Graduation and Commencement

Graduation

Students must complete all requirements and at least 34 credits to receive their bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree, or 17 credits to receive their pre-nursing certificate. Mills College confers degrees three times per year. Students who complete work during the summer term will have a graduation date of September 1. Those who complete all requirements for the BA or BS degree or the PNC Certificate 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 completing their degree or certificate requirements "In Absentia" must provide the M Center with an official transcript of their remaining requirements. The graduation date will be that which most closely corresponds to the term the work was completed.

Graduation "In Absentia"
In exceptional circumstances, a bachelor's degree candidate may complete up to her final 2 semester course credits of work at another institution, provided she has completed at least 32 credits before leaving Mills, has not reached the transfer credit limit, and has no more than 2 credits outside the major remaining to fulfill the degree. The same policy applies to pre-nursing students with no more than 1 remaining credit.

Students must petition for "In-Absentia" status by completing and submitting a Petition to Complete Undergraduate Degree Requirements "In-Absentia" form, which specifies when and where the credits will be completed. Payment must be submitted with the petition. The fee is $100 for the initial semester with a $100 increase for each subsequent semester ($200, $300, $400). This fee is subject to change. The petition is reviewed by the Academic Standing Committee (ASC). If approved, the student's status will be changed to "In-Absentia." This status will be updated each semester and the student charged the "In-Absentia" fee until the student has provided the M Center with an official transcript of the completed course(s).

"In-Absentia" status may be extended for a maximum of two years. A student who does not complete the degree or certificate within two years must apply for readmission to the College. In no case will the degree or certificate be granted unless the student has completed all requirements.

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Graduation Application
An Undergraduate Application for Graduation is required of all undergraduate students who anticipate completing their requirements, or who will be within 1 (PNC) or 2 (BA or BS) credits of completing their requirements and wish to participate in the Commencement ceremony. The application must be submitted to the M Center by the deadline listed in the table below. For the 2008–09 academic year, including summer 2008, this deadline is November 3, 2008. The application, available online and at the M Center, requires the student and advisor signatures. Incomplete or late graduation applications may result in the student not being included in Commencement. For further information, contact records@mills.edu.

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Commencement

The Commencement ceremony, which takes place each May, includes formal conferral of the degree for students who have completed all requirements either in the summer, fall, or spring. Conferral of the degree is signified by the awarding of the bachelor of arts or bachelor of science hood and presentation of the diploma.

Students who have completed at least 32 credits toward their bachelor of arts or bachelor of science degree and who have no more than 2 credits remaining to fulfill all major and minor requirements are also eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony, but will not receive their diplomas at graduation. This same policy applies to pre-nursing students who have no more than 1 credit remaining. Students who wish to participate must submit a graduation application. It is expected that these students will complete their remaining requirements at Mills, either during summer or fall immediately following Commencement, or petition the ASC to complete their degree “In Absentia” provided the remaining credits are not major requirements, and the student has not already reached the transfer credit maximum.

Seniors who are not eligible to participate in Commencement are encouraged to join other activities planned during the commencement weekend. Contact the Division of Student Life for additional information.

Formal academic regalia are required of all students participating in the Commencement ceremony. The regalia may be purchased at the College bookstore approximately six weeks before graduation.

Diplomas
Diplomas are presented to students who have completed their requirements in the summer, fall, or spring terms preceding Commencement in May. The diploma bears the student's full name, as it appears in myMILLS, major and the date of the student's actual graduation. Minors and major concentrations are not recorded on the diploma, nor is the notation of honors.

Diplomas will not be released at Commencement under the following conditions:

• If a student is in financial default, the College may withhold her diploma until her financial obligations are met.
• If a student has any outstanding grades, the diploma will be held until all grades are received and recorded.
• 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.

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