Graduation

Normandale has three official graduation dates each academic year, defined as the final day of the fall semester, the final day of the spring semester, and the final day of the summer semester. A student’s date of graduation shall be the graduation date established for the term in which all degree requirements have been met. Requirements must be met within one month of the end of that term. These requirements include:

Completing all course and credit requirements for the student’s intended degree or certificate, as outlined in the Programs of Study section of this catalog.
Meeting the Normandale residency requirement: Completing at least 15 credits at Normandale if earning an associate degree; completing at least 1/3 of the required credits at Normandale if earning a certificate.
Earning a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 in all college-level coursework.
Completing any certifications and passing background checks, if required for the student’s intended degree.
Submitting final transcripts from other institutions, when other institutions’ coursework will be used to fulfill Normandale degree requirements.
Resolving incompletes and/or obtaining grade changes for any courses that satisfy Normandale degree requirements.
Obtaining final approval of academic petitions that impact the student’s degree program (such as a waiver of a graduation requirement or acceptance of outside credit). Academic petition forms are available at www.normandale.edu/gradforms.
Submitting an Application for Graduation. The graduation application form is available at www.normandale.edu/gradforms.

Students are encouraged to work closely with their academic advisor on graduation planning.

Automatic Awards

If the college determines a student has completed all requirements for a degree or certificate but has not applied for graduation, the student shall receive notification of the college's intent to automatically grant the award unless the student indicates their wish to defer it to a future award date.

Commencement Honors

Honors will be awarded to associate degree graduates with a cumulative Normandale grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 - 3.49 in college-level courses (those numbered 1000 and above) and high honors to graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher in college-level courses. For purposes of the commencement ceremony, honors for spring and summer graduates will be determined by the student’s cumulative GPA through the prior fall semester. The final designation, as it appears on the transcript and diploma, will be based on grades earned in all Normandale college-level coursework. Commencement honors are not awarded for certificates.

Commencement Ceremony

Following the spring semester, Normandale hosts an annual commencement ceremony for the prior fall's graduates and eligible certificate earners and for the spring degree and eligible certificate candidates. Summer graduation candidates who have already registered for their final degree/certificate requirements are also invited to participate in commencement. An eligible certificate is a program that consists of 9 or more credits. Detailed commencement information will be mailed to eligible candidates during the spring semester.