Graduation Information
Please review the following information to ensure you successfully complete the graduation process.
Mailing Address and Email
It is the student’s responsibility to have a current mailing address on record in the Office of the Registrar, and to regularly check their Kettering email. Important notifications and information are frequently sent via U.S. mail and email.
Expected Term of Graduation
The expected term of graduation is the term in which a student is expected to complete all graduation requirements. At Kettering, this may be summer, fall, winter or spring. It is important that students keep the university informed of any change in their expected term of graduation by notifying the Registrar’s Office.
Apply for Graduation
Students must apply to graduate to begin the graduation process; it is not automatic upon completion of requirements. Applying for graduation is the process by which a student notifies Kettering they are nearing completion of their degree requirements and they expect to graduate and receive a diploma. Students will indicate their expected term of graduation on the application. Applications are to be submitted during the student’s final term registration period, after the student is registered for all remaining graduation requirements (course work, thesis, co-op work terms). The undergraduate and graduate application deadlines are noted below.
Undergraduate Application to Graduate
Graduate Application to Graduate
UNDERGRADUATE Application Deadlines
| Expected Term of Graduation | Graduation Application Period | Requirements Deadline* | Official Graduation Date |
| Winter 2013 | 08/27/12 – 09/22/12 | 04/03/13* | March 23, 2013 |
| Spring 2013 | 11/19/12 – 12/15/12 | 06/26/13* | June 15, 2013 |
| Summer 2013 | 02/25/13 – 03/23/13 | 10/04/13* | September 28, 2013 |
| Fall 2013 | 05/20/13 – 06/15/13 | 01/06/14* | December 21, 2013 |
| Winter 2014 | 09/03/13 – 09/28/13 | 04/04/14* | March 29, 2014 |
| Spring 2014 | 11/25/13 – 12/21/13 | 06/27/14* | June 21, 2014 |
*All requirements must be satisfied by this date.
It is the student’s responsibility to apply for graduation within the specified graduation application period.
Dates are subject to change.
GRADUATE Application Deadlines
| Expected Term of Graduation | Graduation Application Period | Requirements Deadline* | Official Graduation Date |
| Winter 2013 | 10/15/12 – 12/15/12 | 04/24/13* | March 23, 2013 |
| Spring 2013 | 01/21/13 – 03/23/13 | 08/07/13* | June 15, 2013 |
| Summer 2013 | 04/15/13 – 06/15/13 | 10/04/13* | September 28, 2013 |
| Fall 2013 | 07/29/13 – 09/28/13 | 01/06/14* | December 21, 2013 |
| Winter 2014 | 10/21/13 – 12/21/13 | 04/04/14* | March 29, 2014 |
| Spring 2014 | 01/27/14 – 03/29/14 | 06/27/14* | June 21, 2014 |
*All requirements must be satisfied by this date.
It is the student’s responsibility to apply for graduation within the specified graduation application period.
Dates are subject to change.
Confirmation as a Graduation Candidate
To be eligible for graduation, students must receive confirmation from the Registrar’s Office that they are a graduation candidate, with an expected term of graduation. This is done after the student submits an application to graduate. A preliminary degree audit will be completed by the Registrar’s Office and the results sent to the student within the preceding term of the requested graduation date. This confirmation is subject to change if a student’s future registrations are adjusted after the initial audit is completed. All graduation candidates will receive an informational packet regarding graduation with their preliminary degree audit. Anyone who has not received this packet, and believes they should have, should contact the Registrar’s Office.
Late Applications for Graduation
It is important to submit the application to graduate by the posted deadline. Applying to graduate after the deadline may result in a delay in the student’s graduation date. In addition, Kettering cannot guarantee the student name will be listed in the printed commencement program.
Graduation Dates
At Kettering, degrees are awarded and diplomas issued each term (summer, fall, winter and spring). The official graduation and diploma date are always the last date of the graduating term.
Why does Kettering talk about graduation and commencement separately? Isn't it the same thing?
"Graduation" and "commencement" are significantly different. Graduation is the act of completing all degree requirements, when a degree is awarded and a diploma issued. Commencement is the ceremony honoring those students who have received a degree or are a degree candidate. At Kettering, commencement is held once per academic year, in June. Refer to the published academic calendar for dates. Students are not eligible to graduate or attend commencement until they have an application to graduate on file in the Registrar’s Office, receive confirmation they are a graduation candidate, and meet commencement eligibility requirements.
What happens after a graduation candidate’s final term, and they completed all graduation requirements? When are degrees awarded and diplomas issued?
All graduation requirements (course work, co-op work terms, thesis, and financial obligations) must be completed by the posted requirements deadline.
- Graduation candidates who completed graduation requirements prior to the end of the term and received a degree verification letter: Degrees will be awarded and posted to your transcript approximately one week after the posted “graduation date.”
- Graduation candidates enrolled in courses, and all other candidates who complete graduation requirements by the requirements deadline: Final degree audits will begin immediately following the posted “requirements deadline.” If you completed all graduation requirements, a degree verification letter will be issued, and your degree awarded and posted to your transcript approximately three weeks after the posted requirements deadline.
- Diplomas are mailed to the current address on record approximately 6-8 weeks after the graduation date.
After completion of all graduation requirements, candidates who require a degree verification/letter for employment or other purposes should allow at least 24-48 hours (1-2 business days) for the Registrar’s Office to confirm and issue that verification. Students should plan accordingly.
What happens after a graduation candidate’s final term and they did NOT complete all graduation requirements?
For Undergraduate Students
- Graduation candidates whose unmet graduation requirements include thesis: Your records will remain active, but you will be considered not enrolled, for up to two terms while you complete the project. If the project is not completed within six months (two terms), your records will be inactivated until a preliminary thesis is received. If your records are inactivated, you will not be tracked for graduation or commencement, and you will not have access to Kettering email, Banner Web, Co‐op K‐Connect, KqUest or the Recreation Center.
- Graduation candidates whose unmet graduation requirements are other than thesis and are not enrolled: Your records will be inactivated until all requirements are met. If your records are inactivated, you will not be tracked for graduation or commencement, nor will you have access to Kettering email, Banner Web, Co‐op K‐Connect, KqUest or the Recreation Center.
For Graduate Students
- Your records will remain active but you will be considered not enrolled if you have no registrations. NOTE: There is a six year limit to complete graduate degree programs.
Upon completion of requirements, contact the Office of the Registrar for an updated audit of your records.
Diplomas and Final Transcripts
Diplomas are mailed to the current address on record approximately 6-8 weeks after the graduation date. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure a current mailing address is on record. Addresses can be verified and updated via Banner Web.
E-mail/Technology Access after Graduation
Contact the Information Technology Department for information on email access after graduation.
Academic Honors
For undergraduate students, the following academic honors are noted on a students’ final transcript: cum laude for a cumulative GPA 3.50 or higher, magna cum laude for a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or higher, summa cum laude for a cumulative GPA 3.90 or higher. These academic honors are also recognized at commencement. For graduation candidates who have not received a degree at the time of commencement, honor cord distribution and notation in the commencement program are reflective of the cumulative GPA on the official transcript at the time of program printing. No exceptions are made. As such, academic honors designations recognized at commencement are subject to change for all graduation candidates. Academic honors do not apply to graduate students.
Commencement
Commencement is the formal ceremony which recognizes and celebrates graduates and graduation candidates. It is the big day when students walk across the stage to the cheers of family and friends and publicly celebrate their academic achievements. At Kettering University, commencement is held annually in June, at the conclusion of the spring term. Refer to the published academic calendar for the date of commencement. The links below contain all the details on the ceremony, including a schedule of events and other ceremony details. Students must meet eligibility requirements to attend (see “Commencement Eligibility” below).
Commencement Eligibility
Graduates and graduation candidates must meet the criteria below to be eligible to attend commencement:
For Undergraduate Students
- September, December and March graduates who have received their degree and did not participate in a prior ceremony, or
- Current, active students who have an application to graduate on file in the Registrar’s Office (submitted during the posted graduation application period) and have been confirmed by the Registrar’s Office as a graduation candidate for June and have a CUE (thesis) registration prior to the spring term.
For Graduate Students
- September, December and March graduates who have received their degree and did not participate in a prior ceremony, or
- Current, active students who have an application to graduate on file in the Registrar’s Office (submitted during the posted graduation application period) and have been confirmed by the Registrar’s Office as a graduation candidate for June.
For late applications (received after the start of the spring term), Kettering cannot guarantee the student name will be listed in the printed commencement program.
Caps and Gowns
Students who are eligible to attend commencement must purchase their caps and gowns through the Campus Bookstore prior to commencement day. Students must have a cap and gown to participate in commencement.
Questions
Any questions about graduation or commencement eligibility can be directed to the Registrar’s Office at 810-762-7476 or registrar@kettering.edu.
Refer to the Commencement Information for Students for information on the commencement ceremony.
