5.5.1 DEGREES
Commencement convocations shall be held in December and in May of each academic year. [US: 2/14/11]
5.5.1.1 Application for Degrees
[US: 3/17/08; US: 12/9/2013]
5.5.1.1.1 Undergraduate Degrees
To be eligible for an undergraduate degree, a student must file an application with the dean of the college from which the undergraduate degree is to be awarded. The University Registrar will recommend appropriate deadlines for Senate Council approval. The dates will be included in the academic calendar. Upon Senate approval of the academic calendar, the University Registrar will publicize the deadlines. [US: 11/12/18; 2/10/2020]
5.5.1.1.2 Graduate Degrees
To be eligible for a graduate degree, a student must file an application to graduate with the Graduate School. The University Registrar will recommend appropriate deadlines for Senate Council approval. The dates will be included in the academic calendar. Upon Senate approval of the academic calendar, the University Registrar will publicize the deadlines. [US: 11/12/18; 2/10/2020]
5.5.1.1.3 Professional Degrees
Application deadlines for professional degrees will be identified by the respective College Faculty, in accordance with external accreditation requirements (SR 1.2.1.A), and submitted to the University Registrar for inclusion in the University Academic Calendar to be approved by the University Senate. [US: 2/10/2020]
5.5.1.1.4 Late Addition to Degree List
[US: 11/11/2013]
5.5.1.1.4.1 Approval of Late Addition to Degree List
The elected Faculty Senators approve the candidates for academic degrees to be submitted to the Board of Trustees (GR II.E.2.b.(4); GR IV.A). Effective processing of applications for degrees requires responsible compliance with the calendar deadlines established by the University Senate and that these deadlines be clearly communicated to all students. A student who has not submitted by the respective deadline an application to graduate in December, May or August will not be included on the degree list approved by the elected Faculty Senators for submission to the Board of Trustees, except as provided below.
In each case below, the elected faculty representatives on the Senate Council (SC) will make the final decision on whether to grant the petition to add the student to the degree list and, if necessary due to time limitations, act for the University Senate to approve the degree list itself (SR 1.3.1.2). If a decision is necessary on a petition concerning a degree list (i) for which the SC will not meet again prior to Senate action or (ii) that has already been approved by the University Senate (or by SC on the Senate’s behalf) and the SC will not meet again prior to the scheduled Board of Trustees action on the list, then the SC Chair can decide whether the petition will be granted and if favorable add the student to the degree list that will then be acted upon.
5.5.1.1.4.2 Omission Due to Administrative Error
In cases where failure to be on the degree list is due to administrative error, the petitioning student will be added to the degree list. Petitions for late addition to a degree list must be submitted to the Senate Council Office and must include documentation from the office of the dean of the college clearly stating the nature and circumstances of the administrative error.
5.5.1.1.4.3 Demonstration of Extraordinary Hardship
In cases where failure to be included on the degree list is not due to administrative error, a hardship petition may be submitted to the Senate Council Office. A hardship petition must
include the information below and must be submitted as a complete packet through the office of the dean with the approval of the academic director of the degree program. Petition packets that do not include all information specified below will be denied. Submission of a complete hardship petition does not guarantee that the request for exception will be granted. The hardship petition must be submitted to the Senate Council by the Dean’s Office no later than four business days prior to the scheduled date of action of the Board of Trustees on the degree list in question. (For the schedule of meetings of the Board of Trustees, visit the Board of Trustees website.)
- A one-page, signed statement from the student specifying the exact nature of the extraordinary hardship that will occur due to failure to be included on the degree list in question;
- Documentation, including contact information, for verification of the facts presented in (1) above;
- Letter of support from the academic director of the degree program, co-signed by the dean that includes the student’s name, UKID, major and degree.
- A description from the student describing the circumstances that prevented the student from applying prior to the established deadline. (Failure to be aware of the deadline is not an acceptable excuse).
* Posthumous Award of Earned Degrees. Under the policies of the University Senate Rules, a deceased student who has been determined by the unit faculty, dean and Registrar to have satisfied the established degree requirements will be recommended by the University Senate to the Board of Trustees for award of the degree. The transcript shows the posthumous award. The diploma is exactly the same as for non-posthumous award of earned degrees. [SREC: 8/9/2013]
5.5.1.2 Double Major
[US: 4/10/89]
An undergraduate student earns a double major when the student completes all university, college, and departmental requirements in one department--the Primary Major--and all departmental requirements in a second department--the Secondary Major. If there is a generic relationship, work in the Primary Major may be applicable to the Secondary Major. The student must indicate his or her double major to the Registrar and to the student records office in his or her college(s). They must have an advisor in each major. The student who completes the requirements for a double major receives a degree from the college of his or her Primary Major and has the successful completion of the Secondary Major entered on his or her transcript. A Secondary Major may be completed after the degree for the Primary Major has been awarded. A double major does not result in an additional degree. The Rules Committee has held that a secondary major from another college must fulfill only the departmental requirements for a major and is not expected to meet the college requirements as well. In addition, the pre-major requirements are considered to be a part of the major requirements for purposes of the rule and must be fulfilled by secondary majors. [US: 3/8/82; 4/10/89]
5.5.1.3 Additional Bachelor's Degrees
[US: 9/13/2010]
A student is eligible to qualify for additional bachelor's degrees in different majors. The student must complete all university, college, and departmental requirements for all degrees. Courses taken towards fulfilling one degree may also count towards fulfilling parallel requirements in another degree, but the student must complete at least 24 additional hours for each degree. The student may elect to receive the degrees simultaneously if college and departmental degree requirements can be met simultaneously. [US: 3/8/82; 4/10/89; US: 9/13/2010]
5.5.1.4 Concurrent Enrollment in Graduate Programs
A student may receive two graduate degrees. However, concurrent enrollment in two or more graduate degrees at the same time is not permitted, unless approved by the Graduate Advisor(s), the Directors of Graduate Studies in the programs, and the Dean of the Graduate School. This rule does not prohibit a student from receiving both a bachelor’s degree and an advanced degree in the same field at the same time. [US: 3/8/82; US: 9/10/84]
5.5.1.5 Master's Degree Following Doctorate
Subsequent to the receipt of a doctoral degree, a student is not eligible to receive a master's degree based on the work which led to the doctorate. [US: 9/10/84]
5.5.1.6 Faculty Employees as Candidates for Degrees
Faculty employees having a rank higher than that of Instructor may not be considered as candidates for degrees in the discipline in which they are employed and hold academic rank.
Faculty employees pursuing degrees above the master's degree at the University may not hold more than a half time work assignment either during the two full-time, consecutive resident semesters preceding qualifying examinations or during the two semesters of full-time dissertation study immediately following the qualifying examination. [US: 5/6/85; BoT: 9/17/85]