Graduation

Graduation Clearance

Students who intend to complete their degree and/or participate in a commencement ceremony at APU must complete a Graduation Application at least six months prior to their intended commencement. The deadline for turning in the form is posted on the academic calendar, and falls within the semester before the student’s last semester.

  1. Sign in to home.apu.edu
  2. In the left hand navigation menu, go to Academics and then select Apply for Graduation. Follow the prompt. You will receive a confirmation email once submitted and once it has been reviewed by your academic department.
  3. You will receive a final Graduation Clearance status email from your Academic Records Specialist eight weeks prior to commencement. Please wait for this communication before sending out graduation announcements.

For more information about the requirements, drop by the Student Services Center or consult the university catalog.

Commencement Ceremonies

Undergraduate commencement exercises are held at the end of the fall and spring semesters, in December and May. The university president, by the authority of the trustees and on recommendation of the faculty, confers the degrees.

Participation in Commencement

  • A student may participate in commencement exercises if all degree work has been completed or if no more than 3 units will be taken in a term that begins after the commencement ceremony. Eligibility to participate in commencement will be confirmed by the student’s academic specialist in Student Services Center.
  • In order to participate in the commencement exercises, all university obligations must be resolved no later than three weeks prior to commencement, including the receipt of transcripts (if applicable), financial clearance (must have a zero account balance), and clearance of service credits by the Spiritual Life.
  • Students who disregard the Participation in Commencement Policy and participate in a commencement ceremony fraudulently will not be allowed to participate in future commencement ceremonies and could face sanctions including, but not limited to, suspension from the university.

Honors at Commencement

Latin Honors

Qualifying students may graduate with the following honors: Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Cum Laude. The minimum GPA requirements for Latin Honors are as follows:

  • 3.90 – Summa Cum Laude
  • 3.80 – Magna Cum Laude
  • 3.70 – Cum Laude

All grades accepted toward graduation at Azusa Pacific University are included in the calculation of these honors, including correspondence and transfer classes. All grades not accepted toward graduation at Azusa Pacific University (such as remedial classes) will not be included in the calculation.

Degree Posting

The university posts bachelor’s degrees five times each year, regardless of the specific date when all work is completed. All degree requirements must be met prior to the posting date. The five posting dates are at the end of the fall semester (approximately December 15), the end of the spring semester (approximately May 5), and the end of each of the three summer sessions (approximately June 5, July 10, and August 15). By petition, completed degrees may be posted on the 1st and the 15th of a month other than those listed above in this section. Once the degree is posted, the degree record is complete and final. It can be rescinded only in the case of substantiated error or fraud. A student may not add coursework to the posted degree in order to improve grade-point average or to add minors, concentrations or emphases.

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