"Northeastern provides a wide variety of classes, experiences, and choices that you feel like you won't have enough time to complete everything you are interested in."

~ Stacey, Class of 2013, PhD ECE Biomedical Optics

Graduation/Commencement

Students planning to graduate should register for commencement through their myNEU account during the commencement application time periods. Using the Self-Service tab, a Commencement link is located at the bottom left corner of the screen. Choose the My Commencement option and complete the questionnaire provided. The questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and is REQUIRED in order to add your name to the official Degree Conferral List and to ensure the accuracy of your degree. If the Commencement link is not available to you on myNEU, please contact the Graduate School office for assistance.

• Graduation Dates & Deadlines
• Graduation Clearance Procedures
• Thesis Instructions
• Commencement Office

Graduation Dates & Deadlines

January 2012 DEGREE CONFERRAL

January 27, 2012

December 12, 2011:
Graduate School Thesis/Dissertation and Approval Record (with all required signatures) due in the Graduate School. In exceptional circumstances, a student and their adviser may apply for an extension (to no later than December 19th) to the deadline via a Petition Form submitted to the Graduate School.

**Note: We cannot guarantee that a Thesis/Dissertation submitted on December 19^th will be approved by the GSE before the winter break.  Please plan accordingly.**

December 23, 2011:
Deadline for departments to submit all missing or incomplete grades from previous terms (with appropriate documentation), transfer credit requests, time limit extension requests, and any other petition(s) to the Graduate School.

Any missing Thesis/Dissertation Continuation grades are due by this date.

December 23, 2011:
Deadline for approved Thesis/Dissertation electronic upload by students into ProQuest system for September conferral.

May 2012 DEGREE CONFERRAL

Please note the following deadlines leading up to Commencement:

April 9, 2012:
Graduate School Thesis/Dissertation and Approval Record (with all required signatures) due in the Graduate School. In exceptional circumstances, a student and their adviser may apply for an extension (to no later than April 17th) to the deadline via a Petition Form submitted to the Graduate School.

April 18, 2012:
Deadline for departments to submit all missing or incomplete grades from previous terms (with appropriate documentation), transfer credit requests, time limit extension requests, and any other petition(s) to the Graduate School.

Any missing Thesis/Dissertation Continuation grades are due by this date.

April 25, 2012:
Deadline for approved Thesis/Dissertation electronic upload by students into ProQuest system for May conferral.

May 4, 2012:
May Commencement Ceremony

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING THE MAY COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY: 

PhD students must have completed all requirements for the degree by the specified spring date (see deadlines above) in order to participate in the hooding ritual of the ceremony. Students that anticipate graduating by August and cannot meet the spring deadline should plan to be hooded at the following year’s commencement.

Note to September 2011 graduates who wish to participate in the May 2012 Commencement ceremony:
If you graduated in September 2011 and wish to participate in the May 2012 Commencement Ceremony, you must contact the Commencement Office in the Spring semester and request a “walker” form.  The Commencement Office may be reached at 617-373-4098 or commencement@neu.edu.  

** Please check the commencement office for further details. **

September 2012 DEGREE CONFERRAL

Please note the following deadlines leading up to Commencement:

September 1, 2012

August 6, 2012:
Graduate School Thesis/Dissertation and Approval Record (with all required signatures) due in the Graduate School. In exceptional circumstances, a student and their adviser may apply for an extension (to no later than August 13th) to the deadline via a Petition Form submitted to the Graduate School.

August 20, 2012:
Deadline for departments to submit all missing or incomplete grades from previous terms (with appropriate documentation), transfer credit requests, time limit extension requests, and any other petition(s) to the Graduate School.

Any missing Thesis/Dissertation Continuation grades are due by this date.

August 22, 2012:
Deadline for approved Thesis/Dissertation electronic upload by students into ProQuest system for September conferral.

ADDITIONAL DEGREE CONFERRAL INFORMATION:
All students who wish to graduate must complete the MyCommencement registration form on-line via the myNEU web portal. The Graduate School will then review graduating student files and contact those students regarding any outstanding academic requirements.

For all information regarding the commencement ceremony (tickets, gowns, speakers, etc.) contact the Commencement Office, 230 Cushing Hall, 617.373.4098. Information is also available on-line at www.neu.edu/commencement.

Graduation Clearance Procedures

1. Please note the Graduate School of Engineering’s requirements for graduation:
   

   The Graduate School of Engineering must have on record an official copy of the student’s Undergraduate Degree. If the student entered a PhD program with a Master’s Degree, an official copy of the Master’s Degree must also be on record with the Graduate School of Engineering.

   All students must satisfactorily complete an approved program of correlated work of graduate caliber and such other study as may be required by the academic department in which they are enrolled.

   To qualify for any degree from the Graduate School, a student must attain a cumulative Quality Point Average (QPA) of 3.000 or higher with no more than eight semester hours below the grade of ‘B-’ in all courses applied toward that degree, exclusive of any prerequisite courses. However, prerequisite courses are calculated into the QPA. The Committee on Graduate Study in Engineering allows students to take eight semester hours of credit beyond stated minimum degree requirements for the purpose of repeating failed required courses or substituting for elective courses in order to attain the required 3.000 QPA for the completion of degree requirements. Within the above limitations for extra or repeated courses, a student must repeat any required course in which s/he earns a grade of ‘F’ and earn a grade of ‘C-’ or better.

   Students must be registered in their last semester of study. Students finishing their requirements in the summer semester must be registered in Full Summer, Summer 1 or Summer 2.

2. All students must initiate the graduation clearance process.

   By registering for graduation via your myNEU account. This will place your name on the graduation list and start the graduation clearance process. If you receive an error message when you try to Apply to Graduate, please come to the front desk of the Graduate School in 130 Snell Engineering. More information about applying to graduate can be found here: http://www.northeastern.edu/commencement/Apply to Graduate.html.

   BS/MS Students: The Graduate School of Engineering clears you to graduate with your Master's Degree. This is a separate process from clearing you for your Bachelor's Degree. When you apply to graduate in myNEU, you will first be able to apply to graduate for your Bachelor's Degree only. You will not see an application to graduate for your Master's Degree. Your academic adviser will inform the GSE at the beginning of your last semester that you are intending to graduate, and you will receive an email from the GSE informing you of the steps you must take to apply to graduate with your Master's Degree.

3. Review your academic transcript for accuracy. Unofficial transcripts are available via your myNEU account. Contact your academic adviser with any questions regarding your transcript.


4. Ensure that you have met all departmental requirements, such as the required number of semester hours. If you haven’t done so already, submit a petition form to your academic adviser for courses you have taken that are outside the list of approved electives for your program or for core course waivers.


5. Ensure that all of your financial obligations have been met. Go to Student Financial Services, 354 Richards Hall, to verify your status. In order for your diploma to be released, financial obligations must be met before the graduation date.


6. Your academic record will be reviewed by the Graduate School of Engineering and you will receive an email during the last semester of your study regarding any outstanding academic requirements for graduation.

If you have any questions regarding the graduation clearance process, please contact Lisa O’Neill, Student Services Specialist, at lisa.oneill@neu.edu.