Graduation Requirements

Curriculum requirements indicated in the catalog and from the specific graduate program at the time of a student’s entry into Viterbo University remain in effect as long as the students attends on an uninterrupted basis and completes a degree within the timeline established by the specific program. Curriculum changes that occur between catalog publications are communicated to students in a timely manner.

Graduate Degree Requirements

Candidates for a graduate degree must successfully complete all program requirements and accomplish the following:

• successfully complete the minimum semester credit hours, including all courses required by the specific graduate program;
• have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all coursework, with no individual course grade lower than a C or 2.0.

Graduation and Commencement

All students must be enrolled for a minimum of one course in the semester in which they plan to finish their requirements. Because of the preparation involved with commencement and federal reporting requirements related to earning a degree, students must participate in the ceremony in the term they complete requirements. Students completing requirements in the summer must attend the preceding May ceremony.

Students must file an application for degree form in the Office of the Registrar no later than Sept. 15 for December graduates and Jan. 15 for May/summer graduates. This form indicates the intent to graduate and is used to provide information to students concerning commencement events, as well as provide Viterbo University with information to order diplomas and caps and gowns.

Commencement ceremonies for the Master of Arts in Education program occur in July. The degree conferral date is August 1. Students will submit an application for degree upon registration for EDUC 604. All graduation fees will be assessed at that time. Degrees are official after the registrar confirms that students have met all graduation requirements. The date listed on the diploma/transcript will be the term in which the requirements were met. If students earn credit for prior learning after they have completed other graduation requirements, their diplomas will list the term in which the credit was granted. Summer degree conferral is August 1.

Time to Degree

A program shall be completed within seven years of the term in which the student is first enrolled in coursework as degree seeking. For example, a degree-seeking student who begins coursework in Fall 2018 shall complete all degree requirements by Summer 2025. (Note: Individual programs may specify requirements for a shorter time to degree.)

If at the end of the expected time to degree additional time is needed for the completion of the degree, a one-year extension may be requested. To request an extension, the student in consultation with the program director/coordinator shall submit an Academic Policy Exception form to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness. The exception form should provide a timeline for completion that includes expected graduation date and the reason(s) necessitating the extension. Extensions may be considered for unanticipated circumstances. If the request for an extension is denied, the student may be dismissed from the program. In the event of dismissal, a student remains eligible to apply for re-entry into the program.

Diplomas

Diplomas earned by graduates will be sent approximately eight weeks after the grades for the semester are due, to the address listed on the application for degree form. The transcript, not the diploma, is proof of an earned degree. Only one diploma is ever issued.