Graduation and Commencement Information for Graduate and Doctoral Students

To be considered for graduation, Master’s, Educational Specialist and Doctoral candidates must:

  • Satisfy program and degree requirements with a 3.0 GPA or better
  • At least 50% of course credits must be at the 600 level or above
  • Satisfactorily complete comprehensive assessment or practicum, as required by your program
  • File thesis, dissertation or research project (as required by your program) to The Graduate School by the listed deadlines
  • Be registered for program coursework (NOT GRAD 597) during your final semester 

Graduation Check List

  1. This step-by-step guide explains how to submit an application and how to access your graduation status after applying.
  2. Order graduation attire from the JMU Bookstore
  3. Resolve all incomplete grades
  4. Submit any course waiver/substation forms to The Graduate School, if ONLY your department agreed to waive or substitute any of your catalog requirements. 
  5. Transfer any courses, used to meet your graduate requirements, taken as an undergraduate or at other universities by means of an Approval of Transfer Credit form
  6. Transfer any continuing education courses, used to meet your graduate requirements, to your graduate program by means of an Approval of Transfer Credit form
  7. After graduation, sign up for a free permanent email address through the JMU Alumni Office.

Your degree will be posted to your transcript 7-10 business days after commencement and the diploma will be mailed to your permanent address 8-10 weeks after commencement.

If you need any additional information about graduation requirements, call The Graduate School at (540) 568-6438.


For information on commencement ceremonies and ordering regalia, link to the University Commencement webpage: www.jmu.edu/commencement

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