Awarding Posthumous Graduate Degrees

1. Assumptions:
   1. Separate policies should be developed and followed for the award of posthumous degrees at graduate and undergraduate levels.
      
      Rationale: The awarding of graduate degrees is based on more than a collection of courses and hence the decision of whether or not a student has completed the majority of the work required for a graduate degree must be based on several criteria and comprehensive faculty review and recommendation.
   2. Separate policies should be developed for the awarding of posthumous degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels.
      
      Rationale: Criteria for posthumous degrees should differ at the master’s and doctoral levels. Additionally, distinctions should be made between thesis/dissertation and non-thesis/dissertation master’s and doctoral programs.
   3. “Certifications of Accomplishment” (as is proposed for undergraduate), should not be awarded at the graduate level.
      
      Rationale: The multiplicity of requirements and the varied number of credits required for specific graduate degrees, make it impossible to establish a median point or criteria for defining “significant accomplishment.”

I. Initiation of Request

1. A request for the awarding of a posthumous degree may be initiated externally (e.g. by the student’s family) or internally by the student’s graduate program

II. Criteria for awarding posthumous graduate degrees

A. Master’s Degrees (For Programs not requiring a thesis or master’s project):

The student’s graduate program must recommend the awarding of the degree, and verify the following:

• the student had completed appropriate courses amounting to at least 75% of the credits required for the degree, and
• the student had a minimum grade point average of 3.0

B. Master’s Degrees (For Programs requiring a thesis or master’s project):

The student’s graduate program must recommend the awarding of the degree, and verify the following:

• the student had completed appropriate courses amounting to at least 75% of the credits required for the degree,
• the student had a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and
• the faculty committee supervising the project or thesis has certified that the work done at the time of the student’s death reflects substantial progress towards completing the specific thesis or project.

C. Doctoral Degrees (For doctoral programs not requiring a dissertation or individual doctoral project):

The student’s graduate program must recommend the awarding degree, and verify the following:

• The student completed appropriate courses amounting to at least 75% of the credits required for the degree
• the student has a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

D. Doctoral Degrees (For doctoral programs requiring a dissertation):

The student’s graduate program must recommend the awarding of the degree, and verify the following:

• the student had fulfilled the requirements for dissertator status
• the faculty committee supervising the dissertation has certified that the work done at the time of the student’s death reflects substantial progress towards completing the dissertation
  • Substantial progress should include having successfully proposed the dissertation and made additional/subsequent progress in data collection and/or writing or other work relevant to the approved dissertation.
    
    Given these criteria, the degree shall be an earned (vs. honorary) doctorate.

E. Graduate Faculty Committee

The Graduate Faculty Committee must nominate the student for the degree. The GFC chair will convey the committee’s decision to the Graduate School Dean, Associate Dean, and Assistant Dean.

III. Recommendations for Action

Awarding of the posthumous degree will occur following appropriate administrative approvals.

Graduate School Dean or designee prepares the memorandum to the Provost to formally communicate the recommendation of the academic program and the GFC. The memorandum is copied to the Dean of the respective college, the director of the academic program, and (where relevant) the major advisor.

Once the Provost acknowledges receipt and support for the awarded posthumous degree, the Assistant Dean of the Graduate School posts the degree and appropriate notations to the transcript and then orders the diploma and transcript to be given/sent to the family. No fee is charged.

If requested by the family, the student’s name will appear in the commencement program, pending publication deadlines.

Once the degree is awarded, the final memorandum is forwarded to the Dean of Students Office for completeness of records.

October 15, 2026

No. 3182R1 (Revised)

September 20, 2018

No. 3182

March 25, 2013

GFC Doc. 602 Revised and Approved

February 17, 1992

Approved