Graduation Information

• Graduate & Doctoral Rehearsal - Location: Capel Arena, Time: Thursday, May 11th at 2:00pm
• Graduate & Doctoral Commencement- Location: Capel Arena, Time: Friday, May 12th at 10:00am - (All graduating students, please arrive at 8:30am for lineup)
• Undergraduate Rehearsal - Location: Crown Coliseum Expo, Time: Wednesday, May 10th at 9:00am
• Undergraduate Commencement - Location: Crown Coliseum Expo, Time: Saturday, May 13th at 9:00am - (All graduating students, please arrive between 7:30am - 7:45am for lineup)

Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

Students must pay the $75.00 non-refundable graduatioin fee using Student Self Serivce.

Students must be admitted as degree-seeking students and not Special Visiting students.

Students must have a declared major and not a pre-major.

Students must complete all requirements of the major degree program.

Students must earn at least 120 hours and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Some programs require a higher GPA and additional hours. See degree program information for specific requirements.

Students must complete a minimum of 25% of the total earned credit hours required for the degree program curriculum in residence at Fayetteville State University.

Students must earn the minimum required Grade Point Average for courses in the major. See degree program for specific requirements.

Complete the Graduating Senior Assessment (GSA), which is the ETS Proficiency Profile assessment.  Students will receive an email to register for the assessment.  If you have any questions, please contact The Office of University Testing and Assessment Services at 910-672-1302 or send an email to testing@uncfsu.edu.

Complete the Graduating Senior Survey (GSS). Students will receive a link to the Graduating Senior Survey. During the fall semester, the Graduating Senior Survey (GSS) is available beginning on October 20^th until December 10^th. During the spring semester, the Graduating Senior Survey (GSS) is available beginning on March 14^th until May 15^th.   If you have any questions, please send an email to InstitutionalResearch2@uncfsu.edu

Graduate Graduation Requirements

Students must earn an overall grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Students must earn at least one-third (1/3) of the credit hours required for a graduate or a post-baccalaureate professional degree through instruction at FSU.

Students must complete all courses in their approved program of study.

Students must be enrolled at Fayetteville State University in the semester they intend to graduate.

For students in Master’s Degree Programs, courses cannot be older than six (6) years at the time of graduation.

For students in the Doctoral Degree Program, courses cannot be older than eight (8) years at the time of graduation.

Students must apply for graduation in the semester prior to the semester they plan to graduate.

Students must pay the required graduation fee.

Students cannot graduate with “I,” “IP,” or “U” grades.

What is the Proficiency Profile

Students today can no longer rely solely on mastery of discipline-based information. They need to be able to analyze and evaluate information, solve problems, and communicate effectively. Beyond just accumulating facts, they must be able to access, structure, and use information.

Developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the Proficiency Profile is a standardized assessment that measures reading, writing, critical thinking, and mathematics. More information is available on the ETS Proficiency Profile website.

Why should students participate in the Proficiency Profile?

Some students are required to take the Proficiency Profile.

• Entering freshmen must take it to satisfy the Entering Freshman Assessment requirement. Early College students are exempt.
• All Graduating Seniors are required to take the Proficiency Profile to satisfy the Graduating Senior Assessment requirement, unless they have already taken it as a junior or senior. Education majors are exempt, because they take PRAXIS. Generic Nursing majors are exempt, because they take the NCLEX. RN-to-BSN students must take the Proficiency Profile.

How does Fayetteville State University use the Proficiency Profile?

FSU uses the Proficiency Profile to assess how well our programs help students develop the skills and knowledge that make up our core learning outcomes: Critical Thinking, Communication Skills, and Quantitative Reasoning. FSU wants to ensure that students graduate with the tools they need to be informed professionals and citizens. By giving the Proficiency Profile to freshmen in the fall and seniors in the spring, we can measure how much students improve during their undergraduate career. We use that information to improve our programs and to serve students better.

How do students register for the Proficiency Profile?

Freshmen take the assessment as part of Freshman Seminar. Graduating seniors and/or students in capstone courses required to take the Proficiency Profile will receive registration information from their instructor.

How do students get more information?

The linked ETS FAQ page summarizes informaton for the current semester. Freshmen and students in capstone courses can get more information from their instructors.

Undergraduate-Level

• When awarding a degree, review Degree Works to ensure all requirements are met. Degree Works will have a green check beside requirements that are fulfilled. For baccalaureate degrees, Degree Works is set to ensure 25% of the courses are taken in residence.
  • Per the catalog policy - "Complete a minimum of 25% of the total earned credit hours required for the degree program curriculum in residence at Fayetteville State University. Depending on the degree program, the minimum requirement will range from 30 to 33 hours."
• The weekly graduation list identifies students who are second baccalaureate degree seekers. The graduation team must check SHATERM to ensure those students have taken at least 30 hours beyond the requirements of the first degree.
• If student has courses not met, check courses in the Not Applied or Free Elective area to ensure applicable courses cannot be applied or re-equated to the not-met area. This does not apply to student who has failed courses or have an unsatisfactory GPA.
• If there are no applicable courses, the Graduation Team will notify the respective department to determine if substitutions, waivers, or transfer equivalencies can be applied.
• The graduation team ensures that SGADSTN and SHADEGR are in sync.

The Graduation Team must ensure the following:

• All substitution/waiver and clearance documentation has been processed
• Second Degree seeking students are identified using the weekly graduation report. All requirements have a green check which denotes requirements are met
• For unmet requirements, review Free Electives to determine if courses can be appropriately rearranged to meet requirements
• SGASTDN and SHADEGR are congruent with the same catalog, degree program, and priority numbers
• Students have the correct award term and date.
• Students are appropriately coded.

Graduate-Level

• When awarding a degree, review Degree Works to ensure all requirements are met. Degree Works will have a green check beside requirements that are fulfilled. Degree Works is set to prevent more than six transfers credits to applied to a degree. The department must complete departmental clearance forms before students are cleared for graduation.
  • Per the catalog policy - "Transfer credits may account for no more than twenty five percent of the total degree credit hour requirement. Individual master's programs may restrict the maximum number of transfer credits to six hours."
• Degree Works is programmed to require 1/3 of graduate-level courses to be taken in residence.

The Graduation Team must ensure the following:

• All substitution/waiver and clearance documentation has been processed
• SGASTDN and SHADEGR are congruent with the same catalog, degree program, and priority numbers
• Students have the correct award term and date
• Students are appropriately coded

The Office of the Registrar uses a combination of Degree Works, the university's official degree evaluation and degree clearance tool, and departmental clearance forms for degree verification and clearance process for doctorl and graduate students. The degree clearance process takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks.

Prior to graduation clearance, the Advisor or Coordinator should:
·       Review the weekly graduation report of their students who apply for graduation
·       Review your majors, contact students to discuss their Degree Works degree evaluation
        and any remaining degree requirements to include, but not limited to, courses,
        GPA, and total degree credit hours.
·       Review for any courses that fulfil dual requirements. When a student uses a single
        course to fulfill dual requirements, he or she may need to complete additional
        electives to ensure completion of the minimum credit hours required by the degree
        program.
·       Make an appointment with the appropriate graduation team member to discuss and
        clear up any discrepancies immediately between Degree Works and the department's internal
        clearance process, to include, but not limited to substitution and waivers and transfer equivalencies.
·       It is noted that students bear final responsibility for the decisions they make.

Prior to graduation clearance, the Student should:

·       Ensure your name is listed properly. What is displayed on your student record is what
        will print on your diploma.  If you have had a name change, visit
        Student Information Updates for the procedure for name changes. 
·       Ensure your mailing address is correct.  Visit Student Information Updates for the
        procedure for address changes. 
·       Consult with your advisor, coordinator, or department chair of your major to discuss your degree
        plan.
·       Run your Degree Works degree evaluation. Submit your graduation application after conferring
        with your advisor or coordinator.
·       Stay on track for your graduation year.
·       Run your Degree Works degree evaluation at the beginning and end of each semester
        to ensure you are meeting degree requirements.
·       Ensure to take courses per your Degree Works degree evaluation plan in consultation
        with your advisor.
·       Notify your advisor of any discrepancies in your Degree Works degree plan.

Prior to graduation clearance, the Graduation Team must:
·       Review the weekly reports to ensure student data matches on all degree related forms.
·       Meet with the advisors or coordinators to clear up any degree discrepancies.  

During the Degree Woks degree clearance process, the Graduation Team must:
.       Ensure all student grades have been submitted. Contact the departments for any
        missing grades.
·       Ensure Degree Works denotes that student has completed a minimum of one-third of the
        total earned credit hours required for the degree program curriculum in residence at
        Fayetteville State University. 
·       Verify all requirements are met by ensuring all met requirements are denoted with a
        green check mark.
·       Review the free electives area to determine if courses can be appropriately rearranged
        to meet unmet requirements.

After the Degree Works clearance process, the Graduation Team must:
·       Ensure students are appropriately awarded with the "G" graduation status code, for
        degree awarded.
·       No changes are made to a student's record after the student has been awarded.  
·       Inform students via email they have been awarded and can begin to request 
        transcripts.

The Office of the Registrar uses Degree Works, the university's official degree evaluation and degree clearance tool, for degree verification and clearance process for undergraduate and graduate students. The degree clearance process takes approximately 4 - 6 weeks.

Prior to graduation clearance, the Advisor should:
·       Review the weekly graduation report of their students who apply for graduation
·       Review your majors, contact students to discuss their Degree Works degree evaluation
         and any remaining degree requirements to include, but not limited to, courses,
        GPA, and total degree credit hours.
·       Review for any courses that fulfil dual requirements. When a student uses a single
        course to fulfill dual requirements, he or she may need to complete additional
        electives to ensure completion of the minimum credit hours required by the degree
         program.
·       Make an appointment with the appropriate graduation team member to discuss and
         clear up any discrepancies immediately, to include, but not limited to substitution
         and waivers and transfer equivalencies.
·       Review the weekly graduation report for any second-degree seeking students to ensure
        they are meeting and completing a minimum of thirty (30) credits beyond the
        requirements of the first degree to include the current core courses.
·       It is noted that students bear final responsibility for the decisions they make.

Prior to graduation clearance, the Student should:

·       Ensure your name is listed properly. What is displayed on your student record is what
        will print on your diploma.  If you have had a name change, visit
         Student Information Updates for the procedure for name changes. 
·       Ensure your mailing address is correct.  Visit Student Information Updates for the
         procedure for address changes. 
·       Consult with your advisor or department chair of your major to discuss your degree
        plan.
·       Ensure you have declared a major. You cannot graduate with a pre-major.
·       Run your Degree Works degree evaluation. Submit your graduation application when
        you have earned at least 90 credit hours and have at least at 2.0 GPA.
·       Stay on track for your graduation year.
·       Run your Degree Works degree evaluation at the beginning and end of each semester
        to ensure you are meeting degree requirements.
·       Ensure to take courses per your Degree Works degree evaluation plan in consultation
        with your advisor.
·       Notify your advisor of any discrepancies in your Degree Works degree plan.

Prior to graduation clearance, the Graduation Team must:
·       Review the weekly graduation report to ensure second degree seeking are meeting the
        additional 30 hours credits beyond the first degree.
·       Review the weekly reports to ensure student data matches on all degree related forms.
·       Meet with the advisors to clear up any degree discrepancies.  

During the Degree Woks degree clearance process, the Graduation Team must:
.       Ensure all student grades have been submitted. Contact the departments for any
        missing grades.
·       Ensure Degree Works denotes that student have completed a minimum of 25% of the
        total earned credit hours required for the degree program curriculum in residence at
        Fayetteville State University. 
·       Verify all requirements are met by ensuring all met requirements are denoted with a
        green check mark.
·       Review the free electives area to determine if courses can be appropriately rearranged
        to meet unmet requirements.

After the Degree Works clearance process, the Graduation Team must:
·       Add the appropriate honor to the student's record.
·       Ensure students are appropriately awarded with the "G" graduation status code, for
        degree awarded.
·       No changes are made to a student's record after the student has been awarded.  
·       Inform students via email they have been awarded and can begin to request 
        transcripts.

Graduation distinctions are awarded based on final cumulative statistics. To be eligible to graduate with honors, baccalaureate students must have completed a minimum of Forty-five (45) earned hours at Fayetteville State University and may be awarded with the following honors:

Summa Cum Laude: to those having a scholastic average of 3.800 - 4.000
Magna Cum Laude: to those having a scholastic average of 3.500 - 3.799
Cum Laude: to those having a scholastic average of 3.200 - 3.499

Students will be recognized for graduation with distinction at commencement exercises based on their grade point average when they are cleared for participating in commencement exercises. Graduation with distinction will be recognized on the final transcript and diploma on the basis of the complete academic record.

Students who apply for graduation and are enrolled in all classes required to complete degree requirements in spring or summer and have a 2.0 GPA can participate in the commencement ceremony.  

Note:

Honors for commencement ceremony purposes are based on the student's current GPA and earned hours at the end of first eight week grading.  All students who apply and are enrolled in all required courses to complete degree requirements in Spring or Summer are eligible to participate in the spring commencement ceremony. Grades will not be recorded until after commencement and grades are due. After degree clearance, honors, if applicable, are posted on the transcript and the diploma.

The degree and major are the only items printed on the diploma. Any concentrations will be printed on the transcript. 

Diplomas will be mailed to students four to six weeks after grades are due. Students must satisfy all financial obligations to the university and complete the financial aid exit interview, if applicable, to receive a diploma and/or transcript.

Once the Office of the Registrar has been informed by our vendor that diplomas are ready for mailing, the vendor sends tracking numbers to the Registrar. Students are then emailed with their individual tracking number that they may track the location of their diploma. 

Diplomas and transcripts for students who complete requirements in the summer will indicate the date at end of the summer term the student completes requirements.

Students can begin to request official transcripts through their online Banner account once notified of your being awarded. 

What is a replacement diploma?

A replacement diploma is a replacement of your original diploma and bears the signatures of the current officials but shows the original date of your graduation. The word "Replacement" will be printed on the bottom right of the diploma to indicate this is not the original. The fee for replacement diploma is $10.00 per copy per career level.  The processing time is between four to six week of the date the office received the request.

The name printed on the replacement diploma will be the name from your original diploma. If you have legally changed your name, please attach with your order for replacement a copy of the documentation verifying your legal name change.

What is a duplicate diploma?

A duplicate diploma is a duplicate of your original diploma. A duplicate diploma is only printed if requested within the same academic year of your graduation. The word "Duplicate" will be printed on the bottom right of the diploma to indicate this is not the original.  The processing time is between four to six week of the date the office received the request. The name printed on the duplicate diploma will be the name from your original diploma. If you have legally changed your name, please attach with your order a copy of the documentation verifying your legal name change. The request will then be processed as replacement diploma and will be printed according to the definition of replacement diploma.

To request a replacement of duplicate diploma, please complete and submit the Diploma Duplicate or Replacement form.

All regalia is through the Bronco Spirit Shop please contact the Spirit Shop at (910) 672-1341, (910) 672-1342 and/or email Follet at 2197asm@follett.com.

The graduation fee does not cover the cost of regalia.

Bachelor’s regalia purchase prices:

• Custom gown - $41.00
• Hood - $39.00
• Cap - $9.00
• Tassel - $5.00
• Total - $94.00 (+6.58 tax) = $100.58

Master’s regalia purchase prices:

• Gown - $41.00
• Hood - $50.00
• Cap - 10.00
• Tassel - $5.00
• Total - $106.00 (+7.42 tax) = $113.42

Doctoral regalia rental price is $126 and includes:

• Cap & tassel
• Hood with degree color
• Black gown with black flock trim
• It is ordered as package; however, it can also be pieced out. It’s best for the graduate to contact us here at the Spirit Shop.

Doctoral regalia purchase:

Begins at $447.00 (good), $611.00 (better) and $896.00 (best) (before tax and shipping). These will require getting measured and are usually for faculty that will be involved with commencement(s) for years to come.

Latin Honor medallions are distributed during rehearsal by the Office of the Registrar. For departmental honors and distinction cords, contact your department for additional information or visit the Spirt Shop located inside the Rudolph Jones Student Center.

Graduation Cap and Gown Portraits

Will take place in the Rudolph Jones Student Center, Room 131, by Thornton Studio.

• Tuesday, October 25 each day through Saturday, October 29, 2022
• Tuesday, March 28 each day through Saturday, April 1, 2023
• Wednesday, May 10, Thursday, May 11 and Friday, May 12, 2023

The basic siting if free and includes two poses. Am optional extended sitting fee is $5 and includes 12 poses and different backgrounds.

To make an appointment:

• Visit thorntonstudio.com
• Select "Schedule Appointment"
• Enter code 02928

Questions? Email info@thorntonstudio.com