Office of Student Affairs

Preparing for Graduation

Please review this document and the other materials in the online senior packet. Contact Dean Dunn (kmdunn@wesleyan.edu) if there is anything you do not understand or if you foresee anything that could prevent your graduation in May 2025.

Graduation does not happen by accident; it requires your time and attention to several details. You must fulfill all graduation requirements to participate in the May commencement ceremony. If you do not intend to graduate in May 2025, contact Dean Dunn immediately to clarify your class standing.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

As you review your academic history and credit analysis and finalize your course selections for the semester, you should keep Wesleyan's degree requirements in mind:

1. Completion of a Major. Satisfactory completion of a major is required for graduation. Consult with your major advisor about specific departmental or program requirements and use the Major Certification form to list all courses required for your major, including completed courses, courses in progress, and courses that still need to be taken.
2. Credit. A minimum of 32.00 credits (without oversubscription) is required for graduation. At least 16.00 of these credits must be earned at Wesleyan or in Wesleyan-sponsored programs.
3. GPA. A cumulative average of at least 74.00 percent is required.
4. Residency. At least six semesters in residency at Wesleyan as a full-time student are required for students who entered in their first year. For students entering as sophomore transfers, at least five semesters in residency at Wesleyan as a full-time student; for students entering as midyear sophomores or junior transfers, at least four semesters in residency at Wesleyan as a full-time student is required. A semester in residence is defined as any semester in which a student attends classes on the Wesleyan campus, has attempted at least three credits and received at least one grade. One semester of study abroad can count as a semester in residence. 

MAJOR CERTIFICATION

It is your responsibility to know the requirements for your major. As a senior expecting to graduate in May 2025, you are required to formalize your progress toward completion of the requirements for your major with your faculty advisor by completing the Major Certification Form.

1. The Major Certification Form functions as your "contract" with your department, so you need to list all courses that you have completed or will complete to fulfill major requirements. Other courses taken but not required for completion of the major need not be listed.
2. The Major Certification Form can be accessed through the “Student Tools-->Academics” bucket in your WesPortal.  
3. A Major Concentration Form must be completed for each major you intend to complete.

Click here for detailed information about the Major Certification Form.

Click here for the Major Certification process FAQ.

CREDIT ANALYSIS

The credit analysis is a review of your academic record that shows your progress towards meeting graduation requirements with regard to credits and other academic regulations. It monitors oversubscription and flags potential problems that may affect completion of graduation requirements. It does not address major requirements. The credit analysis is comprised of two parts, the summary (first page) and the credit detail (remaining pages).

The summary page is divided into three sections:

1. Total semesters at Wesleyan and total semesters in residence, as well as total credits earned and potential credits at the end of the semester.
2. "Categories with Credit Limits," which monitors oversubscription in credit limits within categories.
3. "Credit Limits within Departments," which indicates oversubscription within a subject.

The credit detail in the remaining pages lists credits by department and program. If a given course appears in more than one department or program (i.e.: cross-listed) it count for purposes of oversubscription in all departments in which it is listed.

Courses for which you are pre-registered are included in the credit analysis. However, if you studied abroad last semester, your credits may not yet be posted, even though the semester has been counted in the semester totals. As you review your credit analysis, keep a copy of your academic history on hand and be ready to consult Wesleyan's academic regulations. Your credit analysis is available in "Student Tools-->Academics" bucket in WesPortal. It is updated every night.

OVERSUBSCRIPTION

The oversubscription rule is designed to prevent a student from building a program of study that is too narrow. Any credit in excess of the department or category limits will not count towards the 32.00 credits required to graduate (although the credits will be recorded on the transcript and will be factored into grade point average calculations). More specific category limits can be found on the Registrar's website. 

Oversubscription will not jeopardize graduation if you have enough useable credit to meet the 32.00 credits required for graduation. If you have any concerns about oversubscription, contact Dean Dunn immediately.

DECEMBER COMPLETION

Some members of the Class of 2025 may complete graduation requirements at the end of the Fall 2024 semester. All students who will have completed their eight Wesleyan semesters at the end of the Fall semester, or who are expecting to complete their degrees in December, should contact Dean Dunn as soon as possible if they have questions about their graduation status.

While a student may complete their degree in December, no student graduates in December. Graduation takes place once a year in May.

HONORS

If you plan to be a candidate for honors, please pay close attention to the guidelines outlined in the Honors Program Handbook. If you are enrolled on a per credit basis in your last semester (either fall or spring) for only the second half of your honors thesis in order to complete your thesis, then that semester does not count as a Wesleyan semester for residency purposes, since you would not be a full-time student. This may result in problems with the residency requirement.

SENIORS ON FINANCIAL AID

Banks and schools are experiencing difficulties in the follow-up and collection of student loans used to pay educational costs. Since most difficulties result from students not understanding their responsibilities after the completion of their educational program, schools are required to conduct exit interviews with any student completing the undergraduate degree.

Exit interviews are required by the federal government, and failure to conduct them could cause the loss of Wesleyan's eligibility for federal student aid funding. Therefore, we will withhold the diploma of any student who fails to appear for an interview. Please contact the Financial Aid Office directly to arrange for an exit interview.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

Make sure that all outstanding transfer credit, test credit, or any other academic credit you expect to apply toward your record is processed immediately. Remember that only 2.00 pre-matriculant credits may count toward your degree. A delay in posting additional credits toward your record will result in an incomplete and inaccurate review of your graduation record that could leave you with potentially serious complications.

A FINAL WORD

A collection of Senior Packet FAQs can found here. Do not hesitate to contact Dean Dunn (kmdunn@wesleyan.edu) at any time if you have any questions regarding the graduation process. While we will do everything we can to facilitate the process, each student is responsible for their own graduation and for making sure that there are no surprises in May 2025.