Graduation Information
Graduation vs. Commencement
Graduation:
Refers to completing all of your degree requirements.
Commencement:
Is the recognition event at the conclusion of your academic career. For Commencement information, click here.
Degree Conferral Requirements
Application for Graduation Deadlines
Application for Graduation Deadlines are as follows:
- Spring Graduation: April 1st
- Summer Graduation: July 1st
- Fall Graduation: November 10th
Completing Your Degree Requirements
Completing your degree requirements means that all coursework and all departmental graduation requirements (e.g., comprehensive examinations, internships, student teaching, internship, research paper, project, recital, etc.) that are part of your degree program, are completed.
You can track your progress towards your degree through your Academic Advisement Report, which shows how your coursework applies to your degree requirements. For questions about your academic progress or your Academic Advisement Report, consult your academic advisor or Record Analyst.
Deficiencies
If you are not planning to meet requirements for your degree during the requested term, and you submitted an Application for Graduation, please notify your Record Analyst as soon as possible.
All deficiencies must be satisfied by:
- Spring 2024: June 14, 2024
- Summer 2024: September 5, 2024
- Fall 2024: January 30, 2025
If deficiencies are not completed by this date, you must then complete the Application for Graduation for the term in which you plan to complete all remaining degree requirements.
Applying to Graduate
Undergraduate Candidates
If you are completing your final degree requirements and plan to have a degree awarded, you must submit an Application for Graduation.
- Students with multiple majors need to submit only one graduation application and should apply under first declared/major/primary major.
- To see if your degree has been awarded, please refer to your unofficial grade report. The graduation check-out process takes 2-4 weeks time to complete after all grades have been received. The Office of the Registrar’s Record Analysts verify that all degree requirements have been satisfied. Please be patient through the degree conferral process.
Graduate Candidates
If you are completing your final degree requirements and plan to have a degree awarded, you must submit an Application for Graduation.
- Students with multiple majors need to submit only one graduation application and should apply under first declared/major/primary major.
- To see if your degree has been awarded, please refer to your unofficial grade report. The graduation check-out process takes two to four weeks time to complete after all grades have been received. The Office of the Registrar’s Record Analysts verify that all degree requirements have been satisfied. Please be patient through the degree conferral process.
Candidates that wish to apply AFTER the deadline must complete a Graduate Student Request to be considered for degree conferral and a Late Graduation Fee will be applied.
Graduating with Honors
- Summa Cum Laude: Students whose cumulative UNI GPA places them in the top 3% of those students graduating from their college are awarded Summa Cum Laude. They receive a medallion and are noted in the Commencement Program with 3 asterisks (***).
- Magna Cum Laude: Students whose cumulative UNI GPA places them in the top 4% - 8% of those students graduating from their college are awarded Magna Cum Laude. They receive a purple cord and are noted in the Commencement Program with 2 asterisks (**).
- Cum Laude: Students whose cumulative UNI GPA places them in the top 9% - 15% of those students graduating from their college are awarded Cum Laude. They receive a gold cord and are noted in the Commencement Program with 1 asterisk (*).
- Must earn no less than 55 semester hours of credit at UNI
- Only credit earned in residence at this university is considered in earning honor awards, except for students graduating with the Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree, in which case, both residence and non-residence credit is considered.
- The names listed in the commencement program with the designations Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude are based on grade point averages at the beginning of the final term. Students’ official honors designation will be listed on their transcript once grades from their final term are posted.
- The names of the students tentatively receiving honors are identified in the Commencement Program and on the official academic transcript.
- Students will be notified by letter from the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs if they have qualified for the Summa Cum Laude award.
- The Office of the Registrar will notify students if they have tentatively qualified for the Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude honor.
- Students may pick up their award at the Office of the Registrar the week prior to Commencement any time between 8:00am and 4:30pm Monday through Friday. If the student cannot pick up their award at this time, please contact commencement@uni.edu.
- Summa Cum Laude: Students whose cumulative UNI GPA places them in the top 3% of those students graduating from their college are awarded Summa Cum Laude. They receive a medallion and are noted in the Commencement Program with 3 asterisks (***).
- Magna Cum Laude: Students whose cumulative UNI GPA places them in the top 4% - 8% of those students graduating from their college are awarded Magna Cum Laude. They receive a purple cord and are noted in the Commencement Program with 2 asterisks (**).
- Cum Laude: Students whose cumulative UNI GPA places them in the top 9% - 15% of those students graduating from their college are awarded Cum Laude. They receive a gold cord and are noted in the Commencement Program with 1 asterisk (*).
- Must earn no less than 55 semester hours of credit at UNI
- Only credit earned in residence at this university is considered in earning honor awards, except for students graduating with the Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree, in which case, both residence and non-residence credit is considered.
- The names listed in the commencement program with the designations Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude are based on grade point averages at the beginning of the final term. Students’ official honors designation will be listed on their transcript once grades from their final term are posted.
- The names of the students tentatively receiving honors are identified in the Commencement Program and on the official academic transcript.
- Students will be notified by letter from the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs if they have qualified for the Summa Cum Laude award.
- The Office of the Registrar will notify students if they have tentatively qualified for the Magna Cum Laude and Cum Laude honor.
- Students may pick up their award at the Office of the Registrar the week prior to Commencement any time between 8:00am and 4:30pm Monday through Friday. If the student cannot pick up their award at this time, please contact commencement@uni.edu.