Graduation Information
| Graduation Date | Deadline to Submit Application, Fees and Official Transcripts |
| March | January 1st |
| June | April 1st |
| September | July 1st |
| December |
October 1st |
| If you are enrolled in a TESC course that begins in… | You are eligible for… |
| September, October or November | March Graduation |
| December, January or February | June Graduation |
| March, April or May | September Graduation |
| June, July or August | December Graduation |
When should I apply for graduation?
- The first step is to make an appointment with your advisor to review your evaluation and determine your eligibility. You can schedule an appointment by accessing the Advising Appointment link located in the Tools box when you login to your MyEdison.
- Associate degree candidates should apply when they have at least 60 semester hours or more of credit applied to their degree.
- Bachelor’s degree candidates should apply when they have at least 120 semester hours or more of credit applied to their degree. Some degree programs require more than 120 semester hours of credit; please refer to your evaluation.
- Master’s degree candidates should apply when they have at least 36 semester hours or more of credit applied to their degree.
How do I apply for graduation?
- Fill out the Request for Graduation form.
- Submit the completed form with the current graduation fee to the Bursar’s Office. The fee is listed on the Request for Graduation form. Please be sure to print legibly. Failure to do so could result in incorrect information on your diploma.
- MAKE SURE YOU SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST FOR GRADUATION FORM AND PAYMENT BY THE DEADLINE.
What happens after I submit my Request for Graduation form?
- The Bursar’s Office will forward your form to the Graduation Office after they have completed a financial review of your account.
- You will receive an acknowledgement e-mail from the Graduation office confirming that your form has been received and the degree for which you are applying. If you do not receive an acknowledgement e-mail within two weeks from the date you submitted your form, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
- A Graduation Auditor will then review your file to determine if you are qualified to graduate. Files are reviewed in the order in which they are received.
I have been certified for graduation… what happens next?
- If a Graduation Auditor has determined that you have met all of the requirements for your degree program, you will receive official certification letters through the mail. The certification letters will indicate the degree you have been certified for and your anticipated graduation date. These letters are only mailed after a student has been certified for graduation. It is important to review your letters and verify that the information is correct.
- Your name and degree will be presented to the Board of Trustees on the date of your graduation. While degrees are conferred to students after approval from the College’s Board of Trustees the annual Commencement ceremony for graduates and their guests to attend occurs in the Fall.
- Undergraduate diploma packages will be mailed within ten business days from the date of graduation. Masters diplomas are mailed within four weeks from the date of graduation.
- Students can request a duplicate diploma for a fee.
Will my diploma indicate my area of study?
- Your diploma will state your degree, but will not indicate your area of study/option. For example if you graduate with a BA degree in Liberal Studies your diploma will say Bachelor of Arts not Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies.
I haven’t met my degree requirements… now what happens?
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You may receive an e-mail indicating that we need additional documents and that your official transcripts/grades must be submitted by a specified date. This only occurs if the official transcripts/grades are expected to arrive shortly and time will permit another review of your file.
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- In the event that you have not met your degree requirements, you will receive an e-mail indicating that you have not met your degree requirements and/or you have a financial balance on your account. In this event, your file will be audited for the next available graduation. You will not be required to submit another graduation form or fee unless you change degree programs.
What are some things that can prevent me from graduating?
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You have not met all of your degree requirements.
- Carefully review your evaluation. Check that your evaluation says “0 S.H. “remaining. Your evaluation must say “0 S.H.” remaining before you can graduate.
- All official transcripts and/or grades must be received before the deadline for graduation. If you have completed course work that is not appearing on your evaluation, you should request that your official transcript(s) be sent to the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible. Transcript and/or grades received after the graduation deadline could delay your graduation or even prevent it.
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You are not actively enrolled with the College.
- You must be actively enrolled with the College at the time you apply for graduation and at the time your degree requirements have been completed. If your enrollment status is inactive, you will not be certified for graduation.
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You have not met the residency requirement for your program.
- Certain special enrollment programs (ex. MDCP) require students to earn a specific amount of credit through Thomas Edison State College. A note will be included on your evaluation if you have a residency requirement.
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You have a financial balance on your account.
- You must have a zero balance on your account to be certified for graduation. Please contact the Bursar’s Office before you apply for graduation to verify that your balance is zero. If you incur a balance after you have applied for graduation, it must be paid before you can be certified for graduation.
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Your overall TESC GPA, the GPA in English Composition and/or the GPA in your area of study/option does not meet the minimum requirement.
- Undergraduate students must have an overall TESC GPA, an English Composition GPA and an area of study/option GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- Graduate students must have an overall TESC GPA of 3.0 or higher.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call 1-888-442-8372 or e-mail [email protected]. We look forward to assisting you achieve your goal of becoming a proud Thomas Edison State College graduate!