Commencement

Commencement 2023

Additional information will be added here as it becomes available.


Graduation Requirements and Honors

Graduation

To graduate, students must submit an application for graduation via NEST, successfully complete all undergraduate or graduate program requirements by the end of the graduation term/semester, and the degree must be conferred by the Office of the Registrar on the designated conferment date.

If you have questions concerning academic issues relative to your degree, graduate application or teacher certification, please contact the Office of the Registrar at 973-655-7600 or visit Apply for Graduation. For the hours of the Registrar, please see Red Hawk Central hours.

Financial Clearances

You must meet all financial obligations prior to receiving your diploma or final transcripts. Financial obligations include, but are not limited to tuition, room, board, course fees, parking fines, library fines, residence hall fines and any special fees or fines charged to your account.

Please review your account summary via NEST for payment methods. For information concerning debt associated with:

  • Parking: Please contact Parking Services (located in the Red Hawk Deck) at 973-655-7580 or see the Parking Services website.
  • Sprague Library: Please call 973-655-4298.
  • Room and Board: Please contact Residence Life at 973-655-5188.

For all other financial obligations contact Student Accounts at 973-655-7600.

If you received federal loans, you will need to make arrangements for repayment. Please visit the Student Loan Exit Counseling and Repayment web page.

Graduation Fee

A one-time non-refundable $95.00 University fee will be assessed to degree candidates for administrative costs related to your diploma. There is no fee assessed to attend Commencement.

Graduate with Honors

Earning a bachelor’s degree with honors is a tremendous accomplishment! Students who earn this distinction may wear a gold tassel on their cap at Commencement.

Honors Eligibility

Undergraduate students who have completed a minimum of 51 undergraduate credits taken at Montclair State by the end of the semester prior to their commencement will be recognized for graduation honors.

School of Nursing students who have completed a minimum of 32 undergraduate credits at Montclair State by the end of the semester prior to their commencement are recognized for graduation honors.

Grades of “A” through “D-” must be received for a minimum of 48 of these 51 credits.

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.700 – 3.799 cum laude
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.800 – 3.899 magna cum laude
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.900 – 4.000 summa cum laude

For recognition of May 2023 candidates at the Commencement exercises, the honors designation will be based upon the student’s cumulative grade point average as of the Winter 2023 term.

Please note that this calculation is for Commencement program recognition only, and will not determine official honors. The actual awarding of honors will be based on academic statistics earned at the conclusion of the Spring 2023 semester, when the degree is conferred.

Honors Tassel

Gold honors tassels may be picked up at the Graduation Fair on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

Graduates – Doctoral and Masters

Graduate students do not graduate with honors, such as cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude.

The Graduate School is host to the Alpha Kappa Chapter of Alpha Epsilon Lambda Honor Society for Graduate Students.

Students who meet minimum requirements are invited to apply for membership into the Alpha Epsilon Lambda Honor Society.

The invitation requires a completed application, resume, and a membership fee.

Qualifications for membership are:

  • Academic achievement in the top 20th percentile of the member’s college in which their degree program resides.
  • Successful completion of 18 graduate credits and active matriculation in a degree program.
  • Demonstration of leadership through involvement in on-campus or off-campus activities while a graduate student.

Graduate Students that were inducted into AEL may wear their honor cord and pin to Commencement.

Students who have not received their honor cords or pins should email The Graduate School at gradschool@montclair.edu

For more information, please visit the AEL website or email gradschool@montclair.edu