Graduation Requirements

To graduate from New England College a student must fulfill the following requirements:

Completion of a minimum of 120 credits with passing grades. Some majors may require more than 120 credits (see the catalog section for your major for specific details).

Achievement of a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and a grade point average in the major (defined as all courses required for the major) of at least 2.0. Individual disciplines may have requirements which are more stringent than the general College requirement (see the catalog section for your major for specific details).

Successful completion of the College’s General Education requirements. The student must obtain passing grades in the general education courses.

Satisfactory completion of all requirements in the major.
Earn at least 60 credits at New England College (of which a minimum of 24 credits must be earned in the senior year), or earn 30 credits in the senior year (sophomore year for AA degrees). In addition, a minimum of 12 credits of requirements from within the major must be completed at New England College.

By the end of their junior year, all students must file an Intent to Graduate form, available at the Registrar’s Office. The Intent to Graduate form should be forwarded to Student Financial Services by mail, fax (603‐428‐2404) or email (sfs@nec.edu) along with the $150 required fee. Payment may be sent by check/money order or by phone with a credit/debit card (603‐428‐2226).

Fulfillment of the graduation requirements is the student’s responsibility. Only the Registrar (or designee) is authorized to issue official summaries of progress. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is imperative that students check their fulfillment of requirements with the registrar’s office at the end of their junior year.

A student who has earned a minimum of 108 credits by the end of the spring semester will be allowed to participate in commencement if they have a GPA, both cumulative and in the major, of 2.00 or higher and have no more than three courses left to complete.

Degrees with Latin Praise

In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, the following Latin praise is awarded at graduation. To be eligible, at least 45 New England College credits graded A, B, or C must appear on the student’s academic record:

Summa Cum Laude: Those students having a cumulative grade point average of 3.80 or higher.

Magna Cum Laude: Those students having a cumulative grade point average between 3.65 and 3.79. 59

Cum Laude: Those students having a cumulative grade point average between 3.50 and 3.64.

Students with fewer than 45 credits are eligible for Cum Laude as follows: