Oct 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Graduation and Commencement


  

 

 

Graduation Information

Information in this section is intended to guide you in completing your degree requirements. It is not a substitute for departmental advising. Students must meet with their departmental adviser to confirm that they have met all the following requirements and to determine what additional departmental requirements may exist.

Online degree evaluation

Oakland University Graduate School offers graduate students an online degree evaluation tool (WebCAPP), which is available for most master’s and certificate programs, as well as selected doctoral programs. WebCAPP produces a report that shows how Oakland University courses, transfer credits, waivers/substitutions, and in progress courses apply toward degree requirements. A CAPP degree evaluation does not take the place of regular academic advising or the Oakland University Graduate Catalog.

To stay on track for graduation, it is recommended that students run a degree evaluation during each registered semester. Please note that these evaluations are considered unofficial and do not replace the official graduation audit conducted by Oakland University Graduate School. Final approval for graduation is required by the student’s department and Oakland University Graduate School.

Any changes to the student’s original, approved plan of study must be submitted to Oakland University Graduate School in order to be incorporated into the online degree evaluation system. Additionally, students should make sure that an updated, advisor-approved plan of study is on file in Graduate Study prior to applying for graduation.

While not a replacement for academic advising, the online degree evaluation tool allows students to self-assess progress toward a degree and can assist with registration and course selection. Students considering a program transfer will be able to determine how previously completed coursework might apply to the new degree program. Undergraduate students considering applying to certain graduate programs, such as the MBA and MPA, can check the status of their admissions prerequisites prior to submitting their application. More information about these features can be found in our online FAQs.

Check your progress toward degree by following these simple steps:

  1. Access SAIL at https://sail.oakland.edu or by clicking the SAIL link from inside the student portal.

  2. Once logged into SAIL, select Student Services & Financial Aid.

  3. Select Student Records, and then select Degree Evaluation.

  4. Select the current term and click Submit. (If you are selecting classes for registration, please select the term you are trying to register for.)

  5. Your current curriculum information will appear. If your curriculum is not correct, please contact Oakland University Graduate School.

  6. Select the Generate New Evaluation link at the bottom of the page.

  7. Click the radio button next to your curriculum information, select your term of expected graduation, and then click Generate Request.

  8. Click the radio button next to “Detail Requirements” and click Submit.

Thesis and dissertation

Students are responsible for obtaining the publication ”Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations” from www.oakland.edu/gradstudy. In addition, students must make an appointment prior to and after defense or presentation to assure that the manuscript conforms to university format standards. Three copies of the approved manuscript must be delivered to Oakland University Graduate School, 520 O’Dowd Hall, by the date stated in the Schedule of Classes for the term in which the student expects to graduate. Doctoral students must submit an additional copy to meet the Proquest (formerly UMI) publication requirement.

The university considers student theses and dissertations to be public statements of research findings. Therefore, students who submit such work in fulfillment of degree requirements shall be deemed to have consented to disclosure of the work.

Application for degree

Formal application for a degree to be conferred must be filed online by the degree candidate. Information and instructions are available at www.oakland.edu/gradstudy. If filing is not timely, conferral is delayed to the next conferral period even though all other degree requirements may have been completed on time.

Application for degree deadlines*
 
  Winter Semester Last Friday in January
  Summer Semester Last Friday in May
  Fall Semester Last Friday in September
     
 
 

* Subject to change. Confirm with Academic Records or consult the Schedule of Classes.

 

Graduation audit

A formal graduation audit is a required evaluation of the student’s academic record and Plan of Study to determine the student’s eligibility for graduation. The audit, initiated by a student’s application for graduation, determines whether all University, degree, and program requirements have been satisfied.

Degree Conferral

Degree conferral requires that the student be in good academic standing and that all requirements for the degree have been completed satisfactorily. Degrees are conferred four times each year: April, June, August and December.

Degree conferral dates

Oakland University operates as an institution of higher education, providing the Board of Trustees of Oakland University with legal authorization to grant degrees to persons who have met all requirements for the completion of those degrees.

The Board of Trustees of Oakland University confers degrees three (3) times during the year. These three dates are Fall semester (December), Winter semester (April) and Summer semester (August). These conferral dates represent the official completion date for all degree awards, regardless of the actual date degree requirements are met within the specified term.

Receipt of diplomas

 Students who qualify for degree conferral receive their diplomas by mail, normally within two months following conferral.

Degree confirmation letters

When students complete all of their degree requirements well before the next degree conferral date, Oakland University Graduate School certifies in a formal letter that all degree requirements have been met and includes the expected date of degree conferral.
 

Commencement information

Commencement ceremonies are held twice each year. A May ceremony recognizes Winter Semester (April) and Summer I (June) master’s degree candidates and Winter Semester doctoral degree candidates. A December ceremony is held for Summer II (August) and Fall Semester (December) master’s degree candidates and Summer I, Summer II, and Fall Semester doctoral degree candidates. For additional information on upcoming commencement ceremonies,
please refer to the Schedule of Classes or www.oakland.edu.

Doctoral student participation in Commencement

Doctoral students are not eligible to participate in commencement without completing all degree requirements, including the dissertation defense and submission of an approved dissertation to Oakland University Graduate School. The dissertation must be signed by all committee members and must comply with the dissertation requirements as outlined in the Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations.

Master’s student participation in Commencement ceremony before completion of degree requirements

Within one term of completing their degree requirements, master’s students may participate in commencement. A Request to Participate in Commencement Ceremony form must be approved by their academic adviser and department chair and submitted to Oakland University Graduate School for final approval.
 

Graduation checklists

Graduation checklist for doctoral students

 


To fulfill their graduation requirements, doctoral students must:

  1. File a Plan of Study with Oakland University Graduate School, 520 O’Dowd Hall.
  2. Submit an online Application for Graduation for the term in which they expect to graduate, by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes. If graduation requirements are not completed by the stated deadlines, students must change their graduation date by contacting Oakland University Graduate School, 520 O’Dowd Hall
  3. Review their academic record for any unmet requirements:
    1. Incomplete (I) or progress (P) grades must be removed.
    2. Transfer credits must be approved and processed by the beginning of the semester of intended graduation.
    3. Transfer credits must have been completed within the 6-year time limit to count toward degree requirements.
    4. An overall 3.0 GPA must be achieved.
  4. Submit verification that all comprehensive examinations have been completed to Oakland University Graduate School, 520 O’Dowd Hall.
  5. Register for the term in which their dissertation will be defended.
  6. Complete a successful dissertation defense by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes.
  7. Attain format approval from Oakland University Graduate School by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes.
  8. Submit for binding three copies of their format approved dissertation to Oakland University Graduate School by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes.
  9. Submit an additional copy of their format approved dissertation to meet the Proquest (formerly UMI) publication requirement.
  10. Submit an online Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) questionnaire.

 Graduation checklist for master’s students 

 


To fulfill their graduation requirements, master’s students must:

  1. File a Plan of Study with Oakland University Graduate School, 520 O’Dowd Hall.
  2. Submit an online Application for Graduation for the term in which they expect to graduate, by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes. If graduation requirements are not completed by the stated deadlines, students must change their graduation date by contacting Oakland University Graduate School, 520 O’Dowd Hall.
  3. Review their academic record for any unmet requirements:
    1. Incomplete (I) or progress (P) grades must be removed.
    2. Transfer credits must be approved and processed by the beginning of the semester of intended graduation.
    3. Transfer credits must have been completed within the 6-year time limit, to count toward degree requirements.
    4. An overall 3.0 GPA must be achieved.
    5. A Petition of Exception must be filed if the degree will NOT be completed with the university’s 6-year time limit (a 2-year extension for a maximum of an 8-year total).
  4. Complete a successful defense or presentation, if completing a thesis, by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes.
  5. Attain format approval from Oakland University Graduate School, if completing a thesis, by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes.
  6. Submit for binding three copies of their format approved thesis to Oakland University Graduate School by the deadline stated in the Schedule of Classes.