Graduate Degree Completion

CANDIDACY

Degree-seeking students must submit an application for graduation to become a candidate for graduation. All students should apply for graduation when registering for their final semester of classes.

Applying to graduate by the appropriate deadline can be critical to verification of the student’s completed program. Failure to meet the deadline can potentially delay timely receipt of the diploma and the correct presentation of the student’s credentials and name at commencement.

COMMENCEMENT PARTICIPATION

Linfield University holds Commencement Celebrations in May of each year. All students who completed degrees since the previous May and those who are expected to earn their degree by the end of spring semester are invited to participate in the May celebrations. 

Students wishing to participate in commencement prior to their actual degree completion semester must submit a Commencement Participation form online by April 1st of the commencement year. This form will be available each year by mid-March.

To be eligible to participate before the semester of planned degree completion, a student must be within 8 credits of completing all degree requirements. This policy is strictly enforced.

For any further inquiries about candidacy for graduation or eligibility to participate in commencement, students should contact the Office of the Registrar.

CATALOG EXPIRATION

The Linfield University Catalog lists the requirements for all degrees offered by the university. Each catalog goes into effect at the beginning of the fall semester the academic year of issue and expires at the end of the summer term the seventh academic year after publication. The official catalog is published online and may be retrieved at www.linfield.edu/catalog. The University reserves the right to make changes in its course offerings, degree requirements, regulations, procedures and charges. Any statement made in these publications is for current informational purposes only and is subject to change by the governing body of Linfield University or its duly authorized representatives.

DEGREE COMPLETION

In order to receive a degree, a student must have satisfied, at the time of graduation, each university requirement for the degree from an eligible catalog. The catalog may be either the unexpired catalog in effect when the student was first admitted and enrolled at Linfield or any subsequent catalog in effect while the student was enrolled that has not yet expired. Students enrolled in programs that are accredited or licensed must meet the requirements most recently approved by the accrediting agency or licensing authority.

Former students who wish to complete graduation requirements more than 10 years after their initial enrollment at Linfield must complete all the requirements in effect at the time of their re-enrollment.

M.S.N. students must complete their degree requirements within five years from matriculation.

HONORS AT GRADUATION

Honors designations are awarded to those graduate degree candidates who have earned a minimum of 28 Linfield credits in courses with differentiated grades (A-F). The GPA calculation is based on all Linfield graduate credit and utilizes the Linfield repeat policy. The award levels are as follows:

Award GPA
Honors 3.8000-3.899
Highest Honors 3.900-4.000