Learn about Commencement and review academic requirements necessary for graduation from Emmanuel College.

Visit the College Commencement page for information on Commencement-related information for graduates and their families.
 

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements vary by specific program. Students must meet the minimum credit requirement, course degree requirements, residency, and a minimum GPA for graduation. Refer to the Understanding your Degree Requirements section for more specific information. Students should also refer to their Progress page on Student Planning.
 

Degree Application

A degree application must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar via EC Online Services by September 15 for December completion and by February 15 for May completion and June 15 for September completion. Failure to complete a degree application will delay a student’s ability to graduate. Participation in the May Commencement Ceremony will be allowed upon the successful completion of all academic requirements and financial obligations.

Students not currently enrolled who plan to graduate:  Students who are not currently enrolled at Emmanuel should contact the Office of the Registrar at regmail [at] emmanuel.edu about their intentions for degree completion and a staff member will work with these students on the information and documentation required.

Degree Conferral and Final Transcript: View information on Emmanuel’s degree conferral and the final transcript:

A+S Students

GPP Students
 

Latin Honors (Undergraduate—A+S and GPP Undergraduate Students Only)

Latin Honors are available to undergraduate students only. Graduate students do not earn honors. Latin Honors is determined on the percentage of the graduating class. All grades must be in to determine Latin Honors. December graduates will have their GPA calculated with the percentages determined from the previous May degree conferral. Students will be notified of any Latin Honors earned the night before commencement via an email from the Registrar’s Office. Students will find out if they received Distinction in the Field from Academic Affairs.

Latin Honors Eligibility: Students must complete 64 credits at Emmanuel and the cumulative GPA must be within the percentages listed below (While BSBA and BSN students only need 48 and 32 respectively institutional credits to meet the residency requirement at Emmanuel to graduate, 64 credits at Emmanuel are needed to be eligible for Latin Honors).

Latin Honors                   % of Graduates

Summa Cum Laude         Top 4.5%

Magna Cum Laude          The next 9.5%

Cum Laude                      The next 15.0%

Commencement FAQs

Students who are anticipated to graduate will receive "audit" letters from the Office of the Registrar. These letters indicate to the student their current progression and eligibility for graduation.

A+S Students: Traditional Arts and Sciences students will receive an audit letter in August prior to entering the senior year. This letter will include the student's degree program, major(s), and any minors declared.

The letter factors in the student's fall course schedule and will indicate the course requirements needing to be completed in the following spring semester in order to graduate the following May. Any A+S student who is not registered for enough credit to reach the 128 credit minimum in their final semester will be emailed notifying them of this discrepancy and encouraged to add the additional credits prior to the last day to add.

A+S students will receive another letter in March, after the add/drop period has ended and all student's progress can be audited by registrar staff, confirming their final eligibility for graduating that spring. 

Students graduating in December will receive a final audit letter in October confirming graduation eligibility. Students graduating in September will receive a final audit letter in August. Students who fail final degree requirements in their final semester will be notified as soon as grades are collected as to their graduation status and will be encouraged to work with the Assistant Registrar for Records on developing a plan for requirement completion.

GPP Students: GPP students will receive a final audit letter either in October for December graduates, in March for May graduates, and in August for September graduates confirming graduation eligibility.

All students must submit a degree application to ensure they are on our list for graduation. Students who have been enrolled at Emmanuel within the last year should submit their applications on EC Online Services. Students who no longer have access to EC Online Services should complete the fillable PDF application located on our Forms page. All students will receive a confirmation email that their application has been received sent to their Emmanuel College Email address (or non-Emmanuel email if not currently enrolled). There isn't a graduation fee, but students are responsible for academic dress at commencement- cap, gown, and hood.

Degree Application Deadlines:                                    

May Graduation                       Application Due February 15

September Graduation            Application Due June 15

December Graduation             Application Due September 15

No. Students do not need advisor approval to apply for graduation. The Office of the Registrar will evaluate all students’ degree audits and clear them for graduation or connect with them on any outstanding degree requirements.

Undergraduate students who are within 8 credits of requirement completion by the May commencement ceremony, may in some circumstances, petition to attend commencement. Students must complete the online petition, available by contacting the Office of the Registrar.

In collaboration with the Assistant Registrar, a petitioner upon approval of a degree completion plan with documentation of registration for the 8 or less outstanding credits. Guest tickets will be released to petitioners only upon approval of a degree completion plan.

Graduate students may not participate in Commencement unless all degree requirements are complete at the time of Commencement.

Graduates who attend Commencement will receive a diploma cover as they cross the stage.

December 2023 Graduates: Students who graduated in December received their diploma in late January. Digital diplomas will be issued in early January and students will have 48 hours to adjust their mailing address if there is a change from the address we have on file with Parchment for their physical diploma to be mailed within 2 weeks after claiming the digital diploma.

December graduates who planned to attend commencement, but no longer plan to attend, should contact the Office of the Registrar at regmail [at] emmanuel.edu

May Graduates: May graduates will receive a secured encrypted electronic copy of their diploma within a few hours of the Commencement ceremony to their email address via Parchment. Graduates will have 48 hours to make any adjustments to the mailing address we have on file with Parchment for their physical diploma to be mailed within 2 weeks after claiming the digital diploma.

September2024 Gradu ates ---with Approval to Attend Commencement with 8 Credits to Requirement Completion: September 2024 graduates who have submitted and received approval for a petition to attend commencement as a “walker” will receive a diploma cover at the Commencement ceremony and then will receive their diploma in October 2024 via mail upon successful completion of the outstanding requirements.

December 2024 Graduates---with Approval to Attend Commencement with 8 Credits to Requirement Completion: December 2024 graduates who have submitted and received approval for a petition to attend commencement as a “walker” will receive a diploma cover at the Commencement ceremony and then will receive their diploma in January 2025 via mail upon successful completion of the outstanding requirements.

All students attending Commencement will receive a diploma cover at Commencement. Graduates interested in framing their diplomas may be interested in purchasing a diploma frame from the Emmanuel College Book Store.

Digital diplomas issued after the degree conferral are an official secure, encrypted digital diploma that may be eligible to use in place of a notarization or apostille.

Please contact the Office of the Registrar at regmail [at] emmanuel.edu for more information.

We are happy to announce that graduates will receive a digital diploma via Parchment in ADDITION to their physical diploma. We view this as an exciting bonus. You’ll gain access to your digital diploma after the Commencement Ceremony completion and the digital diploma will always be available to you via Parchment. You’ll receive an email to your post-graduation email address, which will prompt you to create and verify your account with Parchment and then access and download your digital diploma.

 

The digital diploma is a real, encrypted official credential, that will NOT replace the physical copy of your diploma.

The digital diploma helps graduates:

  • Celebrate with friends and family, including on social media
  • View or download a verifyiable and secur copy of your diploma
  • Share with employers for degree verification or on LinkedIn
  • Use as an alternative to a apostille

No, graduates will receive one diploma as only one degree is earned. Students who successfully complete two majors only earn one degree with a double major. If both majors fall within the same degree (such as History and Secondary Education, both under Bachelor of Arts), they will automatically receive one degree that the majors fall under. The two majors will be listed on the final transcript.

Students who earn a double major where each major is from a different degree program (such as one major within a B.A. like English and one major with a B.S. like Biology) will be able to choose the degree they graduate with and that is on all final official graduation documents. Once the degree has been conferred, students may not change their degree designation. Both majors will be listed on the final transcript.

Additional information on the degree conferral and final transcript please see the academic policies.

Diploma:

Name (as indicated on your Degree Application)
Degree
Latin Honors (if applicable) *Distinction in the Field and major are not listed on the diploma

Transcript:

All coursework, credit and respective grades
Degree
Major(s)

If applicable: any Minor (s), Language Certificate, Latin Honors, and Distinction in the Field

Traditional A+S undergraduate students are eligible for Distinction in the Field. Candidates for Distinction in the Field must be approved by the individual student’s major department and the student must achieve a final major GPA of 3.500 or higher. This is determined after all final grades are submitted. Students who achieved Distinction will be notified by the Office of Academic Affairs.

All undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 64 credits at Emmanuel College in order to be eligible for Latin Honors. BSBA students need a minimum of 48 credits at Emmanuel to graduate and BSN students need 32 credits at Emmanuel to graduate. Thus, if an undergraduate student within GPP did not meet the 64 institutional credits, they are not eligible for Latin Honors.

Graduation is the act of having your degree conferred and being considered “graduated” from a degree program. Commencement is the ceremony associated with graduation. Starting in 2024, Emmanuel has three degree conferrals per year- May, September, and December. This means that students could graduate in May, September, or December. Emmanuel only holds one commencement ceremony-in May.

Commencement typically lasts around 2 hours. The commencement ceremony will begin promptly at 11 a.m. and generally ends around 1 p.m. However, graduates are expected to be in the gymnasium for check in by 9:45 a.m. and guests with tickets should be seated under the tent no later than 10:45 a.m.

Your name will be read as you cross the stage. Distinction in the Field (for A+S students) and Latin Honors (for undergraduates) will be listed next to your name, along with your major(s) in the Commencement Program. 

Graduates should check in on Commencement day in the JYC Gymnasium no later than 9:45 a.m. on May 18, 2024. Signage will be posted around campus directing graduates to the gym.

Tickets are determined by the number of students in the graduating class as well as those who indicate on their degree application that they will be attending commencement. Degree applications are due on February 15, 2024. The guest ticket allotment will be noted in the official initial commencement communication sent by Academic and Student Affairs in March.

For May 2024 Commencement, graduates will receive 4 commencement tickets for guests. Graduates do not need their own ticket. Tickets grant access to seats underneath the commencement tent. However, the ceremony is typically simulcast in multiple locations on campus and weather permitted there will be additional seating outside of the commencement tent, that does not require a ticket, and has great views of the commencement stage.

Yes!  A live simulcast of the ceremony will be made available to friends and family who may not be able to attend the ceremony in person. The ceremony link will be shared with graduates the night before Commencement for quick access, and will also be available on the Emmanuel College website. The streaming will begin at 11:00 a.m. EST when the ceremony begins.

MarchingOrder is a company that specializes in partnering with institutions in coordinating graduation events. Emmanuel has partnered with MarchingOrder to help us in providing a smooth process in celebrating with our graduates and their families! MarchingOrder allows us to:

  • Employ an efficient way to electronically track, distribute and collect graduate guest tickets
  • Track graduate attendance the day of Commencement
  • Collect recording of graduates’ names to ensure accuracy in pronunciation

Graduates have received an email from the Office of the Registrar regarding creating their MarchingOrder accounts. Each link is individualized to the specific student. 

MarchingOrder accounts will be open for registration in early April. Name recordings must be uploaded to the MarchingOrder site no later than April 27, 2024. 

MarchingOrder has functionality to help ensure accurate pronunciation of graduates' names at Commencment. On your MarchingOrder account, your name will be uploaded as one of our graduates. You will be able to see how MarchingOrder has listed the phonetic spelling of your name.

If this phonetic spelling is not representative of your name pronunciation, you will have the opportunity to either submit a spelling of your name that matches the pronunciation or upload a record of you saying your name for the reader to mimic.

All changes or uploads must be made on MarchingOrder no later than April 27, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. EST.

Please note changes or new uploads will close on April 27, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. EST due to the timeline needed for the reader to practice names. After this date, changes cannot not be accommodated.

The GradPass is a small card you'll receive from the Registrar Team on Commencement Day. This card will be scanned for attendance purposes. Most importantely, hold onto this card because you will hand this to the reader to announce your name as you cross the Commencement stage. Additionally, this card will tell you what line you should be in for the graduation processional into the Tent and then ultimately the order in crossing the stage.

If you don’t check in at Commencement, you will not receive your “Grad Pass.” The Grad Pass tells us that you are in attendance and will be the card you hand the reader to announce your name as you cross the stage. Additionally, if the procession has already started, you will be directed to sit at the end of the processional and will cross the stage at the end of the graduation line, regardless of what degree you are receiving.

It depends on what time you arrive. If the graduate processional has not started, please go promptly to the gym and seek out a member of the Office of the Registrar team. If the processional HAS started, please do NOT jump into line as you will not be able to get your GradPass which you will hand to the reader to announce your name as you cross the stage.

If you arrive after the processional has started, please proceed to the Commencement Tent and then wait for the processional to file in and tell a staff member (wearing gold name tag) you need to see the Registrar’s Office. A member of the Registrar team will be at the back of the tent in case of any late arrivals. You should be able to get your GradPass at that time, BUT you will be processing across the stage at the end of the graduates and not necessarily with your degree.

It depends on what time you arrive. If the graduate processional has not started, please go promptly to the gym and seek out a member of the Office of the Registrar team. If the processional HAS started, please do NOT jump into line as you will not be able to get your GradPass which you will hand to the reader to announce your name as you cross the stage.

If you arrive after the processional has started, please proceed to the Commencement Tent and then wait for the processional to file in and tell a staff member (wearing gold name tag) you need to see the Registrar’s Office. A member of the Registrar team will be at the back of the tent in case of any late arrives. You should be able to get your GradPass at that time, BUT you will be processing across the stage at the end of the graduates and not necessarily with your degree.

Guest tickets will be available for graduates to “claim” on their MarchingOrder accounts beginning Monday, April 22nd pending completion of the College's Exit Survey, all financial obligations to the college met, and for those students within 8 credits of requirement completion with an approved degree completion plan with the Office of the Registrar).

You will receive an notification as to when you may begin to claim tickets. At that time, you will be able to log into MarchingOrder and indicate up to 4 guest tickets to claim. Graduates do not need a ticket. You will enter the guests’ email addresses and they will be sent an email with their invitation including a QR code that will be scanned to allow admission. Guests may choose to print out the invitation or may show the invitation on a smart phone. Guests 2 and under do not need a ticket and may sit on a family member's lap. 

No. Once a student’s degree is conferred, the student’s record for that academic program and level has permanently closed and changes will not be made to the record after the conferral date. Students will be asked to verify any changes to their degree and program in writing prior to the degree conferral. Any additional coursework completed after the degree conferral will not impact the credentials nor final cumulative GPA at the time of the conferral. Failure to notify the Office of the Registrar about any undeclared programs for which a student may have earned prior to conferral, will result in the academic programs declared at that time being the final academic record for that program for the student. Additional majors or minors will not be added to the student record retroactively.

Yes! We encourage all graduates to attend commencement, as it’s a beautiful ceremony and a special day. September graduates will receive their diploma in early October and December graduates will receive their diploma in early January. If attending the May ceremony, you will receive a diploma cover on stage, otherwise. All graduates will provide a post-graduation email address with their degree application, so September and December graduates can expect to receive emails regarding commencement in March.

Of course not, but we’d love if you attended so we can celebrate your achievements! If you have completed all of your degree requirements for the degree conferral you will graduate. Students graduating receive confirmation of their graduation eligibility in mid-March (for May grads), August for September grads and October for December grads. You will be notified if you make a schedule change or receive a non-passing grade that impacts your eligibility to graduate for that degree conferral.

It depends. Travel courses with travel over spring break will not impact graduation. Students who are registered for a travel course with travel over the summer and whom need the credit for this course for either credits to reach the 128-credit minimum or to fulfill a degree requirement (major, minor, or general requirement) will not be able to graduate (but will be permitted to attend the ceremony pending all other requirements are complete) and will be considered September graduates. Graduating students enrolled in fall courses with January travel will graduate in May.  Students with questions on how travel courses may impact their graduation eligibility should contact the Office of the Registrar at regmail [at] emmanuel.edu (regmail[at]emmanuel[dot]edu)

It depends. Students are encouraged to cross-register for courses at other COF institutions, but we do not recommend cross-registering in your last semester. This is because every institution has different grades due dates and while this typically is not a big deal, it matters for degree conferral. All grades must be confirmed prior to the degree conferral date in order for a student to receive their diploma at the commencement ceremony in May. If a student must cross-register in their last semester, we suggest having the COF instructor email Assistant Registrar for Records, Caitlin Charette at charettec2 [at] emmanuel.edu (charettec2[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) confirming that the student's final grade will be above a C from their official institutional email address. This confirmation should be received by Emmanuel's grades due date, which is the Monday before Commencement at 10:00 a.m. The COF registrar's office will send over the official grade after the grade has been officially posted at the COF school. Emmanuel will post the COF grade once received by the COF Cross-Registration Liaison. You will receive your diploma once the final official grade has been received.

Contact the Office of the Registrar as soon as possible at (617) 735-9960, regmail [at] emmanuel.edu, or stop by the office in the Eisner Administration Building (EAB) 340. You can definitely attend Commencement, but we'll need to determine if we have guest tickets to admit your guests under the Commencement Tent. Commencement ticket amounts are determined by both the size of the graduating class as well as those graduates who indicated they would be attending at the time of the degree application. Regardless of tickets available, there will be plenty of additional seating outside of the Commencement Tent, weather permitting, with views of the stage, as well as other viewing locations on campus.

Students who studied abroad on an approved semester or academic year program will receive a sash from the Office of International Programs. Students who studied abroad on a summer program or on a faculty-led travel course will receive a pin from the Office of International Programs. Information regarding picking up regalia will be sent to graduating seniors in early May. Please email studyabroad [at] emmanuel.edu (studyabroad[at]emmanuel[dot]edu) if you have any questions.

Students who will be receiving a study abroad sash or pin must pick up their regalia prior to Friday, May 17th by 4 p.m. Sashes and pins will not be available the morning of Commencement. Students may ask a friend to pick up their sash/pin on their behalf by sending an email to studyabroad [at] emmanuel.edu (studyabroad[at]emmanuel[dot]edu).

Students who may be receiving cords for certain honor societies should consult with either their faculty advisor or department chair; for group memberships consult with Students Affairs. Students who earned Latin Honors do not receive cords, but do have this honor recognized in the Commencement Program, on their Diploma, and final transcript.

It depends on what degree you are receiving! Below find where your tassel should start prior to the ceremony. At the end of the ceremony an undergraduate and a graduate tassel turner will be on stage and will prompt all graduate to turn their tassels simultaneously.

Undergraduate Degrees (BA, BFA, BS): Your tassel should start on the RIGHT FRONT side of your cap. Once your degree is conferred you’ll be prompted by the tassel turner to move your tassel across to the left side signaling you now have earned your bachelor’s degree.

Graduate Degrees (MBA, MEd, MSA, MSM, MSN, MSHRM, MSRA): Graduate students should have their tassel initially on the LEFT FRONT side as you have already earned a bachelor’s degree. Upon the degree conferral, you’ll be prompted by the tassel turner and move your tassel from the left front side of your cap to the left back side of your cap signaling you now have earned your master’s degree.

Official transcripts may be ordered through our partner vendor Parchment. Graduating students who require their final grades degree posted to their transcript should ensure that grades and/or the degree conferral has been posted to their records PRIOR to ordering a transcript.

Due to the automated nature of the transcript request process, if you need final grades posted or your degree has not yet been posted and you require this information, wait to submit your transcript request until you have confirmed they are on your record. Otherwise, your transcript will be automatically sent out and may not have the information you need and you will need to request an additional copy.

Although students will graduate on a Saturday in May or December 31st (depending on the graduation for the student), the degree conferral is posted to the transcript once all necessary record confirmations are completed. While the dates below are the typically dates for posting the degree to the transcript, graduates should check their unofficial transcript to confirm the degree is posted on the transcript. Please note that students who finish their final degree requirements over the summer, whether at Emmanuel or via transfer credit, will be considered December graduates and should refer to the December graduation conferral posting date. Students who complete over the summer and have all requirements complete, may request a letter of requirement completion in the interim until the degree is posted using the following form: Graduation Verification Request Form.

 

Degree Conferral Degree       Typically Posted to Transcript

May Graduation                      Tuesday after May Commencement Ceremony

September Graduation              September 16th or following Tuesday if September 16th falls on the weekend.

December Graduation            Second business day after the College reopens after Christmas Break (typically January 3rd, unless this date falls on the weekend or Monday)

Graduates will indicate how they would like their name to appear on their diploma "Name to Appear on Diploma" field on their degree (graduation) application via EC Online Services. This may be the student's legal name or another name. Graduates who will be working or studying internationally may wish to consider using the legal name on their diploma. Please note that the transcript is considered the legal document and will only list the legal name, unless a legal name change with associated documents have been provided to the Office of the Registrar. The College reserves the right to reject inappropriate or offensive name submissions. Please note that credentials (such as R.N.) will not be listed on the diploma.