Issuing Office

Registrar's Office

Affected Parties

Students

Policy Language

All students must meet the specified requirements for graduation and commencement.

Policy Rationale

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that students understand the expectations set forth by the University regarding graduation and commencement.

Definition of Glossary Terms

None specified

Procedures

UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
All matriculated students, whether Resident or Liberty University Online, must meet the same academic requirements for graduation. Undergraduate students must have all courses in the General Education core and in the declared major and minor completed before being considered candidates for graduation.

1. The bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 semester hours. Of these total hours, a specified number of upper-level (300-400) courses must be completed with the minimum number being 30 semester hours. Each program differs; therefore, the student must follow the degree requirements carefully. The Associate of Arts degree requires a minimum of 60 semester hours.
2. Each undergraduate degree program consists of designated General Education requirements, a major, and electives. Electives may be taken from the undergraduate courses offered in any department. A GPA of 2.00 or higher, unless otherwise specified in a particular major or minor, is required for graduation.
3. To satisfy the requirements for the major and minor fields of study, only grades of C or above in upper level courses may be included. This includes directed electives. Certain majors require a grade of C or above in all major courses.
4. At least twenty-five percent of the credit hours required for the bachelor’s degree must be completed at Liberty. Fifty percent of the semester hours in the major and minor must be completed at Liberty, unless otherwise specified within the degree requirements. At least twenty-five percent of the credit hours required for the associate’s degree must be completed at Liberty, and with the exception of the A.A. in General Studies or the A.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, 50% of the hours in the major component of the Associate degree must be completed at Liberty.
5. The Registrar’s Office will process the conferral of a degree once all degree requirements have been met, including the minimum GPA requirement and graduation application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, they must do so under a new application.
6. RESIDENT STUDENTS ONLY: The Technology Competency and Christian Service requirements must be completed.

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current degree, they will be applied to the graduation requirements where applicable.

GRADUATE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
The following general guidelines for graduation apply to each candidate for a graduate degree. Any additional requirements are specified in the section which describes a particular program.

1. Post-baccalaureate, graduate, or professional programs must be at least 30 semester credit hours.
2. The complete program of study for the degree, as outlined in the catalog in effect when the student is accepted as a degree candidate, must be successfully completed before graduation.
3. The student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 unless otherwise stated.
4. The cumulative GPA will be used (a) to determine eligibility for (1) conferral and (2) graduation honors and (b) as the “Degree Awarded GPA” that will be posted on the student’s transcript.  The cumulative GPA comprises all Liberty University coursework completed at the academic level of the degree being awarded (Graduate or Doctoral) regardless of prior degree conferral or certificate completion, broken enrollment, or a program/major change.
5. At least one-third of the course work for any program of study must be earned through Liberty University. The minimum number of hours which must be completed through Liberty for each degree program is noted in this Catalog in the Graduation Requirements section for that program.
6. Students in post-graduate programs are permitted to use up to 15 hours of 500/600-level courses if permitted by their Degree Completion Plan.
7. The student must submit a Graduation Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of his/her final semester.
8. The Registrar’s Office will process the conferral of a degree once all degree requirements have been met, including the minimum GPA requirement and graduation application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, he/she must do so under a new application.

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current degree, they will be applied to the graduation requirements where applicable.

UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

1. The complete program of study for the certificate, as outlined in the catalog in effect when the student is accepted to the certificate, must be successfully completed.
2. The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00.
3. The cumulative GPA will be used (a) to determine eligibility for conferral and (b) as the “Certificate GPA” that will be posted on the student’s transcript.  The cumulative GPA comprises all Liberty University coursework completed at the Graduate academic level, regardless of prior degree conferral or certificate completion, broken enrollment, or a program/major change.
4. No grade of D may be applied to the certificate (includes grades of D+/D-).
5. For Undergraduate Certificates, a minimum of 25% of the hours must be completed through Liberty University.
6. For Advanced Graduate Certificates, a maximum of 50% of program hours may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level.
7. For Executive Certificates, a maximum of 50% of a post-graduate and doctoral degree may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level.
8. For all other certificates, all course work for the certificate must be completed through Liberty University.
9. The student must submit a Certificate Completion Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of his/her final semester.
10. The Registrar's Office will process the conferral of a certificate once all certificate requirements have been met including the minimum GPA requirement and certificate completion application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, they must do so under a new application.

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current degree, they will be applied to the graduation requirements where applicable.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS

1. The complete program of study for the certificate, as outlined in the catalog in effect when the student is accepted to the certificate, must be successfully completed.
2. The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00. Students pursing Executive certificates, Post-Graduate certificates, or the Graduate certificate in Epidemiology must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
3. The cumulative GPA will be used (a) to determine eligibility for conferral and (b) as the “Certificate GPA” that will be posted on the student’s transcript. The cumulative GPA comprises all Liberty University coursework completed at the Graduate academic level, regardless of prior degree conferral or certificate completion, broken enrollment, or a program/major change.
4. No grade of D may be applied to the certificate (includes grades of D+/D-). For students pursuing Executive certificates or Post-Graduate certificates, no grade below B- may be applied to the certificate.
5. A maximum of 50% of the program hours may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level.
6. The student must submit a Certificate Completion Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of his/her final semester.
7. Changes to the certificate will not be permitted once the student is in final courses for the current semester and the Certificate Completion Application is on file. 
8. The Registrar's Office will process the conferral of a certificate once all certificate requirements have been met including the minimum GPA requirement and certificate completion application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, he/she must do so under a new application.*                                                                                                             

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current certificate, they will be applied to the certificate completion requirements where applicable.

GRADUATION APPROVAL

The Registrar’s Office will process the conferral of a degree once all degree requirements have been met, including the minimum GPA requirement and Degree Completion Application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, he/she must do so under a new application.*                                                                                                             

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current degree, they will be applied to the graduation requirements where applicable.

LUCOM GRADUATION APPROVAL

The Council of Deans reviews and votes to authorize degree conferral for students of the COM. Based on approval from the Council of Deans, the Registrar’s Office will process the conferral of a degree once all degree requirements have been met, including the minimum GPA requirement and Degree Completion Application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, he/she must do so under a new application.*                                                                                                             

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current degree, they will be applied to the graduation requirements where applicableAll candidates for graduation must be approved by the Faculty and the Board of Trustees.

GRADUATION CEREMONY
Degrees are granted throughout the academic school year. All candidates for degrees may participate in the annual graduation exercises which take place in May.

Sanctions

None specified

Exceptions

None

Date of Last Review

1012/117/20222021