Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirements

New England College will confer degrees 7 times for the 2024-2025 Academic Year:

• July 15, 2024
• September 15, 2024
• November 3, 2024
• December 31, 2024
• January 31, 2025
• March 31, 2025
• May 3, 2025 (annual commencement ceremony; some students may be awarded for May 4, 2025 if that is the end date of their term)

To graduate from New England College with an undergraduate degree, a student must fulfill the following requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree

• 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 Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum requirements (see the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum section of this catalog).
• Satisfactory completion of all requirements in the major.
• By the end of their junior year, all students should file an “Intent to Graduate” form, available at the Registrar’s Office.
• 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.
• Meet the bachelor’s degree residency requirement: at minimum, a student must earn at New England College:  
  • 30 credits or more and
  • 24 of the last 30 credits that meet degree requirements and
  • 12 credits that meet major requirements

Associate’s Degree

• Completion of a minimum of 60 credits with passing grades. Some majors may require more than 60 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 Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum requirements (see the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum section of this catalog).
• Satisfactory completion of all requirements in the major.
• Once a student has completed 30 credits, the “Intent to Graduate” form is filed.  Forms are available at the Registrar’s Office.
• 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 before their final year.
• A student who has earned a minimum of 48 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.
• Meet the associate’s degree residency requirement: at minimum, a student must earn at New England College:
  • 16 credits or more and
  • 16 of the last 20 credits that meet degree requirements and
  • 8 credits that meet major requirements

New England College may auto-award associate degrees to students who are seeking a bachelor’s degree and have met the associate degree requirements.  Current students will be reviewed for eligibility twice a year (July and January) and notified via NEC email if found to be eligible. Prior to issuing diplomas, additional information will be communicated to students with the opportunity to change their diploma name or opt-out of the degree award.

Degrees with Latin Praise

In recognition of outstanding academic achievement, the following Latin praise is awarded at graduation at the bachelor’s level. 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.

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: