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Graduation

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On the recommendation of the faculty, degrees and diplomas are conferred by the President of Ambrose University at a spring Convocation of the faculty, alumni, graduands and their guests.
 

 

Graduation Application

To receive a degree, you must submit a Graduation Application form to the Office of the Registrar no later than the date noted in the Academic Schedule.

A Graduation Application fee must accompany the application (see Registrar/Registration Fees). Applications received after the deadline may be accepted for consideration or they may be held until the next convocation ceremony. Those that are accepted will be charged a late fee in addition to the graduation fee (see Registrar/Registration Fees).

The Graduation Application form alerts the Office of the Registrar to review your academic record and recommend that the President grant your degree. If you want to graduate you must, therefore, complete the Graduation Application form by the prescribed deadline and pay the Graduation Application fee, even if you do not plan to attend the convocation ceremony.

Former students cannot apply to graduate with a degree which is no longer offered. You must be admitted into and graduate from a current Ambrose University program.

If you plan to apply courses taken at another institution toward your degree, and you have not yet been granted transfer credit for those courses, you must list them on your Graduation Application form. To receive transfer credit, you must provide official transcripts showing suitable final grades (as defined in the Transfer Credit section of this Academic Calendar) to the Office of the Registrar no later than one month prior to convocation. You are responsible for having official transcripts from other institutions sent directly to the Office of the Registrar.

If you fail to submit your official transcripts before the prescribed deadline, you cannot expect to have your name added to the graduation list or to be recommended for your degree until the following convocation.

When completing degree requirements in spring session, summer session or fall session, you will not receive your degree prior to the following convocation. However, at your request, the Office of the Registrar can issue an official letter indicating that you have completed all of the academic degree requirements of your program.
 

Graduation Requirements

You alone are responsible for meeting all applicable requirements for graduation. To be considered eligible for graduation, you must meet all of the following requirements:

  • Your degree program requirements, as outlined in the Academic Calendar in effect at the date of registration in the program (or readmission to the program), must be completed satisfactorily. Academic credit may be earned at Ambrose University and may include transfer credit consistent with Ambrose University policy;
  • A minimum of 45 credits for all three-year degree programs and 60 credits for all four-year degree programs must be completed at Ambrose University;
  • Your minimum cumulative GPA must be 2.0, including a GPA of not less than 2.0 in all disciplinary requirements;
  • Graduation from Ambrose University is based on the final overall CGPA, which is calculated by dividing the sum of all quality points achieved (and applied to a program credential) by the sum of all those credits.
  • All music students must be working at a minimum of Grade Nine level in piano, or Grade Eight for any other instrument (based on RCM grades). In addition, all non-keyboard music students are required to pass a piano proficiency examination (Grade Four, RCM) or successfully complete two terms of applied piano studies;
  • Your completed Graduation Application form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar by the deadline listed in the Academic Schedule;
  • Your graduation application fee must accompany the application;
  • You must be approved for graduation by vote of the appropriate faculty.
     

Outstanding Accounts

If you owe the University any fees, fines or other charges you will not be permitted to graduate, which means you cannot participate in ceremonies, will not be listed in the convocation program and will not receive official transcripts or a degree parchment.

The deadline to clear all outstanding accounts in order to be permitted to graduate is two full weeks prior to the convocation ceremony.
 

Academic Attire

Gowns: Bachelors’ gowns follow the black gown specified by the North American Intercollegiate Code.

Hoods: Students graduating with a bachelors degree wear the colours relevant to specific disciplines are:

  • Bachelor of Arts – white
  • Bachelor of Business Administration – drab
  • Bachelor of Education - blue
  • Bachelor of Music – pink
  • Bachelor of Science – gold
  • Bachelor of Theology – scarlet

Headwear: Bachelors’ headwear is the black mortarboard or trencher-type.

 

North American Indigenous Students and Commencement

Ambrose welcomes all North American Indigenous graduating students to celebrate their heritage through wearing cultural dress at their Commencement ceremony; with or instead of the Academic gown. The cap maybe replaced if a headdress is part of the cultural dress. All graduands who participate in Commencement must wear an academic hood as it represents the specific degree earned and the Faculty or School awarding the degree. Graduands choosing to wear cultural dress should advise the Office of the Registrar two weeks prior to the Commencement ceremony.

 

Graduating in Absentia

If you plan to miss the graduation ceremony, you still need to complete the Graduation Application form by the prescribed deadline and pay the Graduation Application fee in order to graduate. Your degree parchments will be mailed to you.
 

Degree Parchment

It is Ambrose University policy to use the full legal registered name of students on the degree parchment. Changes in name must be supported by legal documentation. Minors and approved concentrations will not be indicated on your degree parchment, but will be noted on your official transcript.
 

Replacement Degrees

If your degree parchment gets damaged, lost, stolen or destroyed, or if you request a legal name change, Ambrose University will issue a replacement degree parchment for a fee (see Registrar/Registration Fees). You are responsible to pay any additional costs for courier service, insurance or other delivery options. A replacement parchment will not be issued if you have an unpaid student account.

A Degree Parchment Replacement form is available on our website. All replacement degree parchments will be marked “duplicate,” with the date they were reprinted. Replacement degrees usually will not have original signatures.
 

Honours

Baccalaureate degree students (excluding Bachelor of Education (after-degree)) will graduate with Honours if their cumulative GPA meets these minimum standards:

  • Summa Cum Laude                 3.85 – 4.00
  • Magna Cum Laude                  3.65 – 3.84
  • Cum Laude                              3.40 – 3.64

 

A limited number of undergraduate ministry degree graduates (up to 7% of the class) may be inducted into membership in Delta Epsilon Chi, the International Honour Society of the Association for Biblical Higher Education. One member of the Alumni Association of Ambrose may also be inducted into this society annually as an honorary member.

Up to 15% of the Arts and Science graduates may be inducted into membership in the Phi Delta Lambda Honour Society.

Three annual awards are designated for Bachelor of Education graduates: Professional Leadership Award, Service Leadership Award and Academic Leadership Award.