Graduation Requirements

Academic Eligibility for Degree

See each program for specific degree requirements.

Baccalaureate Students

Baccalaureate students must earn a minimum of 128 semester hours of credit with a cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.0 (based on a 4.0 scale) for graduation eligibility. All other program requirements must be met for graduation.

Course Registration and Grades for Final Semester

Students enrolled in spring semester courses who expect to be graduated in May must be registered for all courses by February 15, and those enrolled in summer courses must be registered by July 15 for October degree conferral. Students enrolled in fall courses must be registered by November 15 for February conferral. Coursework must be completed and grades received by the Registrar by the dates published in each year's academic calendar.

Final grades for all students expecting to be graduated should be sent by faculty to the Registrar's Office by the deadlines published in the academic calendar. Grades submitted at this time by faculty are considered final and cannot be changed.

Students are responsible for seeing that all degree or certificate requirements have been met. They may wish to consult their academic advisor to review their requirements. It is especially important for students to consult with their academic advisor at the beginning of the semester before graduation is anticipated. Students will not be eligible for graduation the same semester that acceptance to a degree or C.A.G.S. program is given. Students must have a minimum of one full semester between the time of acceptance and the date of graduation. Transfer and prior learning assessment credits, and course waiver processing must be completed at least one semester prior to the beginning of the final semester/session before graduation.

Declaration of Intent to Graduate

Candidates who complete their course of study and expect to be graduated must complete a Declaration of Intent to Graduate online (through LOIS.) The form must be submitted by the published deadlines listed in the Academic Calendar. No exceptions to these dates will be made. Any student not filing this form by the appropriate date is ineligible for that conferral period.

For more information on declaration of intent to graduate, visit the Information for Graduating Students web page.

The degree completion fee is $125 (subject to change), and will be billed to the student's account when the declaration of intent is submitted online. The degree completion fee is non-refundable. Declaration of intent to graduate will be moved to the next conferral period only once if requirements are not completed. No additional deferrals will be permitted; a new Declaration of Intent must be submitted, and a new fee will be billed to the student’s account.

Students participating in the May commencement ceremony will pay an additional fee for cap and gown. February and October graduates are also invited to attend the May ceremony. Candidates are not eligible to graduate unless all financial obligations to the University, including fines for overdue library materials, have been paid prior to graduation.

The declaration of intent to graduate form must be submitted regardless of participation in the May commencement ceremony. Graduation Ceremony and Degree Conferrals

Degrees are conferred three times a year: May, October, and February. However, Lesley University holds one commencement ceremony each year in May. Diplomas for those graduates who do not participate in the May commencement ceremony are mailed within two to four weeks of the conferral date. Diplomas for the October and February graduates are mailed within two to four weeks of the conferral date.

Degree Completion Statement Transcripts (DCS)

For salary increments and other purposes a student may require confirmation of the completion of a degree program in advance of the official conferral date. In these cases a "Degree Completion Statement Transcript" (DCS) is an option. The request for a "Degree Completion Statement Transcript" must be made in writing to the Registrar's Office. The written request should include the student's name, student or social security number, the address to which the DCS should be sent and the student's signature. The fee for each DCS is $5, check payable to Lesley University.

Students requesting DCSs must also file an Intent to Graduate form. Following review of the academic record, and provided all documentation has been received and all degree requirements met, an official transcript will be released which includes the following statement:

Requirements completed as of (date of completion); Degree will be awarded on (date of next graduation).

A student must allow time for grades and other documentation to be received at the Registrar's Office and processed; for review of the academic record and approval by the program advisor; and for preparation and mailing of the official transcript confirming completion of the degree requirements. The statement on the transcript serves as official confirmation of completion prior to the next conferral date. "Degree Completion Statement Transcripts" are accepted by the Massachusetts Bureau of Teacher Certification and by many other state departments of education and school systems.

Graduate Student Degree Eligibility

To be eligible for a Ph.D., C.A.G.S. or master's degree, a student must satisfactorily complete all requirements of the specific degree program with a minimum average of 3.0 quality points (based on a 4.0 scale). Only courses numbered 5000 or above are accepted towards graduate degree programs. Students enrolled in graduate programs must complete their degree requirements within seven (7) years from the year of their first course, whether taken as a degree or non-degree student at Lesley or another regionally accredited institution (thus including transfer credits and course waivers). Courses completed later than seven years from the anticipated date of graduation will not be accepted. The Ph.D., C.A.G.S., and Independent Study master's degree programs have different requirements which are detailed in the Graduate catalog.

See section on grades which describes specific information about grade-level requirements for required and elective courses. Be sure to check the degree requirements for specific programs in each school.