Graduation Requirements

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Degrees are awarded by vote of the faculty of the college and the Board of Trustees to students who have completed the liberal education, major program and residence requirements.

General graduation guidelines:

  • Students must earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 and have completed a minimum of 120 credits for the baccalaureate degree or 60 credits for the associate degree.
  • Students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all courses that count for a declared major and minor with the exception of programs that have specific, restrictive requirements. Since some programs require a higher grade point average in the major, students should consult appropriate sections of the catalog for specific major program requirements. It is the responsibility of students to know the minimum quantitative and qualitative requirements of programs and to fulfill those requirements.
  • Students who participate in a commencement ceremony prior to completion of all graduation requirements will be eligible for graduation honors once they have completed requirements.
  • Students who have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher, but do not have a GPA of 2.00 or higher in the major, may participate in the graduation ceremony, but will not receive their degrees until the minimum GPA of the major is achieved.

During each academic year, there are three graduation dates: October, December and May. Following are the deadlines for these graduation dates. Students who miss these deadlines may need to wait until the next official graduation date.

  • October graduation
    • Students planning to complete graduation requirements to graduate in October must have completed all course work and have official grades on file in the Registrar’s Office by September 1.
  • December graduation
    • Students planning to complete graduation requirements to graduate in December must have completed all course work and have official grades on file in the Registrar’s Office by December 20. Students must apply for graduation with the Registrar’s Office no later than November 1st.
  • May graduation
    • Students planning to complete graduation requirements to graduate in May must have completed all course work and have official grades on file in the Registrar’s Office no later than the Tuesday preceding the commencement ceremony.
    • During the fall semester the Registrar’s Office will contact students via e-mail asking them to fill out a graduation application. Students must apply for graduation with the Registrar’s Office no later than February 1st. Graduation application forms are located on myRegistrar. Diplomas will not be issued without a completed form on file.

The college holds one commencement ceremony annually at the end of the spring semester.

  • Students who plan to graduate in October or December may choose to participate in the commencement ceremony held in the previous May or the ceremony held in the following May.
    • Please note ABSN students are not allowed to participate in the previous May commencement ceremony.
  • To participate in the previous May commencement ceremony, baccalaureate candidate students must have earned a minimum 2.00 GPA and earned at least 104 credits by the Tuesday preceding the commencement ceremony.
  • Associate degree candidates must have earned a minimum 2.00 GPA and have at least 53 credits successfully completed by the Tuesday preceding the commencement ceremony.
  • Please note that you will not be able to participate in the graduation ceremony or receive your diploma if you have an outstanding balance on your account. Please contact Financial Services at 603.526.3744 if you see a Business Office hold on your account.

Final Credits Residency Requirements

To earn a degree from Colby-Sawyer College, students must take a prescribed number of credits at this institution. This includes Colby-Sawyer College online courses, summer residential classes and off-campus experiences such as internships and enrollment through Colby-Sawyer College at a New Hampshire College and University Council (NHCUC) campus.

  • To earn a bachelor’s degree, the final 30 credit hours must be Colby-Sawyer College sponsored whether taken on or off campus.
  • To earn an associate degree, the final 15 credits must be Colby-Sawyer College sponsored whether taken on or off campus.
  • A student who takes all courses required in the degree program, but who is deficient in credits and/or grade point average, may write to the registrar for permission to compensate for deficiency at another accredited institution. Permission is granted through the approval of the permission form.
  • Students must fill out a permission form located on myRegistrar to take a course at another institution. This form needs to be submitted and approved prior to enrolling in the course.

Liberal Education Requirements

  • Students must fulfill the Liberal Education Program requirements that were published in the catalog the year in which they entered the college.
  • With the exception of the A.S. in Health Science all students must complete 40 credits of Liberal Education requirements. Students seeking the A.S. must complete 20.

Major Course Requirements

Students are responsible for completing requirements for the major listed in the Catalog for the year in which they entered Colby-Sawyer College. The registrar must approve exceptions to this. Refer to the requirements listed for each major.

Double Major

Students may pursue two major programs with the same degree rather than select a single major.

  • No more than sixteen completed credits that satisfy the requirements for one of the majors may be counted toward the requirements for the other major.
  • Students are required to complete the capstone and internship requirements of both majors. However, the student may create a synthesized internship project (for example, doing internships for both majors at the same site), as long as the internship requirements of both majors are completed and the internships have separate supervisors.
  • Students may complete two majors with the same type of degree and be awarded a single degree (for example, a B.A. with a double major in sociology and psychology).

Double Degree

Students may pursue two major programs with different degree rather than select a single major.

  • No more than sixteen completed credits that satisfy the requirements for one of the majors may be counted toward the requirements for the other major.
  • Students are required to complete the capstone and internship requirements of both majors. However, the student may create a synthesized internship project (for example, doing internships for both majors at the same site), as long as the internship requirements of both majors are completed and the internships have separate supervisors.
  • Students who wish to complete a second major and receive a different baccalaureate degree (for example, a B.S. in business and a B.A. in studio art) must meet all the requirements for both degrees and complete a minimum total of 144 credits to receive both degrees.

Students who intend to pursue a double major or double degree must work out a plan, which provides details of how the requirements will be met for each major or degree. The plan is submitted to the advisor with a copy to the dean of each major’s school. If the advisor approves the plan, in consultation with the appropriate school deans, the advisor signs the plan, and the student submits it to the academic vice president and dean of faculty and the registrar. Students are encouraged, when pursuing a double major, to keep in mind the additional credit hours necessary to complete both.