Date of Degree:
- Fall and Spring semester: Last day of finals week for fall or spring term.
- Aligns with the 14-week plus finals week session of the terms.
- Includes students who complete their last 7-week or 12-week class sessions during that term as well as student teaching.
- Summer semester: Last day of classes of the last session offered in summer.
- Master of Music candidates usually complete their program in their final summer semester, standard date applies.
- Other Dates: Varies but within the term span.
- Master of Education candidates the degree date is typically the date of successful defense of the thesis or project.
- Master of Arts in Counseling candidates, the degree date is typically determined by the completion of internship hours or the accompanying coursework for the counseling internship requirement.
- Any Master of Education or Master of Arts in Counseling candidates who are enrolled in coursework in addition to the thesis or Internship II, the standard graduation dates apply.
- 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.
Students should work closely with their faculty or professional advisors to make sure they are accurately projecting their expected graduation date.
- Students should submit the Diploma Name Request available on my.LAKELAND website:
- Undergraduate Candidates: who have earned a minimum of seventy-five (75) semester hours toward their program.
- Graduate Candidates: whose enrollment will complete their graduate program in that academic year (fall, spring, summer).
- The Diploma Name Request is the official request for degree conferral by the Office of the Registrar, NOT an RSVP to attend the ceremony or place an order for regalia.
- To participate in the commencement ceremony, a student must complete a separate reservation process and order the appropriate regalia 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 University 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.
- Should degree completion dates change, students must inform their advisor immediately. Students who reach graduation eligibility without having submitted a Diploma Name Request risk exclusion in the graduation ceremony.
- Replacement or Additional Diplomas: 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.
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 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 is 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 of Arts or Science degree(s) 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:
Students graduating receive diploma documents (both digital and paper) six to eight weeks after the term in which all graduation requirements are complete and meet all final financial obligations to the university.
Undergraduate Level
- The student will not receive a second degree or diploma if the undergraduate degree designation of the second program is the same as that of the first.
- The new major (and/or minor) will appear on the student’s transcript as an additional major (and/or minor)
- Undergraduates only receive a second degree and another diploma if the student completes at least thirty (30) additional semester hours and the second program degree designation differs from the prior degree award (B.A., B.F.A., B.S. or B.S.N.).
Graduate Level
- The student will not receive a second graduate degree or diploma until all requirements are met of the second program
- Students who return to complete a second concentration of a graduate degree earned will have the additional concentration noted on a transcript, but no additional diploma or degree is earned.
- Post-master’s certificate programs do not result in the award of an additional diploma or degree.
Commencement Ceremony Attendance:
Eligible students are encouraged to attend the May commencement ceremony to celebrate accomplishments and receive a diploma folder.
- Undergraduate degree 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.
- Graduate 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.
Day of Commencement (May)
The 2024-2025 commencement ceremony is scheduled for May 10, 2025.
- Students who have completed all degree requirements by the end of Fall 2024, Spring 2025, or are registered for their final twelve (12) or fewer credits for the Summer 2025 term may participate in the May 2025 ceremony.
- To be eligible to participate in the May ceremony, students must have completed or be currently enrolled in all courses required for the completion of the degree.
- Students enrolled spring term courses at Lakeland University are eligible to participate in the May ceremony, even if those courses do not conclude until after the date of the ceremony (including cooperative experiences, internships, practicum, field trips, field experiences or student-teaching placements).
- Students with thirteen (13) or more credits remaining who register for all those credits for the Summer 2025 term will be eligible to participate in the May 2026 commencement ceremony.
Posthumous Degree and Recognition Policy
Posthumous Degree
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.
Certificate in Memoriam
Alternatively, the University may consider awarding a Certificate in Memoriam to students who do not meet the posthumous degree 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.
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