Graduation Policy

Lakeland awards degrees three times yearly. Award dates on transcripts and diplomas reflect the end date of the semester in which all graduation requirements are complete. 

Semester End Dates:

• Fall and Spring semester: Last day of finals week (main campus) for fall or spring term.
  • includes those who student-teach in respective term.
  • includes students who complete their last 7-week or 12-week class sessions during that term.
• Summer semester: Last day of classes of the last session offered in summer.

Application for Graduation

• Students should notify the Office of the Registrar of the intention to graduate by filling out and applying for graduation no more than one year prior to the student’s intended graduation date. 
• Students should apply once they have earned a minimum of 75 semester hours.
• Application forms are available on my.LAKELAND (Diploma Name Request Form).
• Upon receipt to the Office of the Registrar, the student will receive a notification of all remaining degree requirements.
• Should graduation plans change, the student must inform the Office of the Registrar immediately.
• Students who reach graduation eligibility without having submitted a Diploma Name Request risk exclusion in the graduation ceremony.
  • Students will incur a replacement diploma fee for any request to replace, duplicate, or alter the diploma document or for a request to change the name displayed.
• The Diploma Name Request is the official request for degree conferral by the Office of the Registrar, NOT an RSVP to attend the ceremony.
  • In order to participate in the commencement ceremony, a student must complete a separate reservation process to attend their respective ceremony via the Lakeland University Commencement website.
  • This process officially launches in early March of each year; all eligible graduates receive notification via their Lakeland email address. 
  • Students should check their Lakeland University email and check the website to determine the deadline dates related to ceremony registration and academic attire orders.

General Graduation Policies

Financial or Record Holds:

• Lakeland requires students to fulfill all financial obligations to the university, including the payment of all fines, prior to conferring a degree and issuing a diploma.
• Students who have not met their financial obligations by their proposed date of graduation will receive their diplomas and requested transcripts as soon as they meet all financial obligations.
• Outstanding transcripts from other post-secondary institutions needed to complete degree requirements should be in the Office of the Registrar at least two months before the official date of graduation. If such transcripts are late in arriving, degree conferral will be on hold until all transcripts arrive.

Undergraduate Honors:

• Determination of Honors regalia is reflective of the cumulative GPA for all coursework completed by the final day of the fall term and may include the entered or in-progress semester hour calculation of the individual student.
• Final Official University academic honors determinations occur once all course grade entry is complete. 
  • Once a final academic assessment occurs, a student may earn new honors designations or increase their level of honor.
    • Conversely, staff may rescind an honors designation or decrease the student’s level of honor.
  • Transcription of official honors designations are on the permanent academic transcript and diploma.
• Associate Degree and Graduate Studies students are not eligible for honors.
• Please refer to the Academic Standing  section of this catalog for further information regarding the standards for honors.

Diplomas:

• Graduates receive diploma documents (both digital and paper) approximately six to eight weeks after the term in which all graduation requirements are complete and meet all final financial obligations to the university.
• The graduate will not receive a second degree or diploma if the degree designation of the second program is the same as that of the first. The new major (and/or minor) will appear on the graduate’s transcript as an additional major (and/or minor).
  • The graduate will only receive a second degree and another diploma if the student completes at least 30 additional semester hours and the second program degree designation is assigned to a degree designation that differs from the prior degree award (B.A., B.F.A., B.S. or B.S.N.).

Commencement Ceremony:

Eligible students are encouraged to attend the May commencement ceremony to celebrate accomplishments and receive a diploma folder.

• Undergraduate candidates may participate for each associate or each bachelor’s degree earned (A.A., A.S., B.A., B.F.A., B.S., B.S.N.).
  • Any Lakeland University alumni returning under the undergraduate Program for Alumni Career Enhancement (PACE) will not be eligible to participate in commencement if completing an additional major (of the same degree type) or other credential.
• Master’s degree candidates may participate for each master’s degree earned.
  • Any Lakeland University alumni returning to complete another concentration in their previously earned graduate degree will not be eligible to participate in commencement.
• Submit any appeals for exceptions regarding ceremony attendance to the Office of the Registrar.

Mid-Year Graduation

• Graduation eligibility for the fall, spring, and summer degree dates is contingent upon completion of all graduation requirements with passing grades by August 31, January 1, or June 15, respectively.
• If not met, the student moves to the next available graduation date.

May Commencement

• The 2023-2024 commencement ceremony is set for May 11, 2024.
• Students completing all degree requirements by the end of Fall 2023, Spring 2024, or are registered for their final twelve (12) or fewer credits for the Summer 2024 term may participate in the May 2024 ceremony.
• To be eligible to participate in the May ceremony, students must have completed or be currently enrolled in all courses required for completion of the degree.
  • Students enrolled in Lakeland spring term courses are eligible to participate in the May ceremony, even if those courses conclude after the date of the ceremony (including cooperative experiences, internships, practicum, or student teaching placements).
• Students with thirteen (13) or more credits remaining who register for all of those credits for the Summer 2024 term will be eligible to participate in the May 2025 commencement ceremony.

Posthumous Degree Recognition Policy:

Posthumous Degree and Certificate in Memoriam

In the unfortunate event that an actively enrolled student passes away before the completion of a degree, the University may award the student a degree posthumously. To be awarded a posthumous degree, the student must have completed 75% of the credits toward the degree and be in good academic standing. The conferred degree is noted in the institution’s records and reported to external agencies as a posthumous award.

Alternatively, the University may consider awarding a Certificate in Memoriam to students who do not meet the aforementioned criteria. This is an honorary recognition that is presented to the family. The certificate is neither noted in the institution’s records nor reported to external agencies. There are no completion or academic standing requirements to award this recognition.

• Note: Students who have been dismissed from campus for academic or behavioral reasons may be deemed ineligible for these awards.