Graduation Preparation

Students should apply to graduate when they have reached 90 earned credits. 

Before applying for graduation, please verify your Academic Program, Major and Minor (if applicable). If the information that our office has is incorrect, please submit a Change of Major/Minor Form to the Records Office. 

Before attempting to submit your on-line application, please verify that we have made the appropriate updates to your record.

Submitting your graduation application is not applying to participate in the commencement ceremony. The graduation application notifies your Graduation Advisor of which semester you are expecting to complete all your degree requirements, so that a review of your Advisement Report can be completed and ensure you are on track to graduate in the semester indicated on your application. 

Which Graduation to Apply For

• If you anticipate completing all of your degree requirements at the end of the Spring semester, apply for May (Spring) graduation.
• If you have 9 or fewer credits left that you will complete during the Summer sessions, apply for August (Summer) graduation.
• If you will complete all of your degree requirements at the end of the Fall semester, apply for January (Fall) graduation.

Please Note: If you are receiving more than one degree (ex. BS, BA, BSW), you must apply for each degree separately.

To apply to graduate, log in to MyRIC and follow these steps:

1. select "Student Center," then click "My Academics"
2. click on "Apply for Graduation"
3. carefully select your Academic Program by clicking on its description
4. select "Expected Graduation Term" using the drop down menu
5. click "Continue"
6. verify the information for correctness and click "Submit Application" 
7. confirmation will appear on the screen if you have successfully applied for graduation

Your academic advisement transcript is useful so that you understand your remaining courses and credits needed to graduate. If you have any questions, you may contact your Graduation Advisor or the Records Office.

Graduation Advisors

The following requirements must be completed by degree candidates at Rhode Island College in order to graduate:

Undergraduate Students Must Complete

• All curriculum requirements, including General Education, requirements in the major(s) or concentration(s), and, if applicable, requirements in the minor(s).
• College Writing Requirement
• College Mathematics Competency
• A minimum of 120 Earned credits, with a minimum of 45 of those credits taken at Rhode Island College. Of the 45 credits, a minimum of 15 credits must be in the major (12 of which must be at the 300- or 400-level).
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale.

Graduate Students Must

• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00
• Complete all curricular requirements as required by the school or department

Graduate Policies and Procedure Manual

Please Note: This handbook presents the policies and procedures that govern all students enrolled in Graduate Programs at Rhode Island College and outlines the procedures for them, their advisers, Program Directors, Department Chairs, and program committees. Information concerning the organization of the Graduate Committee, the Graduate Faculty, and the authorization for graduate programs and courses are available in the College Handbook of Policies, Practices and Regulations.

For forms found in Appendices, please see Forms from Graduate Manual​.​

Undergraduate students with a minimum of 54 credits earned at RIC are eligible to receive Latin Honors with the following standards:

• Summa Cum Laude: GPA between 3.85–4.00
• Magna Cum Laude: GPA between 3.60–3.84
• Cum Laude: GPA between 3.25–3.59

RIC holds one commencement ceremony per year, on the second weekend in May, and invites the following students to participate:

• students who have completed all degree requirements at the end of the Spring semester (May)
• students who have 9 or less credits to complete in the Summer semester
• students who completed all degree requirements in the previous Fall semester (December)

Graduation

Graduation is the official completion of all degree requirements, which is recorded on your official transcript. When a student submits their official graduation application, they are notifying the Records Office of the semester in which they intend to complete their requirements. The Records Office will then review the student's Degree Audit and certify that all program and college requirements have been met. Upon completion of all degree requirements, the Records Office will confer the degree and order the diploma.

Commencement

Commencement is a ceremony that celebrates the completion of a degree. It honors students who have completed or will soon complete all the requirements for their degree program. Students can learn more about the ceremony by visiting the Commencement Office website.

Please Note: Participation in the commencement ceremony does not imply that you have officially graduated. 

Students may only submit the graduation application once. Should your plans change and you are not able to complete all your degree requirements in the semester originally indicated on your graduation application, please contact your Graduation Advisor for a change in Expected Graduation Date.

The Records Office awards degrees and orders diplomas three times per year:

• May 15 for students who complete all degree requirements at the end of the Spring semester
• August 15 for students who complete all degree requirements at the end of the Summer semester
• January 15 for students who complete all degree requirements at the end of the Fall semester

Diplomas are mailed at the end of May, August and January and are mailed to the student's Home Address (not mailing address). If needed, students can update their home address in MyRIC or with the Records Office. Please allow 6–8 weeks for the diploma to arrive. 

Your name will appear on your diploma as it appears on your transcript. If you would like your name to appear differently on your diploma, you must notify the Records Office using this process:

1. navigate to MyRIC and select "Student Center"
2. select "Personal Contact Info" from the left-hand navigation menu and then click on "Names"
3. click on the "Add a new name" button
4. use the Name Type drop down menu and select "Degree"
5. type in your name exactly as you would like it to appear on your diploma and click the "Save" button
6. a "success message" will appear
7. click "OK" to complete the process

Students may request a replacement or duplicate diploma at any time for a small fee of $25. The processing time is approximately two weeks.