Faculty may recommend that a student who passes away while pursuing a degree be awarded a posthumous degree. To qualify for a posthumous degree, the student must have completed 75 percent of the required credits toward the degree program in which they were enrolled. The student must also have been in good academic standing.
Students receiving posthumous degrees will be briefly recognized during their cohort's commencement, separate from the awarding of all other degrees. The posthumous degree will be mailed to the student's family.
If a student who has passed away does not meet the above criteria, the student may be awarded a posthumous certificate, recognizing the student's progress toward a degree, rather than an official degree.
Procedure: The Posthumous Degree Recommendation Form should be submitted to the program coordinator for that student's major. The request must be approved by the program coordinator, department chair, dean, and provost.