Registrar's Office
Commencement
The annual public commencement ceremony occurs at the conclusion of the spring semester.
Undergraduate Commencement 2013 will occur on May 18, 2013
Candidates Eligible to Participate in Commencement
Candidates completing all degree requirements (associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees) during the spring semester, the prior semester, or the prior summer term are eligible to participate in spring commencement.
Students with reasonable expectations to complete degrees during the summer term following the spring commencement may request exceptions to this policy. However, the names of students for whom the exceptions are granted will not appear in the commencement program until the next commencement. Undergraduate students present requests to the Registrar; graduate students present requests to the Dean of the Graduate School.
Honors at Graduation
There will be three levels of academic honors at graduation: cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude.
Cum Laude: Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 3.60 to 3.79 and 3.60 to 3.79 on Fort Hays State University course work.
Magna Cum Laude: Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 3.80 to 3.89 and 3.80 to 3.89 on Fort Hays State University course work.
Summa Cum Laude: Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or above and 3.90 or above on Fort Hays State University course work.
Each student graduating with academic honors must have attended the university for one of the last two years, and at least 62 hours must be earned in an institution offering regular upper-division credit.
While honors will be listed in the commencement program for those who may reasonably anticipate them, the listing on the program is not a guarantee of receiving honors. The listing and reading of honors for spring degree candidates are based on the grades indexes achieved at the beginning of the student's final semester. The official honor awarded based on final grade indexes will be noted on the student's diploma and transcript.
Time Limit for Fulfilling Undergraduate Degree Requirements
Students have a maximum of six years to meet catalog requirements for graduation in effect at Fort Hays State University when they first entered any college or university. They may also graduate under the requirements of any subsequent FHSU catalog. Students may not, however, be allowed to graduate under the requirements of an FHSU Catalog in effect earlier than two years preceding their enrollment at FHSU.
If students have had their college program interrupted by more than two consecutive years, they will be subject to the requirements of the later catalog.
Approved Major/Degree Summaries
Associate degree candidates should complete a degree summary by the time they have completed 48 credit hours.
Bachelors degree candidates should complete a degree summary near the end of the sophomore year or as soon as junior classification is attained--60 credit hours completed.
Degree Applications
Undergraduate degree applications must be completed by the student at the time of final enrollment for the last semester in which the degree is being sought. If you are completing your degree this semester, log in to Tiger Tracks, go to Online Services, and complete and submit the application..
Degree Requirement Completion Date
All requirements for the completion of a degree must be completed and on record in the Office of the Registrar by January 15 for fall semester graduates; May 31 for spring semester graduates; and August 15 for summer term graduates to be included in the degree granting dates for the semester or term.
Degree Completion Fee
Undergraduate degree $50 (even for a student receiving two bachelor's degrees in the same semester); graduate degree $50. Each candidate for the master's degree will pay an additional thesis binding fee of $10 per copy to defray the expense of binding a thesis. The educational specialist candidate will pay a $10 per copy field study report binding fee. These fees are non-refundable.