Austin College has three dates when students may complete their degree requirements at the end of: Spring, Summer, or Fall terms. The official date is placed on the diploma and on the student’s permanent record.
| Graduation: The completion of all requirements for a degree at Austin College; conferral of a degree. |
Students must apply for graduation in order for the final degree audit to be completed and a diploma to be processed.
Application for Graduation
Application for Graduation (available in WebHopper under Academic Information)
The college reserves the right to withhold the degree from any student whose conduct or academic standing it regards as unacceptable.
College Commencement Information
Completion or Graduation Rate
In accordance with the Student Right-To-Know Act, the six-year completion rate for students who entered Austin College in 2011 on a first-time-in-college and full-time basis was 67.32 percent.
| Commencement: A formal celebration held by Austin College in recognition of the conferral of a degree. |
Austin College holds a single commencement exercise each year in May. Candidates completing the requirements for a degree during the spring term are expected to participate in baccalaureate and commencement ceremonies. Students who complete their degree requirements at other times of the academic year are invited to participate in the following May commencement.
Candidates approved by the faculty for May graduation who subsequently fail to complete all necessary requirements may participate in that year’s commencement ceremony. The actual diploma with the updated completion date is mailed after all requirements are satisfied. The term in which the degree requirements were fully completed are reflected on the diploma rather than the date of the commencement ceremony in which the student attended.
Summer Graduates
Students who are within three course credit units of completing all degree requirements during the summer may participate in the commencement ceremony in May. Candidates for summer graduation should consult the Registrar’s Office concerning requirements for participation in commencement exercises.
Fall Graduates
Students who graduate in Fall term are eligible to return to Austin College the following May to participate in the commencement ceremony. Candidates for January graduation should consult the Registrar’s Office concerning requirements for participation in commencement exercises.
Honors Recognized at Commencement
The faculty selects the two top scholars in each graduating class to receive special medals. The two individuals, with no distinction between them, are awarded the J. C. Kidd and the J. M. Robinson medals. Students with an Austin College cumulative grade point average of 3.85 and above graduate summa cum laude; those with an average of 3.70 through 3.84 graduate magna cum laude; and those with an average of 3.50 through 3.69 graduate cum laude. Departmental Honors are also announced at the ceremony.
Other Information
Regalia:
To acquire regalia (caps, gowns, and tassels) for the Commencement ceremony, contact the Office of the Vice President for Business Affairs at 903.813.2235 for assistance.
Undergraduate students who are on the anticipated graduation list will receive an email from the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Business Affairs regarding ordering regalia via their student email account at the beginning of April of their junior year. Regalia is ordered the summer before the projected graduation so it available for students to wear at Opening Convocation of their senior year and other ceremonies throughout the year.
Master’s level students will receive notifications to order regalia the January before May completion.
Students are not charged for regalia but would be charged additional costs to replace any lost items throughout the year.
Class Rings and Announcements:
Students who wish to order a college class ring or college graduation announcements need to contact Jostens for more information.
- Phone: 800.854.7464
- Web site: college.jostens.com
These items are optional and the costs are incurred by the students interested.