Graduation Information

Students are eligible to graduate upon satisfactory completion of all academic requirements in their degree program.

The information below is for undergraduate students only. Graduate students should consult with the Graduate School for their graduation process.

Submission Deadlines

    • Potential December graduates: May 1
    • Potential May graduates: October 1
    • Potential August graduates: November 15

Compliance with these deadlines will ensure that students receive their graduation audit prior to the deadline for changing their final semester’s schedule in the event they have overlooked a degree requirement.

Graduation Process

Students must complete their Intent to Graduate Application by the deadlines specified above. The application opens for May and August in September of the preceding year, and the application for December opens in January. Students on record for Spring or Summer graduation will receive an email in September of their final year with information about the relevant graduation processes and deadlines. Students on record for Fall graduation will receive an email the January prior. Any curriculum petition or course substitution forms should be submitted at the same time if they are not already on file.

After submitting their application, students will receive an official Graduation Audit, which notes any outstanding requirements they have to complete.

Note: this audit includes courses for which they are currently enrolled, as the credit has not yet been earned. Students should review these forms carefully, in particular any additional notes that were included by the Dean’s Office.

A Reminder on Minors

Signed minor forms must be submitted within one month of the intent to graduate application deadline – sooner is always better. Students must earn a 2.0 GPA in minor courses and have taken at least 8 credits of minor courses at URI. 

Additional Requirements for IEP Students

IEP students must also meet with their respective IEP director to have the Intent to Graduate form for their language BA degree processed. Students can contact the College of Arts and Sciences for more information on their process.

Commencement Information

There are two Commencement ceremonies held, one in December and one in May. August graduates may participate in the commencement ceremony preceding their summer coursework.

All students must complete a minimum of 120 credits and earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in order to graduate from the University of Rhode Island; however, several College of Engineering majors require more than 120 credits – review your curriculum sheet for details.

Note: Participating in Commencement activities does not guarantee that you have completed your degree requirements.

Information about the College of Engineering Commencement Exercises is given to graduating students via email.

Information about campus-wide Commencement activities as well as information about ordering caps and gowns, visitor parking, etc., can be found on the URI Commencement website.