Graduation and Commencement
Graduation
Graduation is the official completion of your program and conferral of an academic degree. In order to graduate, students must apply for graduation using CUNYFirst the semester before the semester of their planned graduation and complete any outstanding requirements by the stated deadlines.
Applying for Graduation and Application Deadlines
Degrees are conferred four times per academic year. You should apply to graduate based on when you will complete your degree requirements. Visit the Apply to Graduate page for complete instructions including application deadlines.
Understanding Your Graduation Audit Results
Degree audit results are a list of outstanding exit requirements that must be completed on time in order to graduate. After applying to graduate, the degree audit results will be emailed to students via their myHUNTER email address from Degree Audit Division by the last month of the semester.
Completing Outstanding Requirements Listed on Your Degree Audit Result
Students must only complete the specific outstanding requirements listed on their degree audit results in order to graduate. Students must complete outstanding requirements by December 20th for a planned Fall or Winter Graduation, May 20th for a planned Spring Graduation, and August 10th for a planned Summer Graduation.
Completing and Reporting Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Workshop
If you have taken the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) at Hunter College, completion will automatically be reflected on your records. No action required.
If you have taken the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) at another university, college, or New York State approved provider, you must share proof of completion via the Workshop Completion Form or by emailing soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu.
The Dignity for All Students Act Certification Workshop is a requirement for all Teacher Education and School Counseling students by New York State and by Hunter College for successful graduation and certification.
For those who need this workshop and will not take the Health, Safety and DASA course, you may take it through Lehman College, NY Institute of Technology, or any provider on the NYSED approved list.Fulfilling Admissions Conditions
If you have outstanding admissions conditions to fulfill prior to graduation, please visit the Admissions Conditions page.
Paying Maintenance of Matriculation Fee
Graduate (Masters Degree or Advanced Certificate) students, who are not enrolled in any CUNY course in the semester in which they are obtaining their degree, are required to pay a maintenance of matriculation fee. Students must be either registered or on maintenance of matriculation in the semester they graduate. This fee should be paid during the semester of absence. Students on maintenance of matriculation should not be charged student activity fees. The maintenance of matriculation fee cannot be waived.
In order to pay the maintenance of matriculation fee students must complete the Maintenance of Matriculation Form. You will be required to log in with your NET ID in order to access the form.
Rate Schedule
- Resident: $225 per semester
- Non-Resident: $370 per semester
Report Exit Requirements to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs
When applicable, students must report the following exit requirements using the Workshop or Exam Completion Form to the Office of Academics and Student Affairs:
- Workshop Completion and Exam Scores
- Course Substitutions
- Graduate Time Extension
- Technology Competencies
- Professional Teaching Portfolio
- Comprehensive Exam
Resolving Incomplete Grades
Occasionally, professors grant students a grade of incomplete (INC) so that they have a reasonable chance to complete the course requirements even after the term has concluded. In most cases, a student has one year to resolve the incomplete.
Students with grades of INC should take the following steps as soon as is possible:
- Contact the instructor and develop a plan for submitting the work required to complete the requirements for the course. In the absence of the instructor, the student can contact the department Chair to explore the possibility of completing coursework. Note, however, that in the absence of the instructor, the chances of resolving a grade of INC can be very small.
- The student should also contact their faculty and administrative advisors for support. Resolving incompletes can be a complex process, so additional support and advocacy can be critical to success in this process.
Things to remember:
- When communicating via email with the instructor, students should include all advisors on the correspondence.
- Resolving a grade of INC requires more than just finishing coursework. Students in these situations must:
- Be able to contact the professor.
- Get a positive response to their request to complete the work.
- Agree upon the remaining requirements.
- Submit the work to the professor.
- Have their work graded.
- Receive a grade for the course.
- Ensure that the professor submits a change of grade to their department.
- Ensure that the department transmits this grade change to the registrar.
Important Note: The registrar will not award graduate degrees to students with grades of INC on their record. The only exception to this is if the student writes to degree.audit@hunter.cuny.edu and authorizes the registrar to award their degree in spite of the grades of INC. Once the degree is awarded grades of INC will be on the student’s permanent record and cannot be resolved.
For undergraduates, all unresolved INC grades will become a failing grade of FIN, if not resolved by the end of the following semester.
Contract to Resolve Incomplete Grades
Checking Degree Status and Conferral Timeline
Checking Degree Status
After applying for graduation, students can check the status of their graduation posting through their CUNYfirst account.
To check via CUNYfirst go to “Self Service”, then “Degree Process/Graduation”, then select “View Grad Status.” You may see updates such as “Applied,” “In Review” or “Pending.”
- Applied – You have applied for graduation and your application is on file with Degree Audit Division. Your audit has not yet been conducted.
- In Review – There are outstanding items on your audit that must be addressed. Degree Audit Division will email you at your myHUNTER email account with the results of your audit.
- Pending – Your audit is awaiting end of term grades.
Once your graduation is posted, you will no longer see “View Grad Status” as an option. Check your unofficial transcript through “Self Service” then select “Academic Records” to see your degree conferred.
Conferral and Processing Timeline
Only students who have met all requirements for graduation will be conferred. The conferral date is the official graduation date on a student’s transcript and diploma. The degree will be processed and posted to CUNYfirst by Degree Audit Division within 8-weeks after the conferral date. Recommendations for teacher certification are sent about a week after the graduation posts to CUNYfirst.
Fall Degree Conferral and Processing Dates
- Conferral Date: January 1
- Processing Date: March 1
Winter Degree Conferral and Processing Dates
- Conferral Date: February 1
- Processing Date: April 1
Spring Degree Conferral and Processing Dates
- Conferral Date: June 1
- Processing Date: August 1
Summer Degree Conferral and Processing Dates
- Conferral Date: September 1
- Processing Date: November 1
Cancelling Your Graduation Application
To adjust the graduation term after applying, students must email Degree Audit Division at degree.audit@hunter.cuny.edu.
Commencement
Commencement is the celebration of graduation – or impending graduation – usually held prior to a degree being conferred.
There are two ceremonies celebrating graduation:
- Hunter College Commencement
- School of Education Graduation Celebration
The School of Education ceremony is a separate celebration from Hunter College’s commencement ceremony. You are invited to participate in both, depending on your graduation date. For questions on the School of Education’s Graduation Celebration, please email soeceleb@hunter.cuny.edu.
Diplomas
Visit One Stop For Students for Diploma information.