Graduation

All Muhlenberg College students who have successfully completed 32 course units and all other requirements for the degree may graduate and receive their diploma in January, May, or October.  Students graduating in May will receive their diploma in May and participate in the May ceremony.  A student who graduates in January or October will receive their diploma during the respective graduation month and may choose to participate in the May ceremony.  A student may only participate in a ceremony once.  Continuing Studies Degree Completion students will receive their diploma in October and participate in an October ceremony.

Periodically during the year, the Office of the Registrar conducts a review for each senior who has applied to graduate.  A senior who will not meet the requirements stated for participation in Commencement will be notified that s/he has been removed from the list of graduating seniors.  Seniors should be cautious about changing registration in the last semester of the senior year.  Any change that brings a senior below the stated requirements for participation will result in the student being dropped from the graduating class.  Any senior not able to complete the requirements and graduate in May will be notified by the Office of the Registrar and reclassified to either October, January, or the following May graduation.

Graduation Attire

  1. Cap, gown, hood, and tassel
  2. Tassel starts on the right and will be moved to the left after the President confers the degree
  3. Students who are members of a Muhlenberg Chapter of a National Academic Honors Society may wear whatever is the appropriate, nationally issued item at Commencement (i.e. keys, cords).
  4. Students who have completed study abroad may wear sashes indicating their nation of study

Absentia
Attendance at Commencement exercises is mandatory.  If a student is unable to attend, s/he must request permission to graduate in absentia.  Requests must be made in writing to the Office of the Registrar no later than March 1.

Ceremony Participation

The following guidelines apply in cases where students are granted special permission by the Office of the Registrar to participate in the May Commencement even though graduation requirements are not yet complete. 

  1. In making the request to participate in Commencement exercises, the student must present evidence that s/he will complete the degree requirements during the Summer Sessions immediately following the date of the graduation ceremony.  College policy requiring that no more than four units be taken during summer sessions will remain in effect.  As a result, a student with more than four units remaining for completion of graduation requirements will be ineligible to participate.
  2. Students will make their request directly to the Office of the Registrar.
  3. There is only one ceremony per year.  Students must participate in the year they graduate.

Graduate in January – participate in May
Graduate in May – participate in May
Graduate in October – participate in May

The Office of the Registrar will notify the student if the request to participate in the graduation ceremony is granted.  The following stipulations will apply. 

  • May march in the procession in alphabetical order.
  • Will receive a blank diploma.
  • Name will be read and will appear on the Commencement Program but will not be included in the final May graduation list.
  • Will not actually be a recipient of the degree until such time as all degree requirements are completed and a diploma has been issued.
  • Assuming completion of requirements during the summer, the student will officially graduate in October.
  • Name will appear on the official October graduation list approved by the faculty and conserved in the archives of the College.

Graduation Requirements

Requirements for Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science:

  • All General Academic Requirements must be fulfilled
  • Thirty-two graduation course units must be completed.  At least 16 taken at Muhlenberg 
  • Completion of a Major field of study
  • A cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.00 based on the total number of course units attempted at Muhlenberg College
  • A cumulative grade point average of not less than 2.00 in a major field based on the total number of units of major course work