Graduation Information

Check for Holds

Your student account must be in good standing with the university before your diploma will be mailed. Contact the Office of the Bursar at (401) 254-3520 to be sure that you have financial clearance. 

Fulfill the Degree Requirements

Verify completion of all degree requirements with your advisor and Dean's office. Clear your academic record and have any incomplete grades converted to satisfactory grades before graduation.

Degree Application

Undergraduate and graduate students must submit a degree application for graduation two semesters prior to their expected graduation.

Verify that you are listed in the correct major/minor. Undergraduate students should drop any major/minor you will not be completing by submitting the Major Adjustment Form. Graduate students should contact their advisor.

Withdrawing my Graduation Application

If you previously applied to graduate at the end of the semester and find that your plans have changed, please send an email to graduationcoordinator@rwu.edu and we will correct your graduation date.

Graduation Application Deadlines

Students are responsible for meeting all published deadlines. All students are responsible for complying with the deadlines published in the Academic Calendar.

Graduation Dates in 2024

• Graduation Date: May 2024
  • Apply by March 31, 2023
• Graduation Date: August 2024
  • Apply by March 31, 2023
• Graduation Date: December 2024 
  • Apply by March 31, 2023

Graduation Dates in 2025

• Graduation Date: May 2025
  • Apply by March 28, 2024
• Graduation Date: August 2025
  • Apply by March 28, 2024
• Graduation Date: December 2025 
  • Apply by March 28, 2024

To Receive Your Diploma

Diplomas of students in financial arrears will be held until their financial obligations to the University are fulfilled and they are in good standing with the Bursar. If you are unsure if an outstanding financial hold has been placed on your account or need assistance regarding the circumstances or resolution of an existing accounting hold, please contact the Office of the Bursar at (401) 254-3520.

For Incomplete or missing grades, you must contact your professor, advisor, and/or program director if there is an I or an IP grade listed for any of your courses.

Transfer Credit Policy

Matriculated students who wish to take courses at other regionally accredited institutions and transfer credit to RWU must complete and submit the Transfer Credit Pre-Approval form, found under our Registrar Forms page, to the dean of your college or school.

Receive Your Diploma by Mail

Diplomas are mailed to the student's preferred address (home) within Roger Central. Please verify or update your address online on Roger Central within four weeks of the graduation date. Degrees are awarded after academic requirements have been met, including the posting of all grades and transfer credits. The diploma will be mailed according to the Diploma Release dates after the degree has been awarded.

Pick Up Your Diploma (special circumstances)

To arrange to pick up your diploma or authorize someone else, send an email to graduationcoordinator@rwu.edu from your RWU account. Please include your student ID, Full name, Telephone #, Name of the person picking up the diploma, and send the request within 2 weeks of the graduation date. We will email you when the diploma is available for pickup at the Office of the Registrar, One Old Ferry Road, Administration Building.

Note: A valid photo ID must be presented when picking up a diploma.

Diploma Release Dates

• August Graduation 
  • Mid-September diploma release date 
• December Graduation
  • Mid-January diploma release date 
• May Graduation
  • Mid-July diploma release date 

Diploma Name Policy

Your diploma will be printed with your legal name as it appears on your Degree Application. Should you wish to modify your name, please submit a Name Change form along with legal supporting documentation of the change and return it to the Registrar’s Office. For a name change to be reflected on the diploma, the name change request must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar 8 weeks prior to the diploma release dates.

Requests from RWU graduates for a change of name after graduation are evaluated on an individual basis. Requests for a change of name due to marriage, divorce, naturalization or a court-ordered change of name will be considered. Please submit a Name Change form along with legal supporting documentation of the change and return it to the Registrar’s Office.

If you would like to request a diploma in the new name, the original diploma must be returned together with a $50.00 replacement fee made payable to Roger Williams University (check, money order or credit card). Once the diploma order is placed, delivery is generally in about three weeks.

Send an email to graduationcoordinator@rwu.edu to report any possible error(s) on your diploma. If you have received your diploma and a confirmed error exists, you must return your original diploma to the Office of the Registrar prior to a corrected diploma being issued. In the event your diploma arrived damaged, the University will supply a replacement diploma. Before issuing the replacement, we require the return of the damaged diploma, or such portions of it as are available.

To request a replacement, complete the Replacement Diploma Request form and return to graduationcoordinator@rwu.edu. All financial obligations must be met before replacement diplomas are issued. RWU will not be responsible for undeliverable diplomas due to inaccurate address.

Note: All replacement diplomas will be marked duplicate.

A $50.00 replacement fee made payable to Roger Williams University (check, money order or credit card). Once the diploma order is placed, delivery is generally in about three weeks.

Students with a record of exceptional achievement over the duration of their degree program may be recognized with an honors designation upon graduation.

The graduation honors are listed below; notation will be noted on the official transcript and diploma.

• Summa cum laude is granted to students whose average in all subjects is at least 3.8 and above.
• Magna cum laude is granted to students whose average in all subjects is at least 3.6 and above.
• Cum laude is granted to students whose average in all subjects is at least 3.4 and above.

If you continue to take classes at RWU after you have completed your degree requirements, you MUST be admitted to a new program before you can register for courses in a term that follows your graduation date.

Congratulations on your accomplishment!

To finalize your graduation, please ensure that you complete the following tasks by the appropriate deadlines this will ensure an effortless and gratifying convocation ceremony for you.

Complete all Degree Requirements

Verify completion of all degree requirements with your advisor and dean's office. Resolve outstanding incomplete, non-reported, study abroad, independent study and internship grades.  All incomplete grades must be converted to satisfactory grades prior to graduation. 

Apply to Graduate

Complete the Degree application for graduation by the deadline (two semesters prior to your expected graduation). You CANNOT graduate without submitting this application.

Have Finances in Order

Verify that your student account is in good standing with the university. Contact the Office of the Bursar at (401)254-3520 to be sure that you have financial clearance.

Certain loans require students to complete an online exit interview. For more details about the different types of loans and to see if you need to complete an online exit interview, refer to the University Bursar.

Verify and Update your Permanent Address

Your diploma will be mailed to your permanent home address approximately eight weeks after graduation. Verify and update the university with the correct address.

To update your address and telephone information you will need to complete the Change of Address/Telephone Number form and return it to the Registrar’s Office. The form can be found on the Registrar Forms page.

Completion of Engaged Learning Requirement

All undergraduate students are required to engage in community engaged scholarship to satisfy the Engaged Learning requirement. The Engaged Learning graduation requirement can be fulfilled through one or more of the following engaged learning experiences:  

• An internship or co-op
• A community engaged research project (undertaken with a faculty sponsor)
• A community engaged course (i.e., courses that involve collaborations with community partners)
• An intensive volunteer experience (40-50 hours with a community organization) 

The only students exempt from this requirement are those who transferred to RWU with 24 or more credits.

The entire Engaged LEarning policy is available here.

Community engagement staff are available to assist with questions at engage@rwu.edu

If you have any questions about applying to graduate, please email our Graduation Coordinator at graduationcoordinator@rwu.edu.

If you have any questions regarding the Commencement ceremonies, schedule or any other details, please email events@rwu.edu.