A. Official Graduations

There are three official graduations per year at NC State: at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters and at the end of the second Summer session. Formal commencement exercises are held at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters; any student who completed their degree during a summer session is eligible to participate in the Fall commencement exercises. All students scheduled to graduate in the Fall or Spring semesters are strongly encouraged to attend the respective commencement. Any doctoral candidate wishing to have the degree conferred in absentia must notify the Graduate School in writing; master’s candidates should contact their departments or programs. The diploma will include the program or, in the case of dual PhDs, both programs will be noted; concentrations will not be included.

Students may not participate in a University commencement ceremony until all degree requirements are met.

B. Date of Degree Conferral

The date of completion of the course of study is Commencement Day for a given semester or the last day of classes in the second summer session.

To graduate by that date, students in Ph.D./Ed.D. programs and in thesis master’s programs must submit their dissertations/theses by the Graduate School’s ETD deadlines.

C. Graduation Clearance Period

Students who are on the graduation list but have outstanding requirements (incomplete grades, corrections in theses or dissertations, etc.) are put on “hold” by the Graduate School for a period of 30 days following graduation. The Director of Graduate Programs (DGPs) and Graduate Service Coordinators (GSCs) will be notified of this action. If these outstanding requirements are not completed within 30 days following the conferral date, the graduation application will be denied. The student must reapply for graduation in a future term once those requirements are completed.

D. Student Requests for Graduate School Certification of Completion of Certain Requirements

Graduate students who have completed all program requirements and are awaiting graduation can request the Graduate School to write a letter for a prospective employer or graduate program certifying that these requirements have been met. The Graduate School will respond to a request to certify completion of requirements within five working days of the receipt of the request in the Graduate School.

E. Posthumous Degrees

Programs can petition the Administrative Board of the Graduate School to award posthumous degrees. In most cases, these petitions have been approved for students who had completed a portion of their thesis or dissertation or at least the research upon which the final project would have been based. DGPs should contact the Graduate Dean for guidance in the preparation of the request for the Board's consideration.