Petition for Candidacy

All degree candidates must submit a Petition for Candidacy to the M Center. The petition must be approved and filed before the candidate's final semester at Mills (see Academic Calendar for deadlines). The Petition for Candidacy form is available online and in the M Center.

Comprehensive Examination

Comprehensive examinations must be completed and grades submitted before a student will be allowed to graduate or participate in Commencement.

Thesis or Dissertation

Two copies of the approved thesis or dissertation must be filed with the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty approximately one week prior to the end of instruction for the term in which the student intends to graduate. Refer to the Academic Calendar for deadlines. These approved copies must be signed by the thesis director or dissertation chair, committee members, the reference librarian, and the associate provost or provost. They will be deposited in the College library.

All students submitting a thesis or dissertation are required to pay a nonrefundable $45 thesis/dissertation processing fee at the time the thesis/dissertation is turned in to the Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty.

If the type B thesis (a creative work in the fine arts, interdisciplinary computer science, or creative writing) is of such a nature that it cannot be duplicated, the original work will become the property of the College and will be deposited in the library. If the creator of a type B thesis intends to copyright the thesis, the College retains a nonexclusive copyright interest.

No student will be permitted to graduate or participate in the Commencement ceremony until the thesis or dissertation is turned in and a passing grade for the thesis submitted. Doctoral dissertations must be successfully defended in order for doctoral candidates to be eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

Dates for Conferral of Degree

Mills College confers degrees three times per year. Students who complete all requirements for the degree in the fall will have an official graduation date of January 2 of the following year. Students who complete all requirements at the end of the spring semester will have an official graduation date that corresponds to the date of Commencement. Students who complete all requirements in the summer will have a graduation date of September 1.

Master's degree candidates who have completed all of their course work except the thesis must apply for “In Progress” status and pay the “In Progress” fee each semester until the thesis is completed and submitted (see In Progress Status).

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Commencement

The Commencement ceremony, which takes place each May, includes the formal conferral of the degree for students who have completed all requirements in the previous summer term, fall semester, or spring semester. For MA, MFA, MBA and MPP candidates, this includes completion of all formal course work including the thesis, graduate research project, or comprehensive examination. For doctoral candidates, this includes completion of all formal course work and the defense of their dissertation. For certificate candidates, this includes the completion of all course work. The conferral of the degree is signified by the awarding of the doctoral or master’s hood, if applicable, and the presentation of the diploma or certificate.

Students with "Incomplete" grades or whose comprehensive examinations either have not been graded or have received a failing grade are not eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

Formal academic regalia are required of all students participating in the graduation ceremonies.

Diplomas

Diplomas for students who have completed their requirements either in the previous summer, fall, or spring are available in May. The diploma bears the degree, the area of study, and the date of the student's actual graduation.

Diplomas will not be released under certain conditions:

• If a student is in financial default, the College may withhold her/his diploma until all financial obligations are met.
• If a student has received any "Incomplete" or "In Progress" grades for the spring or has any missing grades, the diploma will be held until the incomplete courses are completed and graded or the missing grades have been submitted.
• If a student attended another institution through cross-registration during the final spring semester, the diploma will be held until an official transcript from the institution is received and reviewed and credit is granted.