9.7 Graduation
9.7.1 Graduation Requirements
Students are eligible for graduation under the following circumstances:
- They have completed the requirements of their program. See Statute of Limitations, section 9.1.1.
- For programs that include majors or concentrations as well as minors:
- Credits and grades of specified courses required by both the major/concentration and minor are counted towards the major/concentration. If the program requirements prohibit these credits to be used for both major/concentration and minor, the requirement in the minor can then be fulfilled by any credits in the disciplines of the minor.
- For double-majors and double-concentrations specified courses can only be included in one of the majors/concentrations.
This does not apply to courses that students “must complete” but are not included in the required credits for the major/concentration or minor.
- They have maintained the minimum Grade Point Average required for their degree program.
- Undergraduate students who complete their degree programs with a Grade Point Average of 3.5 to 3.69 are awarded degrees “With Distinction”. Those who complete their degree programs with a Grade Point Average of 3.7 or higher are awarded degrees “With High Distinction”.
- Bachelor of Education (After Degree) and Bachelor of Environmental Health (After Degree) students who complete their programs with a Grade Point Average of 3.7 to 3.79 are awarded degrees “With Distinction”. Those who complete their programs with a Grade Point Average of 3.8 or higher are awarded degrees “With High Distinction”.
- They have completed and submitted an Application for Graduation through Services for Students before the date stated in section 9.7.2.A. Applications received after the deadline may be held for the next conferral date. Registration in any program does not constitute an application for a degree, diploma, or certificate.
- Students seeking credit for work done elsewhere must submit official transcripts or other documentary evidence of the work to the Registrar’s Office before the date stated in section 9.7.2.A.
- They have paid all monies owed to Concordia University of Edmonton. Degrees, diplomas, certificates, and transcripts are withheld if students owe money to Concordia University of Edmonton.
9.7.2 Application For Graduation
Candidates must submit an Application for Graduation through Services for Students.
Students are responsible for ensuring that they submit their applications and outstanding documents by the published deadline.
Students who have applied and, for any reason, do not have their degree, diploma or certificate conferred must submit another application by the next applicable deadline. Concordia University of Edmonton confers degrees in September, January and at the May Convocation ceremony.
A. Application and Document Deadline
| Conferral Date | Deadline | |
|---|---|---|
| September 30 | August 1 | |
| January 31 | November 15 | |
| May Convocation | March 1 |
B. Fees
Students are required to pay a Graduation Fee (section 5.2) at the time of application, which is refundable only if the application is withdrawn. The fee covers the cost of degree assessment, gown rental, purchase of hood and mortar board, degree parchment and degree folder. All graduating students pay this fee whether or not they attend the Convocation ceremony.
Any outstanding fees or fines, including tuition fees, residence fees, library fines, etc., must be paid in order for students to receive their degree parchments or certificates. While students who owe Concordia University of Edmonton fees, fines or other charges will not receive their degrees, they may participate in the Convocation ceremony. Degrees, diplomas, certificates, and transcripts are withheld until all charges have been cleared.
9.7.3 Parchments
A. Names on Parchments
The full legal name of the graduate appears on the parchment. The use of initials, abbreviations, nicknames or parentheses in place of a legal given name is not permitted.
Any changes in name must be supported by government issued documentation (e.g., certificate of marriage, vital statistics certificate, etc.).
B. Parchment Replacement
Students who require a replacement parchment submit an Application for Replacement Parchment to the Registrar’s Office and pay the Parchment Replacement Fee, section 5.2. Requests may take up to two weeks to process.
Replacement parchments indicate that they are replacements and include the date of re-issue.
9.7.4 Conferring of Degrees
Degrees are conferred in September, January, and at the Convocation ceremony held in May, on the date published in the Academic Schedule, section 2.0.
Students who complete their degree requirements between conferral dates and who have applied for graduation may request letters from the Registrar’s Office that indicate their graduation status and the date that their degrees will be conferred.
A. Convocation
The Registrar’s Office assesses applications for graduation to determine if students meet the requirements for the degree, diploma, or certificate and notifies students of their graduation status. Applicants’ names are placed on a tentative graduation list which is distributed to various Concordia University of Edmonton offices so they may contact students, as follows:
- Student Life and Learning:
- Information about Convocation and other graduation events, graduation pictures and rings, and graduation fundraisers.
- President’s Office:
- Invitations for special graduation events sponsored by the President of Concordia University of Edmonton.
- Student Accounts:
- Graduation Fee, section 5.2
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure his/her name appears on the graduation list.
1. Academic Dress
Academic dress dates back to that worn by academics and clergy in European universities of the Middle Ages. While originally the robes and hoods may have been worn as protection against the cold of unheated buildings, they have come to symbolize levels of academic scholarship, with variations in sleeves, colours, and decorations representing degree levels and the particular preferences of individual universities. Faculty and guests with doctoral-level degrees participating in Concordia University of Edmonton’s graduation ceremonies wear the distinctive academic gown, hood, and cap of the institution from which they graduated.
The hoods for Concordia University of Edmonton’s graduates are lined with blue and white. The colour of the velvet edging indicates the academic discipline in which the degree has been earned: white for Arts, drab for Management, gold for Science, blue for Education, and salmon for Environmental Health. The gold cord indicates a degree earned with distinction or with high distinction.
B. Transcripts
After degrees have been conferred, graduates’ transcripts record the date of graduation, the degree awarded, and if the degree was granted “With Distinction” or “With High Distinction”.
C. Conferral of Degree in Absentia
Graduands who do not attend the May convocation have their degree(s) conferred upon them “in absentia”. They may collect their degree parchments and hoods at the Registrar’s Office for two weeks following the May Convocation ceremony, or the September or January conferral dates. After that time parchments and hoods are mailed for a fee.
Students who are unable to collect their parchments personally may give written authorization for a third party to do so. The letter of authorization must include the student’s legal name and signature as well as the legal name of the person collecting the parchment. The Registrar’s Office releases parchments only after the presentation of appropriate identification.