Graduation
Commencement 2012
Related Resources
Graduation Application
Diplomas
Transcripts
Tropaia Awards Ceremony
May 2012 Commencement
The School will hold the annual Commencement Ceremony and Reception on Friday, May 18, 2012 to honor August 2011, December 2011 and May 2012 graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (BALS), Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS), Doctor of Liberal Studies (DLS), and Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree programs.
Ceremony: 3:30 p.m., Healy Lawn (Rain Location McDonough Arena)
Reception: 5:00 p.m., Leo J. O'Donovan Dining Hall, Georgetown University
Please continue to visit this page for updated information as this date approaches.
View additional Commencement and Tropaia FAQs here. Questions that are not answered above or in the FAQs may be directed to scsgrad@georgetown.edu.
Information about the other Georgetown University Commencement week events and ceremonies can be found at http://commencement.georgetown.edu/.
Archives:
May 2011 Commencement Information
May 2010 Commencement Information
Graduation Application and Clearance Process
The School officially graduates students in the BALS, MALS, DLS, and MPS programs three times per year (in May for spring graduates; in August for summer graduates; and in December for fall graduates). A single graduation ceremony is held for all graduates every May, and students who have earned their degrees in summer and fall are encouraged to attend the celebration.
If you are an Advanced Professional Certificate Student, please view the APC Application of Completion Form found under Academic Affairs - Student Forms.
Graduation is not an automatic process, and all students must be cleared and certified to graduate by the Office of Academic Affairs & Compliance. In order to facilitate this process, we ask all students to complete the following steps during the first two weeks of their final semester:
1. Print up a copy of your transcript and degree audit (using the MyAccess system) to review on your own and with your academic department. While your department can provide you with academic guidance, it is ultimately your responsibility to ensure that you have met all of your degree requirements (including specific course, GPA, credit, and major requirements which can differ by program).
2. Undergraduate Liberal Studies (BALS) and Doctoral Liberal Studies (DLS) students should contact their academic departments to fill out their graduation applications. Those departments will forward your application to the Office of Academic Affairs & Compliance.
3. Master of Professional Studies (MPS) and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) graduate students should fill out the online graduation application in MyAccess at https://myaccess.georgetown.edu under "Student Records" and "Apply to Graduate." MPS and MALS students can only apply to graduate when they have 30 attempted graduate-level credit hours (your earned hours plus your currently enrolled hours). This application process is described in more detail below.
4. MPS students must request overload approval in advance to count additional courses beyound the 30 credits required for their degree. Please read the full policy in the MPS Student Handbook (pp. 16-17).
5. Applications are required from all graduating students for diploma orders, degree conferral, and preparation of the annual Commencement Book. Failure to return your complete application in a timely manner could result in delays conferring your degree and ordering your diploma.
6. All students should contact the Office of Student Accounts (202-687-7100) to ensure that they have settled their financial obligations. The University cannot provide diplomas or official transcripts to students who owe in excess of $100.00.
7. International students should contact the Office of International Programs at (202) 687-5867 to update their status.
MPS and MALS Online Graduation Application Process
If you are an Advanced Professional Certificate Student, please view the APC Application of Completion Form found under Academic Affairs - Student Forms.
***Students who plan on graduating in the spring 2012 semester will be able to apply to graduate beginning on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. The deadline to apply to graduate for the spring 2012 semester is Monday, February 13, 2012.
(Click here to view Screen Shots of Online Graduation Application Process)1. Login to the MyAccess system at https://myaccess.georgetown.edu using your NetID and password.
2. On the top menu bar, click on the "Student" tab.
3. Under "Student Services," click on the "Student Records" link.
4. Under "Student Records," click on the "Apply to Graduate" link.
5. Verify and select your curriculum/program and click "Continue."
6. By "Graduation Date," use the pull-down menu and select the date/month in which you will complete your final coursework. Click "Continue."
7. Indicate whether or not you plan on attending the May graduation ceremony. Click "Continue."
8. Select your Diploma Name. Click "Continue." Verify the accuracy of your diploma name and make any needed changes here. Your name will appear exactly as you enter it here, so please make sure it is accurate and as you want it written on your official diploma. Click "Continue."
9. Select your Diploma Mailing Address. Click "Continue." Verify your diploma mailing address and make any needed changes. Click "Continue."
10. Review your Application Summary and click "Submit Request."
**Please verify the status and receipt of your application using the MyAccess system. Submission of an application does not guarantee degree conferral. Degrees are awarded and posted on transcripts only after all requirements have been successfully completed.
Georgetown Diploma
All Georgetown University graduates earn the official Georgetown diploma, written in Latin, and reflecting the history, tradition, and values of the University. A full translation of the diploma is provided upon graduation along with a traditional blue-and-gray ribbon (the Georgetown colors) and suggestions for matting and framing. The degrees offered through the School of Continuing Studies include: The Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (Artium Baccalaureatum in Studiis Liberalibus); the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (Magistratum Artium in Studiis Liberalibus); the Doctor of Liberal Studies (Doctorem Studiorum Liberalium); and the Master of Professional Studies (Magistratum Professionalium Studiorum). View a sample Georgetown Diploma.
In case of damage to or loss of your original diploma, please visit the University Registrar's site and complete the diploma replacement form.
Note to Summer and Fall Graduates:
Before diplomas can be ordered for summer and fall graduates, the Office of Academic Affairs & Compliance must certify that the applicants have completed the minimum requirements for their degree. This is a manual process that takes about 2-3 weeks from the end of the examination period. You can help ensure an efficient process by checking your transcript and making sure that you have no outstanding grades. If you find that you are missing a course grade, please contact the instructor of that course to encourage the timely recording of that final grade. MALS and DLS students are required to secure official thesis approval from their advisor, the Graduate Liberal Studies department, and the School.
Diplomas are distributed through the Office of Academic Affairs & Compliance. Only spring graduates will be able to pick up diplomas in person, and only on the day of the commencement ceremony. If you are a summer or fall graduate, or if you are a spring graduate who does not pick up your diploma in-person, your diploma will be mailed to the address you provided on the electronic Application to Graduate. If no address was provided on the electronic Application to Graduate, your diploma will be mailed to the address stored in MyAccess. Diplomas for summer graduates usually are delivered by mid-November; diplomas for fall graduates usually are delivered by mid-March.
All BALS diplomas are distributed in May at Commencement, regardless of semester of graduation.
Transcript
The transcript is the official University record of the work you completed here at Georgetown. After the Office of Academic Affairs & Compliance certifies the applicants' graduation, they notify the Registrar's Office and the awarding of the degree is posted officially. Transcripts for summer graduates are usually complete by mid-September; transcripts for fall graduates are usually complete by late January into early February (depending upon the recording of final grades). Students should request official transcripts through the Registrar's Office to confirm the posting of their degree.
Tropaia Ceremony and Awards Nominations
Tropaia is the ancient Greek word for "trophies," and refers to a monument constructed to celebrate a military victory. The Tropaia Ceremony is the signature event where individual schools distribute awards. You can view a complete list of the SCS Tropaia awards here. Additionally, Advanced Professional Certificate (APC) students receive their certificates at Tropaia.
This year's SCS Tropaia Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 6:00pm in Gaston Hall. A light reception will follow the ceremony.
All students, faculty, staff, and family members are encouraged to attend the ceremony.
Please check back for updated information regarding the SCS Tropaia 2012 ceremony.
Last updated: November 3 2011