Find essential information on degree eligibility, graduation procedures, and how diplomas are issued to you by the Registrar’s Office.
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student close to completing your final program requirements, you will receive an email invitation to apply for program completion in Workday.
Eligibility
You are eligible to apply for your degree if you plan to complete all degree requirements in May or within one semester after May commencement (i.e. planning to walk in May commencement and complete requirements the following December).
How to apply
To apply to graduate in Workday, please see the instructions here. Make sure your degree and program is listed correctly prior to applying (instructions for changing your program can be found here). You will not be able to make changes to your program once you apply for completion. If you need to change your program after applying for completion, please email the Office of the Registrar for assistance (registrar@calvin.edu).
Timeline
You will receive a graduation audit after you apply for degree completion. This can take several weeks to months as the graduation advisor reviews each senior's records. If you do not receive an audit by the semester before you graduate, please contact us.
Your audit
This audit will highlight any outstanding requirements that need to be completed before degree conferral. An email will be sent to you once this is completed with instructions on finding your audit in Workday. Please read it carefully and respond to any questions.
Undergraduates must complete:
- 124 semester hours
- Your major(s)/minor(s) requirements
- Your core requirements
- A 2.0 GPA overall and in your major*
- A minimum of four upper level major courses and thirty out of the last sixty semester hours must be completed at Calvin
Unless they are required for your major or minor, you will not be able to count more than:
- 5 semester hours of physical education (PER)
- 8 semester hours in applied music and/or drama
- 12 semester hours as internship and/or independent study
*Some programs require more semester hours or a 2.5 major GPA; check the catalog for specifics about your major.
Can I get two degrees?
For a second degree, you must contact the Registrar's Office to add both degrees to your academic record. You must complete all requirements for the second degree and accumulate a minimum of 144 semester hours.
In order to receive two degrees, they must be of two distinct types (BS, BA, BSW, BSE, BFA, etc.); you cannot earn two Bachelor of Arts degrees, for example.
What is right for you? Here's an example comparison:
One degree:
ex. BCS degree + bundled additional major in Spanish
- one diploma received upon completion
- diploma will state degree type: Bachelor of Computer Science
- 124 total credits required
Two degrees:
ex. BCS degree + BA degree with major in Spanish
- two diplomas received upon completion
- one diploma will state Bachelor of Computer Science
- other diploma will state Bachelor of Arts
- 144 total credits required
Name
Your full name will be listed - you will have the opportunity to tell us how you would like your name listed via the electronic commencement checklist, which you will receive during the semester prior to commencement.
Degree type
Majors are not listed on the diploma unless they are part of your degree type as outlined below. Minors, certificates, and advisory programs are not listed on diplomas. Here are the degree types:
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Computer Science
Bachelor of Music Education
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation
Bachelor of Social Work
Bachelor of Science in Letters and Occupational Therapy
Associate of Arts (Calvin Prison Initiative only)
Master of Arts
Master of Science
Master of Accounting
Master of Arts in Teaching
Master of Business Administration
Master of Education
Master of Social Work
Honors , Distinction, and/or Latin Honors
"With Honors"
Students desiring to graduate with an honors designation must meet the requirements of the Honors Scholars Program.
"With Distinction"
Students desiring to graduate with distinction must successfully complete the Collegiate Scholars Program requirements.
Latin Honors: "Cum Laude," "Magna Cum Laude," or "Summa Cum Laude"
The university also recognizes student scholarship with the following transcript designations for any bachelor’s student who meets the following cumulative grade point average (GPA) standards.
Cum laude 3.650-3.799
Magna cum laude 3.800-3.949
Summa cum laude 3.950-4.000
For purposes of awarding honors cords for commencement, Latin honor designations will be determined based upon a student’s official cumulative GPA of fully completed courses as of March 15 of their graduation year. Official Latin honors designations, based on final GPA, will be added to a student’s transcript after the degree is conferred.
Your degree will be conferred in the weeks/months after final grades have been posted for your last semester. This process takes time, as the graduation advisor needs to review each graduate's record to ensure they successfully completed their requirements. If you have an urgent need for degree conferral due to professional licensing, a job offer, or graduate school admission, please contact us.
Your conferral date
Calvin only has three official degree conferral dates available:
- a May date (the date of the commencement ceremony)
- an August date
- a December date
This is the date that will be listed on your transcript and diploma, even if your degree is not marked as conferred until after the official date has passed.
We will print, package, and send you your diploma within 8 weeks after your degree is conferred.
Your degree will be conferred in the weeks/months after final grades have been posted for your last semester. This process takes time, as the graduation advisor needs to review each graduate's record to ensure they successfully completed their requirements. If you have an urgent need for degree conferral due to professional licensing, a job offer, or graduate school admission, please contact us.
In your commencement checklist, be sure to list an address that you will be able to receive mail at for the next 3+ months after you complete your requirements. If you are unsure, you can list your parents' address, or select Hold for Pickup to collect your diploma at the Registrar's Office when it's available.
Contact us ASAP if your address changes after graduation so your diploma does not get lost in the mail.
If you have no more than one semester to complete after the spring term, you may walk in the ceremony. All other students are expected to participate in the following year's ceremony.
Information about the spring commencement ceremony is available on the commencement website. You will receive the Commencement Checklist form a few months prior to the commencement ceremony. In this checklist, you will reserve tickets to the ceremony and order your cap and gown.