Graduation

The graduation process begins when the Office of the Registrar identifies a student as a candidate for graduation. The student will be placed in ‘In Review’ standing in CUNYfirst and will be notified via their Guttman campus email. Potential graduates in ‘In Review’ standing will not have the following term activated in CUNYfirst and thus will not be able to enroll in classes for the term after their expected graduation term. If the student believes they are no longer qualified to graduate or wish to decline graduating at the end of their expected term, complete the Opt-Out of Graduation form here. By not opting out, the student authorizes the review of their student record and graduation at the end of their expected graduation term if all degree requirements are met.

Candidates whose requirements are pending the current session’s grades will be changed to ‘Pending’. Candidates who do not meet all graduation requirements will be put in ‘Withdrawn’ standing. Candidates who meet all graduation requirements will be put in ‘Approved’ standing until the conferral date. On the conferral date, approved candidates will be put in ‘Awarded’ standing. Graduates will be notified via their Guttman campus email that they have graduated and to expect an email about diplomas in 3 weeks.

Note that candidates of graduation who are inactive (not enrolled in any classes) for a term will have to readmit the following term.

To obtain a degree and diploma from Guttman Community College, students must complete the below requirements.

• Completion of the minimum number of credits for the degree as registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
• Completion of all College general education common core courses and completion of all courses in the program of study as registered with NYSED except where substitutions or waivers have been granted.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
• The successful completion of at least 30 degree credits at Guttman Community College.

For specific graduation requirements in your degree, please check DegreeWorks or consult your Career Strategist. Learn more about how the DegreeWorks online advisement system helps students track their academic progress. Note that DegreeWorks is not your official transcript.

Degrees are awarded four times a year. Dates are subject to change, and any updates will be posted on the web.

The degree conferral date is the date in which the degree will be posted or awarded to the student’s records after successfully completing all graduation requirements. Note that this is not the date when diplomas are to be picked up.

Note: Once a student has been conferred a degree, their degree will be locked and cannot be reverted. Additional classes cannot be taken to be applied towards the conferred degree. If a student on track of graduation does not wish to graduate, they will have to notify the Registrar’s Office via email before the conferral date.

We are delighted to announce that we have teamed up with Parchment to safely and securely provide our graduates with both a digital and physical diploma. With Parchment, graduates will have access to their digital diploma, and their paper diploma will be mailed to their home address listed in CUNYfirst. Graduates will have the option to share their digital diploma on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook or download straight to their device. Digital diplomas will be available to claim, and paper diplomas will be issued to be mailed out 3 weeks after the conferral date.

Physical diplomas will be mailed by Parchment via USPS. Per Parchment, delivery time varies and can take up to 3-4 weeks. Students are encouraged to log into CUNYfirst to review and verify their HOME address on file. Be sure the apartment/floor/suite is included (if applicable); this is something you don’t want lost in the mail!

In Review: You have been selected as a candidate for graduation and your academic record is currently being reviewed to see if you have met the requirements for graduation.

Withdrawn: Your candidacy for graduation has been removed because you are lacking a substantial number of credits or require more than one term to fulfill your requirements for graduation. If you register for your missing requirements during the subsequent term, you can become a candidate for that term.

Pending: You will be awarded your degree pending successful completion of your current registered courses.

Approved: You have met the requirements for your degree and you will be placed in Awarded status upon the upcoming graduation date (See the Academic Calendar for your conferral date).

Awarded: You have successfully completed all degree requirements and have graduated. Your CUNYfirst record will show that you have been awarded your degree; your transcript will reflect this information. Your diploma will be mailed 1 to 2 months after the graduation date (See the Academic Calendar for your conferral date).

Can I graduate if I have an Incomplete (INC) grade in the session that I apply and/or expect to graduate?

Students cannot graduate with an Incomplete (INC) grade on their record. The graduation session would be postponed to the following session if the final grade was not received prior to the conferral date.

Can I graduate without the posting of an ePermit course?

Students cannot graduate with any open grades. All graded courses require a grade posted. ePermit courses must be posted on the student record before the conferral date.

What is the difference between graduation and Commencement?

Graduation is the official completion of all degree requirements. There are four graduation dates each year; one for each session (Fall Session 1, Fall Session 2, Spring Session 1, and Spring Session 2).

Commencement is the ceremony celebrating the completion of degree. This is the social gathering event where family and friends come to celebrate the achievement of graduating. Guttman Community College holds one Commencement per year around the end of Spring Session 1, for the four different graduation dates. For more information about Commencement, visit the Commencement webpage.

What is the difference between a diploma and a degree?

A degree is the academic title given to the student who has completed the degree curriculum. After completion of the degree requirements, the degree will be posted on the student’s records and will show on the student’s transcript and CUNYfirst. Guttman Community College offers two degrees: Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.) and Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.).

A diploma is the physical and official paper document proving the earned degree. All graduates are notified via their Guttman email when their diploma is mailed to the address on file in CUNYfirst.

What name will show on my diploma?

Diplomas are issued with the legal name on your CUNYfirst record at the time of graduation application. If there is a discrepancy, please complete a Personal Data Update form and upload the completed form through CUNYfirst. For instructions on how to upload documents, visit our How-Tos/Reference Guides webpage.

How can I get a replacement diploma?

A replacement diploma costs $30. To request a replacement diploma, log into your Parchment account and select ‘Order Your Replacement Diploma”. For more help on ordering a replacement diploma, watch this Parchment YouTube video.