Graduation | Queen's University Faculty of Arts and Science

Two students hugging after graduating from Queen's University

Welcome to the Graduation Information Page! Here you'll find all the necessary details to ensure a smooth graduation process.

Important Notes Regarding Graduation

Queen’s University holds graduation ceremonies twice per year – Spring (Winter in SOLUS) and Fall (Summer in SOLUS). Spring graduation ceremonies are generally held in June, while Fall graduation ceremonies are generally held in November.
Spring Graduation is for students completing their final courses in either the Fall or Winter term. Fall Graduation is for students completing their final courses in the Summer term.
All submitted applications for the Winter term will remain in “In Review” status until the Winter term final grades have been submitted around the middle to end of May. This included students whose last course was completed in the Fall term. Please note that due to the volume of applications we receive, no news is considered good news. Should there be an issue with your application/eligibility we will contact you directly through your Queen’s email.
All submitted applications for the Summer term will remain “In Review” status until around the middle of October.
Deferred exams/assignments may not align with Degree List deadlines, therefore students may need to plan to hold off graduating until the next graduation cycle if their grades are not updated and posted to their student record by a particular cycle deadline.
Students who have taken their last required courses as transfer credits may also need to consider holding off to graduate until the subsequent graduation cycle if their transfer credits are not updated and posted to their student record by a particular cycle deadline.
Students can be added late to the official degree list up until the degree conferral date for that graduation cycle. Students in this situation should be aware that their names will not be listed in the program, and they may no longer be eligible for ceremony tickets. It is recommended students postpone their graduation for the next graduation cycle so that they can be guaranteed tickets for their guests.

Dates and Deadlines

Spring Graduation

December 1
Application to graduate opens in SOLUS. Select ‘Winter’ from the drop-down menu.

December 15
Submit your application by this date to ensure it is reviewed in time to make any necessary course adjustments before the Winter term ADD/DROP deadline in January.

April 30
Last date to apply for Spring graduation in SOLUS.

June 1
Degrees will show as ‘awarded’ on the official transcript.

Fall Graduation

July 15
Application to graduate opens in SOLUS. Select ‘Summer’ from the drop-down menu.

October 15
Last date to apply for Fall graduation in SOLUS.

November 1
Degrees will show as ‘awarded’ on the official transcript.

Are you eligible to graduate?

You may only apply to graduate in the Program/Plan in which you are currently registered. This includes changing from an Honours degree plan to a General degree within your current discipline. Please reach out to us at asc.degree@queensu.ca BEFORE you submit your application to graduate.

If you are also enrolled in a certificate, you must submit a separate application to graduate with that program also.

To be considered eligible to graduate, your Academic Progress Report (APR) in SOLUS must show as satisfied. You may view your academic advisement report in SOLUS Student Centre by selecting the Academic Progress tile, then the Academic Progress navigation. All shopping cart and planner courses must be removed prior to running the report.

Questions regarding Plan requirements or exceptions should be directed to your department(s).

Program Requirements to Graduate

In order to be eligible to graduate, students must have completed the total required number of units for the Program:

Program	Required Units
Bachelor of Arts (Honours)	120.0
Bachelor of Computing (Honours)	120.0
Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours)	120.0
Bachelor of Music	126.0
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education (Honours)	120.0
Bachelor of Science (Honours)	120.0
Bachelor of Art, Computing, Fine Art, Physical and Health Education and Science (General)	90.0

GPA requirements to Graduate

To graduate, students must have a minimum GPA on all courses taken at Queen’s (cumulative GPA), as follows:

Cumulative GPA	Degree Eligibility
1.60 or above	3-year degree: B.A., B.Sc., B.Cmp., B.F.A., B.P.H.E.
1.90 or above	4-year Honours degree: B.A.(Hons.), B.Sc.(Hons.), B.Cmp.(Hons.), B.F.A(Hons.), B.P.H.E.(Hons.), B.Mus.

Students must also achieve the required Plan GPA - 1.90 for Specialization, Major, and Joint Honours Plans and 1.60 for Minor and General Plans.

Common Reasons for an Unsuccessful Application

Incomplete Requirements: Double-check that you've fulfilled all necessary coursework, including prerequisites and core classes. If you have taken a different course to use towards your plan requirements instead, you’ll need Department authorization before your APR can be adjusted.
Too Many Courses Outside of FAS: Students are only eligible to count a maximum of 6.0 units from courses from other Faculties. These courses can be from the following disciplines - BMED, COMM, GLPH, HSCI, and LAW. You can view the list of courses that can be used towards FAS degree programs in the Academic Calendar under the Courses of Instruction in Other Faculties and Schools section. Exceptions apply for students enrolled in the APEC and LISC major.
Low GPA: Ensure your GPA meets the minimum requirement for graduation. In order to graduate, you must earn a minimum CGPA in both your plan requirements and your cumulative grade point average depending on the degree program you are graduating with. If you're unsure, reach out to your academic advisor for clarification.
Dual Degrees: – Please note that the Academic Progress Report cannot accurately identify if a course has been registered under a student’s shared or secondary units. Due to this, please contact asc.degree@queensu.ca to confirm you have met both the plan and unit requirements for a dual degree.

Apply to Graduate

You must formally "Apply to Graduate" through the SOLUS Student Centre.

Honour students are assessed by their department(s) to determine their eligibility to graduate. The Faculty Office assesses the three year general degrees and minor degrees.

For more information on applying to graduate, visit the Office of the University Registrar webpage.

Requesting a Degree Completion or Confirmation of Academic Standing Letter

The Faculty Office provides several types of official letters to assist students with degree verification, confirmation of academic standing and more. These letters are sent out via email in PDF format. The Degree List Team can assist you with the following types of letters:

Upon Completion Letters

Purpose: These letters are for students who have not yet fully completed their degree requirements but are nearing completion.
Content: The letter states that upon completion of the current term, the student is expected to complete their degree requirements. It also includes the expected degree conferral date.
When to Request: Before the final grades for your last term have been posted.
Cost: $12

Completion Letters

Purpose: These letters confirm that a student has officially completed all degree requirements. These are letters that would typically go to a graduate program or employer to verify your degree has been completed before the degree notation has been added to your transcript.
Content: The letter notes the completion of all requirements and the expected date when the degree notation will be added to the transcript (June 1 for Spring graduation and November 1 for Fall graduation).
When to Request: After the term grade deadline, once all grades have been posted to your student record and prior to the degree conferral date (June 1 for Spring and November 1 for Fall).
Cost: $12

*** Once the degree has been conferred (June 1 for Spring, November 1 for Fall) all letter requests should be made via the Office of the University Registrar’s website. Click on “Document Request” to request a Proof Degree Awarded Letter.

Confirmation of Academic Standing (Ranking Letter)

Purpose: These letters provide official confirmation of a student's academic standing or ranking within their program.
Content: Includes a certification of the student's academic standing or comparative ranking, often used for applications to professional schools.
When to Request: After the term grade deadline, once all grades have been posted to your student record.
Cost: $12 per letter.

You can request a Statement Letter using this form.

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Taking courses after you graduate

If you are an undergraduate student who has applied to graduate and intends to enrol in a course in a future term, you must contact the Arts and Science faculty office and fill out a Return to Studies Form to be admitted into a post-degree program. You may then enrol in a course under the post-degree program in SOLUS.

Please note that all Undergraduate courses will continue to go towards your CGPA post-graduation. If you would like to discuss GPA repair strategies or discuss post-degree course selection, we recommend you speak with an Academic Advisor.