Graduation: Completing Your Degree

To complete your degree, you must meet all of the requirements:

• You must be registered in the semester in which you are intending to complete your degree (you cannot be registered for a Leave of Absence)
• You must have applied to graduate for the semester in which you intend to complete your degree
• You must have met the minimum degree GPA requirement for your program (for most programs this is 3.0)
• You must have completed all of your degree requirements so that your DegreeMAP record shows 100% completion.

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Commencement Week Events

GW only has one Commencement each year in May and does not hold individual ceremonies for students who complete their degree in the summer term or fall semester. Depending on when you complete your degree requirements, you may be eligible to participate in one of the following events either in the year you complete your degree or the year following your degree completion:

• Celebration: The ceremony for CCAS master's students where your name will be read out as you walk across the stage. Celebration is usually held on the Friday morning of Commencement Weekend, but may be subject to change.
• Hooding: The ceremony for CCAS Ph.D. and Psy.D. students where you will be hooded on stage by your advocate. Hooding is usually held on the Thursday evening of Commencement Weekend, but may be subject to change.
• Commencement: The ceremony held on the National Mall for GW students. Commencement is held on the Sunday of Commencement Weekend.

Students on an F1 or J1 visa may request permission for family members to visit the United States to attend Commencement Week events by requesting a Letter of Invitation from the Office of the Registrar's Certifications page. 

PLEASE NOTE: Participation in Commencement Week activities does not confirm your degree completion. You must meet all degree requirements to be awarded your degree.