Graduation

Awarded Degree Types

Westfield State University students are awarded a specific degree type based on their major(s). We offer 7 different undergraduate Bachelor degree types upon completion of all degree requirements. It is the practice of the university to only award one undergraduate degree at a time, regardless of the number of major requirements that have been successfully completed. If you are interested in earning more than one undergraduate degree, please view the Second Bachelor’s degree program information in the Graduate Catalog.

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts (BA) is awarded to the following majors:

Art, Economics, English, Ethnic and Gender Studies, History, Liberal Studies (depending on chosen concentrations), Communication, Mathematics, Music (excluding Music Therapy), Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Spanish, Theatre Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is awared to the following majors:

Graphic Arts

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music (BM) is awarded to the following majors:

Music Therapy

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science (BS) is awarded to the following majors:

Accounting, Athletic Training, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Information Systems, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, Data Science, Earth System Science, Environmental Science, Finance, Health Science, Liberal Studies (depending on chosen concentrations), Management, Marketing, Movement Science (including Physical Education program), Regional Planning

Bachelor of Science in Education

Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) is awarded to the following majors:

Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education: Moderate Disabilities

Note: Students who complete the Secondary Education and/or Physical Education programs for licensure earn degrees based on their academic major (as in, the subject matter they will be teaching). BSE degrees can be awarded without completion of licensure, but must be approved by the Education department. Once earned, all teaching licensure information will appear on the academic transcript and will not appear on the diploma.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is awarded to the following majors:

Nursing

Bachelor of Social Work

Bachelor of Science in Social Work (BSW) is awarded to the following majors:

Social Work

Graduation Requirements

Students must meet all of the following requirements to graduate with one of the baccalaureate degrees listed above:

1. A cumulative institutional GPA of 2.00 or better (institutional GPA does not include transfer coursework)
2. A cumulative overall GPA of 2.00 or better in their major (some majors may have higher minimum standards and qualifications for their major GPA)
3. A total of 120 earned credits minimum, of which 30 credits must be completed at Westfield State University (earned credits require a minimum grade of D-)
4. Successful completion of all General Education or Core requirements
5. Successful completion of all Major requirements
6. Successful completion of all Minor requirements, if applicable (if any declared minors are incomplete by the time the student intends to graduate, the student must indicate to the Registrar’s Office that they want to drop the minor)
7. Have no outstanding Incomplete grades

All graduation requirements are outlined on the student’s Degree Evaluation, accessible through each student’s myWestfield account. Students should refer to their Degree Evaluation (also referred to as the degree audit) and check with their advisors before their senior year (minimum 84 total credits earned) to ensure they have planned a course of study that will meet all requirements for graduation.

Upon graduation, the student’s undergraduate record is “closed” meaning that no academic programs (majors, minors, concentrations, and/or certifications) can be added after the degree is initially conferred even if the requirements have been met.

The Registrar’s Office utilizes each student’s Degree Evaluation to determine graduation eligibility based on its completion. Any changes in a student’s course schedule, major(s), minor(s), grades, credits, academic status, transfer courses, etc. will be reflected on the degree audit, so it is important to use it regularly and become familiar with your required course of study.
 

Graduation Awards and Latin Honors

Graduation Honors are deemed to be a form of recognition for a student’s undergraduate career at Westfield State University. Consequently, for purposes of determining honors eligibility, only the institutional GPA is used for determining graduation honors. The institutional GPAs for recognition of Latin Honors are:

Students must have completed a minimum of 45 credit hours at Westfield State University to be eligible for graduation honors. Second bachelor’s candidates who have completed a minimum of 45 credits at Westfield State University may be recognized with graduation honors. Graduation Honors will be announced for both graduates and those students approved to participate in graduation. Graduation Honors will only be included on the students’ official transcript at the point of completing their degree and in accordance with the above GPA ranges at the time of completion.

The title of Valedictorian/Salutatorian is awarded to day division students with the highest and second highest GPAs with all coursework complete at Westfield State University (exclusive of AP credits).

The Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence is awarded to a continuing education undergraduate with the highest institutional GPA and with a minimum of 45 credits completed at Westfield State University.
 

Graduation Ceremony Participation

The graduation ceremony takes place in May of every year. In order to allow potential summer or fall graduates to participate in commencement with their graduating class, students who will have completed at least 114 credit hours by the end of the spring semester may submit a Petition to Participate to the Office of the Registrar, requesting that they be allowed to participate in the ceremonies. The Registrar’s Office will send communication to students who satisfy such requirements in the Spring semester. Petitions should reflect an approved plan to complete the program by the end of the summer or fall sessions.

Students requesting such permission should be within two courses of completing all degree requirements. Permission is granted at the discretion of the Registrar’s Office and is contingent upon the student’s completion of all courses in progress. In addition, to participate in the ceremony, the student must have met the requirement of a 2.0 GPA overall and in all courses applied to the major requirements. As this policy is applied, students are expected to have met all other requirements for graduation listed above.

Note: The wording of the above policy has been modified to provide students with additional information about how the policy is applied and/or procedures to follow when applying the policy. The exact wording of the original policy may be found in the Westfield State University Policies and Procedures Manual.

Procedures for Graduation

1. Westfield State University offers multiple degree conferral dates: May, July, August, December, and January. All students planning to graduate must submit a Diploma Order form and/or graduation application (for teh Department of Graduate and Continuing Education students) to the Registrar’s Office. This must be done by the date announced in official university communications for that graduation cycle.
2. It is the responsibility of each senior student to complete their degree requirements on time for the graduation cycle they intend to complete, which includes any transfer coursework or outstanding requirements on the Degree Evaluation (concentrations, minors, etc.). It is the student’s responsibility to provide the appropriate information and official transcripts concerning all coursework completed outside of Westfield State University. Students’ undergraduate records will not be complete for graduation until all transfer coursework is submitted with final grades.
3. Once graduated, diplomas will be mailed to the address provided by the student on the Diploma Order form. Diplomas may take up to 3 months after graduation to be delivered to the student, but the student can request degree conferral documentation from the Registrar’s Office if needed for prospective jobs. The official transcript will also list the degree conferral date and the earned degree.

Listing the Major on Diplomas

Each student’s major may be listed on the diploma–this includes any double majors. Students have the option of not having their major listed on the diploma, however it will still appear on the official transcript. Concentrations, minors, nor any certifications earned are listed on the diploma. These will, however, appear on the official transcript. Any Latin Honors earned at the time of graduation will appear on the diploma as well.