications have been reviewed and awarded. After the official graduation date, the Registrar’s Office will begin the final review of applications to check that all requirements have been completed. Due to high volume of applications, this process can take 4-6 weeks after the graduation date has passed.

Diplomas are mailed via USPS by our diploma vendor. More information regarding diplomas will be communicated in the email that is sent after the final review of your record has been completed.

I resolved my account hold, when can I expect to receive my diploma?

If you resolve your financial hold after diplomas have been ordered, you will need to contact registrar@massbay.edu for assistance. We do not receive automatic notifications when students have resolved holds, so it's your responsibility to contact the Registrar’s Office regarding the release of your diploma.

Can I attend the Commencement ceremony if I am graduating in Summer (August)?

Students who have 2 courses or fewer to complete in the Summer semester can attend the Commencement ceremony. If a student wants to participate in the ceremony, they must register for summer classes and submit a summer (August) graduation application by last day of Day/Evening Final Exams for the Spring (May) semester. The Registrar’s Office will review the student’s record and send a communication to the student’s MassBay email when the review is complete.

Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the last day of Day/Evening Final Exam dates.