Conferring of Degrees
Degrees and certificates are conferred and awarded in January, May and September. Only students earning master's or doctoral degrees participate in commencement. Students earning master's or doctoral degrees in January participate in the May commencement ceremony. Students earning master's or doctoral degrees in September participate in the May ceremony the following year. Commencement information is available online at www.hood.edu/commencement, which is updated regularly. Attendance is not required, but all are encouraged to participate. For further information, see the section on Graduation in this chapter.
Graduation
Students must complete and submit to the Petition to Graduate form to the Office of the Registrar by the established deadlines posted to the College’s academic calendar to ensure they appear as candidates for the graduate date intended. The College, however, reserves the right to confer a degree on a student who has completed all of the requirements for a degree even though the student has not petitioned to graduate; such an individual would then be subject to the College's usual rules and restrictions regarding future enrollment or registration. In such cases where the College confers a degree for a student who has not petitioned to graduate, the diploma will convey the legal name listed in the student record.
The Office of the Registrar may send notices to students who have completed a minimum of 21 graduate credits (depending on the program) toward their program requirements; however it is the student's responsibility to review the deadlines and submit the Petition to Graduate form by the established deadlines. The Petition form includes information for those planning to complete their degree requirements within a year’s time. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
A list of potential graduates for master’s and doctoral degrees is submitted for faculty and trustee approval during their scheduled meetings. If a student petitions the Office of the Registrar but does not complete the degree requirements on schedule, the student must submit a new petition indicating a new completion date.
The College celebrates graduation in formal ceremonies in May. It is Hood’s policy that only those students who have fulfilled all academic requirements and have met all financial obligations to the College may participate in commencement. Diplomas issued for September and January graduates will be available for pickup by the student in the Office of the Registrar or may be mailed to the student at his or her request. Commencement regalia may be purchased through the College bookstore.