Graduation process for undergraduates  

All students who wish to graduate from Northern Arizona University must file a graduation application. Please note that Commencement and Graduation are separate concepts and events.

Graduation versus commencement

Commencement ceremonies:

• are ceremonial and symbolic
• participation does not mean you have graduated
• it is a time for you, your family, friends, and the Northern Arizona University community to celebrate your accomplishments
• learn more about commencement 

Graduation

• a graduation application must be filed
• to obtain a physical copy of your diploma and conferral of a degree, complete fulfillment of degree requirements is necessary

Application filing fee

You are required to file your graduation application the term prior to your intended graduation term (except for College of Education majors who are required to submit their application two terms prior to their intended graduation term).

• $35 per degree earned (will be automatically billed to your LOUIE account once your graduation application is received/processed by the Registrar’s Office
• failure to pay this fee will prevent a diploma and official transcripts from being issued

Application deadlines

To ensure that your name appears in the Northern Arizona University commencement program, the application must be received by the appropriate deadline. It is recommended you fill out the application early to avoid any unanticipated problems and leave you time to correct any mistakes.

• if you're graduating in fall or winter, the deadline to turn in your application is April 15 
• if you're graduating in spring or summer, the deadline to turn in your application is November 15 
• if the application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be extended to the next business day

If you have already turned in your application but need to make changes, you must use the Change Info on Graduation Application—Undergraduate form.  For help filling out the form, please contact your adviser.

If you have transfer credits that still need to be sent to Northern Arizona University, please send any official transcripts from other institutions directly to:

Northern Arizona University
Graduation Office
PO Box 4103
Flagstaff, AZ 86011 

Baccalaureate honors at graduation

To obtain baccalaureate honors, you must complete 45 or more credit hours at Northern Arizona University and have an exemplary GPA with no more than six units of failing grades for the entire undergraduate record, regardless of whether the failing grades were unrepeated, repeated, replaced, or averaged.

Appropriate GPA thresholds will be college specific. GPA thresholds are recalculated for each calendar year using data from the preceding calendar year. 

For each graduation period, Summa Cum Laude will be awarded to candidates whose cumulative GPA meets or exceeds the five percent threshold for their college.  Magna Cum Laude will be awarded to candidates whose cumulative GPA meets or exceeds the ten percent threshold for their college, and Cum Laude to candidates whose cumulative grade point average meets or exceeds the 20 percent threshold for their college.

GPA requirements for Honors at graduation

Spring 2013 through Winter 2013

College	Summa Cum Laude	Magna Cum Laude	Cum Laude
Arts & Letters	3.98	3.94	3.84
The W.A. Franke College of Business	3.88	3.78	3.54
Education	4.00	4.00	3.98
Engineering Forestry & Natural Sciences	3.95	3.86	3.68
Health & Human Services	4.00	3.96	3.85
Social & Behavioral Sciences	3.94	3.86	3.73
University College	3.96	3.87	3.72
Extended Campuses - Business and Administration	3.88	3.78	3.54
Extended Campuses - Public Agency Management	3.94	3.86	3.73
Extended Campuses – Interdisciplinary Studies (NAU-Yavapai)	3.94	3.86	3.73

Baccalaureate honors designations by student names in commencement programs are tentative until all final grades are reported.

Approximately four to six weeks after grades finalize, you will receive an e-mail to your Northern Arizona University account informing you when your degree was awarded and when to anticipate receiving your diploma.

If we are unable to award your degree, you will receive an e-mail to your account with an explanation and what follow up is required.