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IMPORTANT DEGREE REQUIREMENTS/POLICIES

Application for graduation
Graduation is NOT automatic. Both undergraduate and graduate students must complete an application for degree at the Registrar’s Office. Applications should be submitted during the first two weeks of your final semester and before each semester’s deadline.

Degrees are conferred three times a year:

  • February (Finishing in Fall semester)
  • June ( Finishing in Spring semester)
  • September (Finishing in Summer Semester)

Students who applied by the deadline for February, June, and September graduation will find their names on the graduation list online. This list does not constitute approval of graduation. All errors, omission, etc. need to be reported to the Registrar's Office as soon as possible. Note: Your name will appear in the commencement book and your diploma as it is on the list.

All graduate students must be registered in the semester they graduate. However, graduate students registered for the Spring semester do not need to register for the Summer semester to graduate.
If you are not taking courses, all graduate students must register for Maintenance of Matriculation (MAM 791). There is no fee for undergraduates. The MAM 791 fee for graduates is $750 (in-state) or $1250 (out of state). According to the Board of Trustee guidelines this fee is NON-REFUNDABLE and CANNOT be WAIVED.

All requirements must be met by the date of graduation. This includes the submission and approval of thesis/major project, comprehensive exam (s), all PERMITS, and Incomplete grades. 

To be eligible for the associate degree, candidates must complete at least 60 credits (for transfer students - 50% of the 60 credits must be completed at John Jay). To be eligible for the baccalaureate degree, candidates must complete at least 120 credits (for transfer students - at least 50% percent of their major and 30 credits at John Jay).

To be eligible for graduation:

  • All undergraduate degree candidates must have completed all prescribed courses, passed all required tests, fulfilled the requirements of their major, and achieved at least a C average (2.0 overall grade point average).
  • Graduate degree candidates must have achieved at least a B average (3.0 overall grade point average).
  • Combined degree candidates (BA/MA, BS/MA, BA/MPA, BS/MPA) must have achieved at least a 3.5 overall grade point average.

 

Incomplete grades and grade appeals

  • A baccalaureate degree candidate will be removed from the graduation list if a grade(s) of incomplete is received during the last semester for graduation.  A baccalaureate degree can not be conferred with an incomplete grade(s) in the record.

 

  • Once a baccalaureate degree is conferred, no letter grade(s) can be changed or modified. This rule supersedes the change of grade rule.  It is the degree candidates’ responsibility to check their final grade at the end of each semester.
  • It is the degree candidates’ responsibility to notify the Registrar’s Office if there is any outstanding grade appeal on file or if they wish to file for a grade appeal before a degree is conferred

Credit Deduction
Before graduation, credits will be deducted for the following: 

  • Unauthorized repeats
  • Excess remedial credits and duplicate credits

Credit Requirements

The minimum number of credits to graduate must be complete. This varies based upon the degree. Approved waivers of course requirements do not substitute for meeting the minimum number of credits required for graduation.

Associate in Science degrees

60 credits – 90 credits max

Bachelor of Art degrees

120 credits

Bachelor of Science degrees

120 credits

Combined degrees

134 credits

Masters degrees

Varies based upon degree

 

Records are sealed at graduation.

No changes may be made to the academic record (transcript) after degree has been awarded. 

Name on record
Names of candidates for graduation/graduates will appear in the Commencement Program/diploma as they appear on students' academic record (transcript).

All obligations whether academic or financial must be cleared before your records will be released.

Disclaimer - The information presented in these pages represent the most commonly asked questions/problems related to degree audit. It does not supersede the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Catalogue. Students are responsible for all regulations and requirements as stipulated in the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Catalogue.