Graduation Procedures

Award of Degree Procedure: PhD students 

To receive your degree, you must complete all of the program requirements and have the appropriate GPA (3.00).  All course work must be completed and grades submitted to the SGS-Newark Registrar. A completed thesis must be handed in to the GSBS Student Affairs office with final approval (4 copies).

Once you have completed the requirements for degree, your name will be forwarded for approval by the GSBS Executive Council.  Your graduation date will correspond to the graduation date in which you completed the requirements for the degree.  Because Rutgers only has 4 graduation dates and the schedule of Executive Council it, may take two months or more from your completion of the requirements to the award of degree date. You are eligible to graduate January, May, August and October.

If there is a time sensitive need for documentation that you have completed requirements for the degree before your award of degree is posted to your transcript you may obtain an official letter from the SGS-Newark Registrar; however, if your name has not yet been forwarded to Executive Council for approval, the request for the letter must go FIRST to the Student Affairs Office, which will verify that you have completed the graduation requirements and transmit verification and your request to the registrar.   Always check with the Student Affairs office first to find out the stage of approval of your award of degree.

Once you have been confirmed for graduation, notification will be sent to your Rutgers email account with final requirements for ordering of the diploma.  Please complete the “Commencement/Convocation Information Survey” on the link provided below. Once the student affairs office receives the Commencement/Convocation Information Survey, diplomas will be ordered (although they are ordered by the month of graduation, rather than on an individual basis).  Diplomas may take time to be returned by the company. 

Summary of steps for graduation and obtaining your diploma:

1. Submit Report of Final Examination/Dissertation Defense
2. Submit corrected & approved thesis (4 copies total), along with a letter, with the appropriate signatures approving the revisions
3. Complete Diploma & Thesis Release Form
4. Complete the SGS Student Exit Survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8ZCMMFX (must print and submit the Certificate of Completion to the SGS Office)
5. 1. Complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) online at https://sed-ncses.org/ (must print and submit the Certificate of Completion to the SGS Office)
6. All students must contact and complete an Exit Interview with Dr. Lutz (lutzcs@njms.rutgers.edu)
7. Complete Financial Aid Exit Interview (if applicable)
8. No outstanding balances