Seniors

Contents

Commencement

More information is available at https://fas.camden.rutgers.edu/commencement/.

Senior Information Sessions

Camden College of Arts and Sciences and University College–Camden students planning on graduating in August 2024, January 2025, and May 2025 are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming Senior Graduation Information Sessions offered by the Office of Academic Advising and FASC–Office of the Dean. These sessions will review official certification, graduating with Latin honors, and tentative information related to the commencement ceremony. 

Dates for Senior Graduation Information Sessions 2024:

  • Monday, October 21, 11:20 a.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 22, 12:45 p.m. and 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 23, 11:20 a.m.
  • Thursday, October 24, 12:45 p.m.
  • Friday, October 25, 11:20 a.m.

All sessions are virtual. Registration is required. Register by Wednesday, October 16, by 5 p.m. Contact artsci_commencement@camden.rutgers.edu with any questions or concerns.

Eligibility for Graduation

Senior Review: College of Arts and Sciences/University College

In September, seniors will be sent information on reviewing their General and Major Requirements through Degree Navigator. All seniors must meet with their professional advisors and/or faculty advisors in September or October to ensure that their major requirements are satisfied and plan their final semesters.

Honors College

All Honors College Seniors must meet with an advisor in the Honors College to certify that they have satisfied their Honors College & General Education requirements. Students must submit a completed Senior Review Checklist available on their website under resources Senior Review Checklist in order to graduate with Honors College Designation.

Partnership Campuses: Atlantic Cape, Brookdale, Camden County, Raritan Valley:

Students should schedule an appointment to meet with their academic advisor at their home campus (listed above) to review general education and major requirements.

Applying for Graduation

To be considered for graduation, CCAS/UC seniors must submit online diploma application through the Registrar’s Office. Check your degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science), class year, major(s), and minor(s) for accuracy. If they need to be changed, contact the Office of the Registrar. The Office of Academic Advising deans (215 N. 3rd Street) oversee the final certification process. Along with your major department, the advisors will review general and major requirements, in most cases using Degree Navigator. 

Visit the diploma application form.

Application Periods

  • For an August dated degree         6/1 to 8/15

  • For a January dated degree          9/1 to 12/19

  • For a May dated degree                1/2 to 3/1

Important Tasks for Graduation

  • Confirm Your Graduation Plan
    • You have been added to this program because your credit count shows you to be eligible for January 2025 graduation. If you are NOT planning to be a January graduate, send an email to artsci_commencement@camden.rutgers.edu at your earliest convenience. 

  • Attend a Senior Graduation Information Session
    • All sessions will be held virtually. The dates and times are:
      • Monday, October 21, 11:20 a.m. and 6 p.m.
      • Tuesday, October 22, 12:45 p.m. and 5 p.m.
      • Wednesday, October 23, 11:20 a.m.
      • Thursday, October 24, 12:45 p.m.
      • Friday, October 25, 11:20 a.m.
  • Submit a Diploma Application
    • The Diploma Application is a mandatory part of the graduation process. All students planning on a January 2025 graduation must submit a Diploma Application by December 19, 2024. There are no exceptions and this deadline is firm. The Diploma Application can be accessed via http://bit.ly/2Nv5VdX.
  • Attend a Senior Review with your Advisor
    • Communicate with your academic advisor (either through email, phone, or a WebEx chat) to confirm your degree requirements are in process of being completed by semester’s end. 
    • The FASC Commencement Committee will work with Honors College staff and partnership campus advisors to confirm that those students’ Senior Reviews have been completed.

Final Graduation Certification

The Board of Governors of the university confers degrees in August, January, and May, upon the recommendation of the Camden faculty. To graduate, students must meet the following degree conditions:

  1. Earn a minimum of 30 of the final 42 credits as a regularly enrolled undergraduate at Rutgers Camden including 12 credits in the major.
  2. Complete at least 120 credits with a cumulative average of 2.0 or better.
  3. Fulfill all general requirements of the college.
  4. Fulfill the specific requirements of a major program.
  5. Discharge all academic, disciplinary, and financial obligations to the university

Diplomas 

All graduates are encouraged to attend Commencement in May. All diplomas (August, January, and May) will be mailed to the address on the Diploma Application unless you select to pick up your diploma from the Office of the Registrar. Please make sure it is accurate. Also, on the Diploma Application, please include an email address that you will be able to access at all times.

Minors

Contact the Office of the Registrar to have minors noted correctly on your academic record. Your minor department will approve the minor.

What Happens If Degree Requirements Are Not Met?

Individuals who have not met their requirements for graduation will be notified. If a problem is discovered during the final certification process, notification will be made by email. Students who are ineligible to graduate based on their grades will be notified by phone or email.

***Only students who have successfully completed all graduation requirements may participate in the commencement ceremony.***

Graduation with Honors

Students may graduate with honors if they complete at least 45 credits at Rutgers University as a matriculated student and earn cumulative grade point averages of:

  • Cum Laude: 3.50 to 3.74
  • Magna Cum Laude: 3.75 to 3.89
  • Summa Cum Laude: 3.90 to 4.0

Honors classifications for the May ceremony are determined at the conclusion of the winter session preceding the May ceremony. Students must have earned 45 or more credits at this time in order to be recognized at the May ceremony. If and when a student’s credits reflect honors at the end of the spring semester, Latin honors will be recognized on the student’s diploma and official transcript. 

Honors Convocation

Outstanding students will be recognized for departmental and college-wide honors. Students being honored will be notified in April. The convocation date is to be determined. 

Honor Societies

Selection of qualified students for all honors societies is made based on their standing in late January/early February of the relevant academic year.

Athenaeum – College and Arts and Sciences

The members of Athenaeum are elected from among the best scholars in the upper classes. Membership* is limited to seniors who have earned at least 60 credits at the college with a cumulative grade-point average of no less than 3.7 and juniors who have earned at least 75 credits at the college with a cumulative grade-point average of no less than 3.9. Eligibility will be determined in late February 2025/early March 2025.

*Membership criteria were updated in January 2023. 

Phi Beta Kappa – College of Arts and Sciences and University College

The following changes were made regarding undergraduate student eligibility for Phi Beta Kappa during the 2018-2019 academic year.  These changes align Rutgers University’s requirements to those of The Phi Beta Kappa Society. To be considered for Phi Beta Kappa, students must have:

  • Students must have demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language equivalent to completion of at least the second semester of the intermediate level. The language proficiency may be met by placing above the intermediate level on the foreign language placement test.
  • Students must be pursuing a liberal arts major and have a minimum of 90-course credits in the liberal arts.
  • To be eligible as a junior, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or above and have completed 36 credits at Rutgers by the end of the fall semester.  To be eligible as a senior, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.70 or above and have completed 48 credits at Rutgers by the end of the fall semester.
  • Students must have successfully completed one course in college-level mathematics, logic, or statistics.
  • Students must have no record of disciplinary action.

Financial Aid

Students who received a Federal Loan while at Rutgers, are required to complete an Exit Interview. This can be completed online at www.studentaid.rutgers.edu. Failure to complete this requirement will result in a financial hold placed on the transcript. 

Re-Enrollment

Should you decide you would like to return to Rutgers University to earn a degree in a second major, you will need to complete the re-enrollment application found at https://www.ugadmissions.rutgers.edu/reenrollment. 

University Policy Regarding Second Degrees

A student who already possesses a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University, or another accredited college or university, and who wishes to obtain a second bachelor’s degree must complete successfully a minimum of 30 new credits at Rutgers University–Camden.

Students matriculating for a second bachelor’s degree at Rutgers–Camden must complete successfully all requirements for that degree in effect at the time of their matriculation for the second degree. Courses taken elsewhere, including those for the first degree, may be considered for transfer credit* **.

There are strict deadlines for re-enrollment applications. Please adhere to them accordingly. No exceptions will be made. If you are specifically interested in the Teacher Preparation Program, it is now a graduate (Masters/M.A.) degree program. Contact the Teacher Preparation Program directly at https://iee.camden.rutgers.edu or call (856) 225-6051.

* If you are earning a Bachelor of Science from either the School of Business or the School of Nursing AND either a BS or a BA from the College of Arts and Sciences, you must earn a minimum of 150 credits from both schools. For example, if you are earning a BS in Marketing from the School of Business and a BA in Psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences, you will need to have earned a minimum of 150 credits.

** If you are graduating with more than one major, BOTH majors must be complete at the time of your degree conferral. You cannot graduate with one of your majors and then return to complete your second major without complicated consequences.

Rutgers University Alumni Association

All Rutgers University graduates are automatically members of the Rutgers University Alumni Association, the university-wide organization of more than 461,000 alumni. There are no membership dues to pay and no forms to complete. Visit Ralumni.com for information on programs and benefits and to keep your contact information updated.

Graduates of Rutgers University–Camden are also members of the Rutgers University–Camden Alumni Association, a chartered group of the RUAA. Email RUCAA at rutgerscamdenalumni@gmail.com or visit the Camden alumni site for more on how you can get involved with this active group of proud alumni.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The Graduate School offers 13 degree-granting master’s programs in professional and liberal arts disciplines and two doctoral programs. We invite you to explore the numerous graduate opportunities at Rutgers-Camden by visiting our website at https://camden.rutgers.edu/academics/graduate. When you are ready to apply, visit the graduate study site.

More Questions?

Contact artsci_commencement@camden.rutgers.edu.