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Graduation

Students who are one year from graduation, are required to submit an Application for Graduation in order to be eligible for graduation.

Instructions for completing the Application for Graduation

  1. Make an appointment with your advisor to review your Degree Progress Report to make sure you are on track to graduate. If you are uncertain about any academic requirements or policies, please check with your school or conservatory or the Office of the Registrar.

  2. Complete the Application for Graduation. Graduation applications should be submitted electronically through MyHeliotrope under the Student menu. Diploma name and mailing information will be collected at the time the application is submitted.

Students who submit graduation applications in a timely fashion will have their applications pre-reviewed in an effort to alert them to any outstanding issues that will prevent graduation. Pre-review notifications are sent at the beginning of a semester in which the student has applied for graduation.

Final determinations regarding degree conferrals are made by the Office of the Registrar at the end of a student’s last semester of study. To qualify for graduation, all degree requirements must be completed by the published graduation date. This includes the successful resolution of all Incomplete (I) grades and receipt of all external transcripts, test scores, and department waivers or substitutions.

Diplomas are distributed to graduates approximately eight to ten weeks after degrees have been awarded and are mailed to the diploma mailing address on file. If no diploma address was provided when applying for graduation, diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address on file. 

Students may participate in one graduation ceremony during matriculation at Purchase. If the student does not complete degree requirements by May, but the registrar has reasonable assurance that requirements will be completed by the end of that year’s summer session, the registrar may permit the student to participate in the May commencement ceremony. The student will be considered a candidate for August graduation. If the student completes requirements after summer session and registers for an additional semester, the student must defer participation in the ceremony until requirements are fully completed.

Any changes in the student’s senior-year plans must be reported to the Office of the Registrar. Students who wish to change their graduation date must send written notification to the Office of the Registrar and their program office as soon as possible.