Graduation Information

A minimum of 121 credits is required for graduation. Some programs require additional credits. Consult the school or college dean for details. All students are required to complete a minimum of 12 semester hours in each of the three areas of humanities, social science, and science/mathematics as outlined earlier in this catalog.

The successful completion of two semesters of physical education is a requirement for graduation. Veterans, freshmen, and transfer students who are 21 years of age or older, students transferring to Widener with sophomore or higher status (a minimum of 30 semester hours of approved transfer credit), and students with verifiable medical conditions that preclude their participation in physical education are exempted from this requirement. Exempted students are not required to make up the one credit in lieu of the physical education courses.

To qualify for graduation, a student must also have:

• Satisfactorily completed all requirements pertinent to his or her particular curriculum. The student must clear any “I” grades (Incompletes) from the record in order to graduate.
• Completed his or her studies with a GPA of 2.00 (C average) or better; the GPA is calculated on the basis of work done at Widener only.
• Presented no more than 12 modules toward fulfillment of his or her graduation requirements.
• Satisfactory score on the Mathematics Assessment or completion of MATH 101 .
• Presented no more than two 0.5-credit PE courses or one 1.0 credit PE course toward fulfillment of his or her graduation requirements.
• Presented no more than three credits of successfully completed developmental courses toward fulfillment of his or her graduation requirements. For more information, see the “Developmental Courses ” section in this catalog.

Recommendation for Graduation

A student desiring to be recommended for graduation must file a Petition to Graduate online through my.widener.edu and searching “Petition to Graduate”.

On receipt of the student’s petition for a degree, the registrar will apprise the proper school or college dean or group head of the student’s credit status. The dean will then make a recommendation to the faculty, who in turn will make a recommendation to the provost. The provost will make a recommendation to the president, who will recommend the student, if approved for graduation, to the Board of Trustees.

If the student fails to complete graduation requirements by the semester indicated on the petition, the registrar will advance the petition to the next available term.

Residency Requirements

All candidates for degrees must take their last 45 semester hours in a Widener baccalaureate school or college. Military personnel who are forced to transfer as a result of change in duty assignment may fulfill the 45 semester hours residency requirement at any time within their programs. Exceptions may also be made for full-time students to take courses at another institution during the summer prior to the senior year subject to prescribed conditions.

A minimum of 50 percent of credits in the student’s major must be taken in residence at Widener. Credit by examination may not be included in the 50 percent. Additional requirements may be set by the student’s school or college.

Courses taken from Extended Learning by students in the other baccalaureate schools or colleges (with the approval of the student’s academic dean in compliance with the school or college’s policy) will be accorded full academic credit. Such courses will count toward a student’s residency and the grades will be factored into the cumulative average.

Conferring of Degrees

Students who complete their graduation requirements by the end of the spring semester will have degrees conferred at the commencement exercises in May. Students who complete their work during either the summer or fall semester will be listed as having completed work in either August or December of that year, respectively. There will be no graduation exercises at that time, but students may elect to attend the commencement exercises the following May if they so desire.

Participation Policy

Associate Degrees:

Associate degree students who have a cumulative grade-point average equal to or greater than 2.00 and who have no more than six credits remaining to complete the requirements for the degree may petition for permission to participate in the May graduation ceremony. To petition for permission to participate in the ceremony, the student must (before the end of final exam week):

• Verify through consultation with the associate provost for multimodal education that the minimum academic requirements as stated above are met.
• Submit for approval a written summer course plan for completion on or before August 30 of these remaining credits to the associate provost for multimodal education.

Bachelor Degrees:

Students who have a cumulative grade-point average equal to or greater than 2.00 and who have no more than nine credits remaining to complete the requirements for the degree may petition for permission to participate in the May graduation ceremony. To petition for permission to participate in the ceremony, the student must (before the end of final exam week):

• Verify through consultation with the dean, assistant dean, or division head who has administrative oversight of the student’s major discipline that the minimum academic requirements as stated above are met.
• Submit for approval a written summer course plan for completion on or before August 30 of these remaining credits to the dean, assistant dean, or division head who has administrative oversight of the student’s major discipline.

Master’s Degrees:

Master’s Degree Students who have a cumulative grade-point average equal to or greater than 3.00 and who have a plan to complete the requirements for the degree may petition for permission to participate in the May graduation ceremony. All students must be judged by the faculty in the program to be on track to complete the degree on or before August 30. Programs may have additional restrictions for participation in the May graduation ceremony. Students must petition for permission to participate in the ceremony by the deadline set by their program.

• Students must verify through consultation with the dean or dean’s designee, graduate program director, and department chair who has administrative oversight of the student’s degree program that the minimum academic requirements as stated above are met.
• Students must submit a plan for approval to complete the degree requirements on or before August 30 to the dean or dean’s designee who has administrative oversight of the student’s degree program.

Current Graduation Participation Policies for Masters Programs

Doctoral Degrees:

Doctoral Degree Students who have a cumulative grade-point average equal to or greater than 3.00 and who have a plan to complete the requirements for the degree may petition for permission to participate in the May graduation ceremony. All students must be judged by the faculty in the program to be on track to complete the degree on or before August 30. Programs may have additional restrictions for participation in the May graduation ceremony. Students must petition for permission to participate in the ceremony by the deadline set by their program.

• Students in programs that require a dissertation defense must have completed this defense and submitted the final dissertation to participate in graduation. 
• Students must verify through consultation with the dean, assistant dean, or division head who has administrative oversight of the student’s degree program that the minimum academic requirements as stated above are met.
• Students must submit a plan for approval to complete the degree requirements on or before August 30 to the dean, assistant dean, or division head who has administrative oversight of the student’s degree program.

Current Graduation Participation Policies for Doctoral Programs

Exam Retake Policy for Graduating Seniors

In the case of failure of a final exam by a senior graduating at the end of that semester, the student will be allowed to take one reexam if, and only if, the final exam grade is the sole reason for failure of the course.

Center for Continuing Studies Graduation Information

A student who anticipates qualifying for graduation should arrange for an advising session when 90 credits have been earned if seeking the bachelor’s degree, or 50 credits if seeking the associate’s degree. At this session, remaining course requirements will be confirmed.

When the student has determined the expected graduation date, a graduation petition is completed online in Student Planning through MyWidener. The university confers degrees three times a year but only one ceremony is held (in May). The petition must be submitted by the dates listed below:

• May graduation - submit by November 1 of the previous year
• August graduation - submit by April 1 of that year
• December graduation - submit by August 1 of that year

When the graduation petition is received, the student’s academic record is reviewed. The student is notified by email regarding approval or denial of the petition.

All details and instructions regarding the commencement exercises are posted online at www.widener.edu/commencement in the spring. The site is updated regularly, so check back often for important information.

To graduate from the Center for Continuing Studies, students must:

• Satisfactorily complete all required courses in curriculum and have cleared any “I” (incomplete) grades.
• Have at least a 2.00 overall GPA and, if applicable, the minimum GPA for the major courses.
• Satisfy residency requirement by taking the last 30 credits of classroom instruction at Widener University. (15 credits for associate degrees.)
• Take at least 50 percent of the major courses at Widener University.
• Take the required number of writing enriched courses.
• Submit no more than three credits of successfully completed developmental courses toward fulfillment of his/her graduation requirements.
• Demonstrate math proficiency by completing UMAT 111  or higher.
• Submit a Petition to Graduate form with payment by the deadline.

Any student who intends to take a CLEP examination, a challenge examination, or who needs a score of 5 on the writing sample (4 for associate’s degree students) must do so by March 1 for a May graduation date, August 1 for an August graduation date, and November 1 for a December graduation date.

Students who have a cumulative grade-point average equal to or greater than 2.00 and who have no more than nine credits (bachelor’s degree) or four credits (associate’s degree) remaining to complete the requirements for the degree may petition for permission to participate in the May commencement ceremony. To petition for permission to participate in the ceremony, the student must, before February 1:

• Verify through consultation with the associate dean of the Center for Continuing Studies that the minimum academic requirements as stated above are met.
• Submit for approval a written summer course plan to the associate dean detailing completion on or before August 30 of these credits.
• Receive written permission from the associate dean to participate in the commencement exercises.
• At the time of the participation petition, the student must also petition for August graduation.
• If a grade of “F” or “I” is received for a course taken during that final summer, the student must re-petition for a later graduation date.

Note: Graduation honors are not announced for students who are participating in the ceremony under this policy. Honors are not calculated until the degree is completed and the student’s graduation is approved.

Students who complete their graduation requirements by the end of the spring semester and petition to graduate will have degrees conferred at the commencement exercises in May. Students who complete their work and petition to graduate during either the summer or fall semester will be listed as having completed work in either August or December of that year, respectively. There will be no graduation exercises at that time, but students may elect to attend the commencement exercises the following May.

For graduation with the bachelor’s degree, honors will be calculated on all work completed in the Center for Continuing Studies, including the original grades in the case of substitute and repeated courses and approved course work taken at other schools while an Continuing Studies student. A minimum of 45 credits of registered in-class course work must be taken in the Center for Continuing Studies to be eligible for honors. The minimum grade-point averages for honors are:

• 3.50  Cum Laude (with distinction)
• 3.70  Magna Cum Laude (with high distinction)
• 3.85  Summa Cum Laude (with highest distinction)

For students with transfer credit, the average of all courses taken in the Center for Continuing Studies (a minimum of 45 registered credits for bachelor degrees) will be considered for a preliminary review. 

For transfer or re-entry students who have been out of college for three or more consecutive years, the prior record will be omitted for honors calculation, provided the student has at least 45 credit hours of classroom work in Center for Continuing Studies. If a former Continuing Studies student has not earned the minimum 45 credits since reentering, all prior Center for Continuing Studies classroom work and transfer credit will be included in the honors calculation.