J o h n F K e n n e d y U n i v e r s i t y

OTHER INFORMATIONGraduation and CommencementA student is graduated at the end of the quarter/semester inwhich all requirements for the degree or certificate programhave been completed. A commencement ceremony is heldeach June to honor students who have completed degree,certificate, or credential program requirements during theacademic year or who will be completing requirementsduring the summer.Petition for Degree or CertificateA student must apply for a degree or certificate by submittinga Petition for Degree or Petition for Certificate form to theRegistrar’s Office accompanied by the appropriate nonrefundablefee. Petitions must be on file before a degree orcertificate will be awarded. Petition deadlines for all programsexcept Doctor of Psychology are January 15 for June andSeptember graduation; July 15 for December graduation;October 15 for March graduation. The petition deadlinefor the PsyD program is February 15 of the year prior tobeginning the internships.Review of Student RecordsUpon receipt of the petition, the Registrar’s Office will reviewthe student’s records and notify the student of any remainingrequirements to be completed for the degree or certificate.Awarding of the Degree or CertificateAt the end of the quarter/semester of anticipated completion,as stated on the petition, the student’s records will bereviewed to verify completion of all requirements. If allrequirements have been completed, the awarding of thedegree or certificate will be posted on the transcript and thestudent notified. Degrees or certificates will be dated as of theMonday after the last day of the quarter/semester in which allrequirements have been met. Students who have not fulfilledall requirements will be notified.Diplomas or CertificatesDiplomas or certificates are printed after all requirementshave been completed and the degree or certificate has beenposted on the transcript. They are mailed to the addressof record approximately three months after the degree orcertificate has been awarded. Diplomas and certificates areprinted using the student’s legal name on record. Studentswishing a different name on their diploma or certificate mustfile an official name change with the Registrar’s Office priorto the issuance of the diploma or certificate.Petition for Credential ProgramsA student must apply for credential program completioncertification by submitting a Petition for Credential ProgramCompletion Certification form to the Registrar’s Office andpaying the appropriate fee. Petition deadlines are January15 for June or September completion, July 15 for Decembercompletion, and October 15 for March completion. Uponreceipt of the petition, the Registrar’s Office will forward itto the credential analyst in the university’s Department ofEducation.At the end of the quarter of anticipated completion as statedon the petition, the credential analyst will review the student’srecords. If all requirements as stated in this catalog have beencompleted, with the approval of faculty and the departmentchair, the student is recommended to the CaliforniaCommission on Teacher Credentialing for the credential.The credential analyst will also notify the Registrar’s Officethat credential program completion should be noted on thestudent’s transcript.Recognition of Academic HonorsUndergraduate StudentsStudents who demonstrate exceptionally high academicscores are eligible for graduation honors. Academic honorsare posted to the diploma and final transcript when thestudent’s degree is conferred. Graduation honors are basedupon all course applied toward the bachelor’s degree and aredetermined according to the following table:HonorSumma Cum Laude 3.85+Minimum GPAMagna Cum Laude 3.75–3.849Cum Laude 3.50–3.749Students not eligible for graduation honors but who haveachieved a grade-point average of 3.60 in all major coursesare eligible for honors in the major.Graduate StudentsGraduate students do not receive honors based on gradepointaverage; however, each school selects an outstandingstudent to honor at Commencement (see below).Graduation with Honors for the Schoolof LawStudents who have completed their degree requirements,have completed at least 39 of the 56 required numericallygraded units in residence at the School of Law, and whohave taken no more than 17 terms (including summers) tocomplete their degree requirements are eligible for graduationwith honors as follows:HonorSumma Cum Laude 88+Minimum GPAMagna Cum Laude 85–87.99Cum Laude 83–84.99Academic Honors will be posted on the students’ transcriptsand diplomas.GENERAL INFORMATION 25