Q. What is the difference between graduation and commencement?
A. Students graduate at the point where all the degree requirements are satisfied. There are three graduations terms a year; spring (degree is posted on June 30), summer (degree is posted on August 31) and fall (degree is posted on January 31).
Commencement is a ceremony held once a year for all candidates for graduation of that year. The commencement date is published in the spring college calendar.
Q. Is it possible for me to graduate in one semester and complete the courses required for my major during the following semester?
A. No, in order to graduate ALL degree requirements must be completed.
Q. Do I have to pay any fees for graduation?
A. No.
Q. What are the deadlines to apply for graduation?
A. The deadlines to apply for graduation are March 1st for the spring and the summer term and October 1st for the fall term.
Q. I missed the deadline for submitting my application for graduation. Will I still be able to graduate?
A. Yes. However, your name may not appear in the commencement booklet if you apply after the deadline of your expected graduation term.
Q. How many credits do I need to earn a degree at CSI?
A. Students who enter under the catalog beginning in the fall of 1996 up to the present, are required to have 120 credits for Bachelor degrees* and 60 credits for Associate degrees*. Prior to the fall 1996 catalog students were required to have 128 credits for Bachelor degrees and 64 credits for Associate degrees. (*Exceptions include: Bachelor of Science (BS): Biology, Computer Science, Engineering Science, Physician Assistant; Associate in Applied Science (AAS): Computer Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Nursing; Associate in Science (AS): Architectural Studies) You must complete the minimum number of credits required for your degree according to the catalog. You are also required to complete half of the total credits required for you major and 30 credits at CSI for residency. Waivers of courses do not release students from acquiring the total number of credits required to complete the major, fulfill general education requirements or earn a degree.
Q. What are the degree requirements for my major?
A. The degree requirements are listed in the College of Staten Island Catalog which is available online. The requirements for your degree are taken from the catalog which is in effect at the time you declare your major. Catalogs begin in the fall semester and end in the spring semester. Students who become matriculated in the summer semester follow the fall catalog of that year.
Q. The degree requirements have changed since I entered the College of Staten Island. Will that affect my graduation?
A. Possibly. If you stop attending the college for four consecutive semesters or if you change your major, you are required to use the catalog for the semester you reentered the college. Students should seek academic advisement at 1A-101 prior to applying for graduation in order to make sure that they have taken the courses required for their major and are using the correct catalog.
Q. Do I have to take the CUNY proficiency Examination (CPE)?
A. Yes. Effective fall 2003, all students admitted to a degree program, regardless of date of entry, are required to pass the CPE. Students holding Bachelor's or other advanced degrees are exempted from the CPE.
Q. Can I earn two degrees at the same time?
A. Yes. In order to earn a second baccalaureate or associate degree from the College of Staten Island, students must complete 30 credits in addition to the number of credits required for the first degree.
Q. How many majors and minors can I declare?
A. Students may declare up to three majors and two minors within the same degree category.
Q. How many credits do I need in order to apply for graduation?
A. In order to apply for graduation students must have completed a minimum of 34 credits to apply for associate degrees, 94 credits must be completed for baccalaureate degrees, and 15-34 credits based on the total number of credits required for the Master degree. Applicants who have not completed the minimum credits required to apply for graduation will be automatically declined without further review.
Q. I am applying after the graduation term deadline. Can I still attend the commencement ceremony?
A. Yes. Attending the ceremony does not mean that you have graduated. The commencement booklet refers to all students as "Candidates" which means that you might possibly earn your degree that year.
Q. What grade point average (GPA) do I need in order to graduate with honors?
For undergraduate degrees only the honor codes are as based on your cumulative final GPA and is coded as follows:
GPA of 3.50 - 3.74 = Cum Laude
GPA of 3.75 - 3.89 = Magna Cum Laude,
GPA of 3.90 - 4.00 = Summa Cum Laude.
Students can receive requirements to earn departmental honors by clicking on the link below. When the honors portion of the program is complete the departmental honors will be stipulated on their transcript when their degree is awarded.
Honors in the Major 2003-2005 Catalogue
Q. When can I pick up my diploma?
A. Diplomas are customarily available four to six months after the degree conferral date. Transcripts with the degree posted on it and certification letters are available after the degree posting days which are listed in the first question.
Q. When and where do I sign up for yearbook pictures, cap and gowns?
A. The office of Student Life sends students that meet the graduation application deadlines postcards in late December/ early January and again in late March/ early April regarding yearbook pictures. Students that sit for photographs are automatically sent the yearbook on CD Rom. Information about cap and gowns are available on the commencement website.
Q. How do I prevent my name from being displayed in the commencement program and the Advance newspaper?
A. Your name will not appear in the Commencement Program or newspaper if you have completed a "Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information."
To remove the privacy notice and allow your name to be published, you must notify the Office of the Registrar in writing no later than March 16.
Q. Can I graduate if I have an incomplete (INC) grade in the semester that I apply and/or expect to graduate?
A. If a student earns an INC in the semester they expect to graduate regardless
of whether the INC course is needed for graduation, he/she may not graduate. The
student may postpone the graduation to the next semester at which time a final
grade must be received by the last day of classes for that semester otherwise
the grade will be changed to an FIN and will negatively affect the graduating
GPA as well as cumulative GPA. If the student does not wish to postpone
the graduating semester a grade for the INC must be submitted by the conferral
date. Once a student has been granted a degree, grade changes for courses
taken in semesters prior to receiving the degree, are not permitted.
DISCLAIMER
The information presented in these pages represents the most commonly asked questions/problems related to graduation audit. It does not supersede the College of Staten Island Catalog . Students are responsible for all regulations and requirements as stipulated in the College of Staten Island Catalog and/or amendments to the catalog.