Oregon State University: Graduate With Distinction?

Oregon State University awards degrees with distinction to undergraduate students who have completed at least 90 credits at OSU or 60 upper-division credits at OSU, and who have an OSU cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The distinction is noted on the student's diploma and transcript. There are three levels of distinction: Cum Laude (orange cord), Magna Cum Laude (gold cord), and Summa Cum Laude (white cord). Students who meet the criteria can purchase commencement honour cords through the OSU Beaver Store.

Graduate students must apply to graduate

Graduate students at Oregon State University must apply to graduate. This is because, at the time of writing, the university does not automatically advance graduate students to graduation when they meet their requirements.

The process of applying to graduate is called Institutional Awarding. This is when the Degree Completion team identifies students who have completed or are in the process of completing their degree requirements and advances them to graduation candidacy.

To become a degree candidate, you must be a current OSU student and enrolled in the final course(s) required for your program of study. You will be placed into the graduation pool for the term you are scheduled to complete all your courses. You will then receive a notification that you are a candidate for graduation and will work with your program advisor to apply to graduate.

The Office of the Registrar will work with your academic advisor to evaluate your candidacy for graduation. They will review your record to verify the completion of baccalaureate core, degree, major, minor, option, and college requirements. The Office of the Registrar will then verify the completion of the remaining institutional requirements.

During the term in which you have been identified as a graduation candidate, your record will be evaluated several times for graduation requirements. Any deficiencies will be recorded as a graduation hold on your student record.

You can check and monitor your degree progress using your MyDegrees degree checklist by logging into Beaver Hub. You should also meet with your advisor to verify that you are on track to meet your requirements. Any unmet requirements indicated on your degree audit must be resolved prior to a degree being awarded.

OSU does not round up GPAs

Oregon State University does not round up GPAs. Instead, the university truncates GPAs after two decimals. This policy ensures that OSU can uphold minimum GPA standards appropriately. For example, if a student calculates their GPA and it ends up being 3.455, it will be displayed as 3.45 on their transcript.

OSU provides several tools to help students monitor their degree progress and stay on track for graduation. MyDegrees is a web-based degree checklist program and academic advising tool that helps students and advisors review degree progress. It identifies completed courses and those still needed to fulfill degree requirements. Students can access this tool through Beaver Hub or the Office of the Registrar website. Additionally, MyDegrees offers a Planner feature that allows students to create a plan, add courses and requirements, and view course details. The GPA Calculator is another useful tool within MyDegrees that helps students calculate their GPA by term and overall.

It is important for students to regularly consult their OSU transcript to confirm their degree award. The Office of the Registrar will send a notice of congratulation to the student's ONID email address once their degree is awarded.

OSU degrees with distinction are noted on diplomas

At Oregon State University, students who have completed at least 90 credits or 60 upper-division credits at OSU, and who have an OSU cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, are awarded an OSU degree with distinction. This distinction is noted on their diplomas and transcripts.

The distinction is divided into three categories: Cum Laude (orange cord), Magna Cum Laude (gold cord), and Summa Cum Laude (white cord). These distinctions are based on the student's GPA, with Cum Laude for GPAs between 3.50 and 3.69, Magna Cum Laude for GPAs between 3.70 and 3.84, and Summa Cum Laude for GPAs between 3.85 and 4.00.

Students who meet the criteria for distinction can purchase commencement honour cords through the OSU Beaver Store. The cords are presented in different colours corresponding to the level of distinction achieved.

It is important to note that a degree is officially awarded only after the term has concluded, final grades have been posted, and the student has successfully completed all requirements for that degree. The degree is then recorded on the student's official OSU transcripts.

OSU commencement is held annually in June

Oregon State University holds its commencement ceremony annually in June. This is a celebratory event recognising the accomplishments of students who have or are expected to complete their requirements within that academic year.

The ceremony is optional for students to attend, but those who wish to participate must register in advance. Students are placed in the graduation pool for the term they are scheduled to complete all their courses. They will then receive a notification that they are a candidate for graduation and will work with their program advisor to apply.

Oregon State University has a tradition of providing each student with their diploma at the commencement ceremony. This is a commemorative document based on preliminary grades submitted prior to the end of the term. A final review of requirements is conducted after final grades are submitted, and the degree is only officially awarded if all requirements are completed with sufficient grades.

High-achieving undergraduate students are recognised through the posting of academic distinction to their transcript and diploma. Grade-point averages are computed on the basis of all work attempted at OSU, and at the end of each term, the academic distinction is evaluated and posted. Graduates who have completed at least 90 credits at OSU or 60 upper-division credits at OSU, and who have an OSU cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, are awarded an OSU degree with distinction.

The distinction, minimum GPA, and cord colours are as follows:

• Cum Laude (orange cord): 3.50-3.69
• Magna Cum Laude (gold cord): 3.70-3.84
• Summa Cum Laude (white cord): 3.85-4.00

Students who meet the criteria above can purchase commencement honour cords through the OSU Beaver Store.

OSU students can monitor their degree progress with MyDegrees

Oregon State University (OSU) students can monitor their degree progress with MyDegrees, a web-based degree checklist program and academic advising tool. MyDegrees is accessible through Beaver Hub or the Office of the Registrar website and provides video tutorials on how to use the platform.

MyDegrees helps students and advisors review degree progress by identifying completed courses and those still needed to fulfill degree requirements. It offers a degree audit checklist, including a visual presentation of degree progress, "what-if" scenarios to determine how already taken courses apply to other majors, and checklist notes to record important reminders related to degree progress. Additionally, it provides a GPA calculator to track term and overall GPAs.

To access MyDegrees, students can log in to Beaver Hub, click on the Academics tab, and under Academic Resources, click on "MyDegrees." It is recommended to regularly check MyDegrees and consult with an advisor to ensure progress toward graduation.

Near the end of their second-to-last term, students are placed in the graduation pool for the term they are scheduled to complete all their courses. The Office of the Registrar and the student's advisor track their progress. Once the requirements are met, the Office of the Registrar awards the degree through a process called Institutional Awarding.

Students will receive a notification that they are candidates for graduation and will work with their program advisor to apply for graduation. After the requirements are fulfilled, the degree is officially awarded and visible on the student's official transcript. Students will receive an email at their OSU-issued email account, inviting them to order their diploma.

Frequently asked questions