Graduation Requirements and Procedures
Application for graduation must be made one year before the expected graduation date. Application forms are available in the Residential Academic Services office and at https://myiwu.indwes.edu/RAS/Forms. The application form must be completed and signed by all academic advisors. A student may complete his/her requirements at midyear, in the spring, or in the summer. Commencement exercises are held in December, April, and August and conferral of degrees happens on these commencement dates as well as the second Friday in October, February, and June. Students who have been conferred on a non-graduation ceremony date may walk at the following ceremony. Notification of participation in ceremonies will need to be made to the Residential Academic Services office at the time the graduation application is submitted. Only those completing all requirements by August and December are eligible to participate in the August and December commencements, respectively. Undergraduate residential students whose graduation is conditional upon May or summer school attendance may be granted the right to special participation in the spring commencement exercises before all graduation requirements have been met. In this case, the degree will be awarded after all degree requirements have been completed.
Total Credits Needed for Graduation (124 semester hours)
- Completion of 124 semester hours; however, some majors may result in the student earning greater than 124 credit hours by graduation.
- Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Completion of the designated semester hours in the major area with a GPA of 2.25 or higher as required by the major. Additional requirements as prescribed by each department must also be met.
- Completion of all general education requirements
Attendance at graduation exercises is required. Petitions for the “in absentia” granting of degrees must be approved by the university registrar.
Students may receive one degree only per commencement. Students meeting requirements for more than one degree must apply for and participate in two different ceremonies. Any university-approved dual degree program is an exception to this policy.
Academic Honors - CAS and Pre-licensure Undergraduate Candidates
Graduation Honors are awarded to bachelor's degree level students at commencement to acknowledge outstanding cumulative grade point averages earned. Academic honors are not awarded to associate or master's degree level students. Honors listed in the commencement program will be calculated on cumulated hours of academic work completed one semester prior to the student's final semester. Academic honors listed on the official transcript and diploma will reflect all applicable academic work at time of conferral. Honors are calculated based on the following criteria:
- A minimum of 80 graded hours from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting body or the Association for Biblical Higher Education (formerly the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges).
- A minimum of 40 graded hours must be from Indiana Wesleyan University.
- All graded qualified coursework transferred and transcripted are used solely in the calculation of the Honors GPA.
- For students with transfer work, the Indiana Wesleyan University GPA will appear on the transcript and in the shaded portion of the Grade Report; the Honors GPA, which will include grades from transferred courses, will appear below the shaded portion on the Grade Report.
Baccalaureate degree candidates will be awarded Honors as follows:
- GPA of 3.5 or higher - “cum laude” (with honors)
- GPA of 3.7 or higher - “magna cum laude” (with high honors)
- GPA of 3.9 or higher - “summa cum laude” (with highest honors)
Diplomas - CAS, SON Pre-licensure Nursing
Diplomas are mailed approximately two to four weeks after the conferral of degrees. Diplomas indicate degree earned, date of degree, major, and academic honors. A student's financial account must be settled in order to receive a transcript or diploma.
