Graduation

Dean Mike Decelle hands student diploma on stage

File Your Intent to Graduate
September Graduation: File your Intent to Graduate by March 25, 2024

Important Things to Know

File an Intent to Graduate: You are only graduated after the Registration Office has certified that you have successfully completed all your degree requirements. Filing your intent, either through WebCat or paper form, allows the Registration Office to review your degree and determine graduation status. Without filing your intent, you will not be considered for graduation.

Participating in the Commencement Ceremony: The Commencement Ceremony is simply the act of honoring and celebrating academic achievement at the ceremony held in May. You must register to walk to participate in the ceremony.

Graduation Dates

The University has three possible graduation dates each year:

  • May (The actual date will correspond with the Commencement ceremony date for that year.)
  • September 1st (No ceremony)
  • December 31st (No ceremony)
Contact Us

Phone: (603) 641-4136
Fax: (603) 641-4125
Email: unhm.registration@unh.edu

File an Intent to Graduate: Students must file an Intent to Graduate at the beginning of their final semester of study. Forms may be filed electronically through WebCat.

Please note: The deadline to file your intent for May 2023 graduation is March 28, 2023.

This is not the same as participating in the May commencement ceremony.

How to file an intent to graduate

File an Intent to Graduate on WebCat (Student Records> Graduation> Apply to Graduate) by following these steps:

  1. Click “Apply to Graduate” link. This brings you to the "Curriculum Term Selection" menu. Select the most current term on the list. Click the "Submit" button.
  2. "Curriculum Selection" will show all the program(s) you are eligible to graduate from based on the term you just selected in step 1. If you do not see your program, try returning to the previous menu and verify you have selected the correct term.
  3. Select the degree you wish to file for and click the "Continue" button.
  4. "Graduation Date Selection” is where you pick the term/date you plan to graduate.

What is my date of graduation?

  • Choose “SPRING” if you will finish your degree requirements during January Term; the graduation date on your diploma will correspond to the May Commencement ceremony date.
  • Choose “SPRING” if you will finish your degree requirements in the spring semester; the graduation date on your diploma will correspond to the May Commencement ceremony date.
  • Choose “SUMMER” if you will finish your degree requirements during the Summer Session; the graduation date on your diploma will be September 1st.
  • Choose “FALL” if you will finish your degree requirements in the fall semester; the graduation date on your diploma will be December 31st.
  1. You will then be shown your name as it will appear on your diploma (contact the Registration Office if you need to make any changes to your name), then you may select an existing address to use as your diploma address or you may enter a new one. Diplomas are mailed at least 8 to 12 weeks after graduation, so be sure the address will be valid then.
  2. When done, review all the information you submitted for accuracy.

Please NOTE: You may view your application to graduate on WebCat (Student Records> Graduation> View Application to Graduate) at any time after you file it.

Please NOTE: Once you have applied to graduate on WebCat you will not be able to change your intended date of graduation in WebCat. If you need to change your intended graduation date, please contact the Registration Office.

How to check graduation status

Roughly four weeks after the date of graduation, check your Academic Transcript on WebCat (Student Records> Transcript> Academic Transcript) and look at DEGREES AWARDED. When you see the “Degree Date” has the date of your graduation, you will know that you are graduated. If you do not see a date of graduation, then our office has most likely been in touch with you to resolve the situation.

Please note that “walking” in the May Commencement Ceremony does not mean you have officially graduated. Graduating is an academic action that takes place only after successful completion of all UNH degree requirements. Your actual graduation is processed by the Registration Office.

Please see below link for more Commencement Ceremony information: COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION 

Always check with your faculty advisor or the Academic Advising Office if you have specific questions.

  1. Total number of credits. 
    • Associate Degree: 64 credits needed
    • Bachelor’s degree: 128 credits needed

Please NOTE: Transfer students need to be careful with their transfer credits. If you have questions about your transfer credits, contact Academic Advising.

  1. Number of credits in the major. 
    • Most majors specify a minimum number of credits that must be earned in the major.

Please NOTE: Transfer students need to be particularly careful. Check the credit transfer rules for your own major and speak with your faculty advisor.

  1. Repeated courses.
    • Students can earn credit for a repeated course only once. The second grade earned replaces the first grade earned, even if the second grade is lower.
    • Pay special attention to Special Topics Courses and the credit maximum.
  2. Discovery requirements. 
    • Bachelor’s degree candidates need to complete one course from each of the following disciplines:
      1. Biological Science*
      2. Physical Science*
      3. Humanities
      4. Environment, Technology, and Society
      5. Social Sciences
      6. Fine and Preforming Arts
      7. World Cultures
      8. Historical Perspectives

*Please NOTE: You must have one lab in either the Physical Science or Biological Science course.

You must also complete ENGL 401, a Quantitative Reasoning course, an Inquiry course and four Writing Intensive courses. Please contact Academic Advising for specifics on the Discovery Requirements. 

    • Associate Degree candidates need complete two courses from only two of the following disciplines:
      1. Biological Sciences*
      2. Physical Sciences*
      3. Environment, Technology, and Society
    • Must complete one from each of the following disciplines:
      1. Historical Perspectives
      2. World Culture or Fine and Preforming Arts
      3. Social Sciences
      4. Humanities

*Please NOTE: You must have one lab in either the Physical Science or Biological Science courses.

You must also complete ENGL 401, a Quantitative Reasoning course, an Inquiry course and one additional Writing Intensive courses. Please contact Academic Advising for specifics on the Discovery Requirements. 

  1. The foreign language requirement. 
    • Bachelor of Arts (BA) candidates are required to complete a full year of an introductory language or one semester of an intermediate.
    • Associate Degree (AA) candidates do not need to complete a foreign language.

Contact Academic Advising for more information.

  1. Overall GPA. All students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA in order to graduate.
  2. Minors. You must fill out a Certification of Completion of Minor form in your last semester. The form must be signed by your major advisor and the minor supervisor, then returned to Registration Office. Minor requirements can be found in the online catalog.
  3. Incompletes. Students cannot graduate with an incomplete (IC) on their records. If you have an incomplete grade in a course at the time final grades are posted, you must file a new intent to graduate form for the following semester.
  4. Honors at Graduation. Honors at graduation are different from semester honors.
    • Bachelor’s degree candidates must have earned 64 GRADED UNH credits to graduate with honors. The Latin equivalent of the honors classification will appear on the student's academic record and diploma.
    • Associate degree students must have earned 32 GRADED UNH credits to graduate with honors. The English equivalent of the honors classification will appear on the student's academic record and diploma.

English/Latin Honors Scale
3.50 – 3.64 honors/cum laude
3.65 – 3.84 high honors/magna cum laude
3.85 – 4.00 highest honors/summa cum laude

Please NOTE: CR/F (credit/fail) and P/F (pass/fail) courses are not graded courses for purposes of honors designation.

  1. Diplomas. Diplomas are mailed approximately 8-12 weeks after the final graduation review.

Please NOTE: Students who have holds (Financial Aid Exit Counseling or account balances) will not have their diplomas ordered until the holds have been cleared. Please notify the Graduation Office by emailing unh.diploma@unh.edu when the hold has been cleared to order diploma.