Degree Plan/Program Evaluation and Application for Graduation
Degree Plans (or Program Evaluations) and the Application for Graduation documents must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office prior to the completion of the semester in which the student will earn 90 hours. The Application for Graduation and Program Evaluation are the documents the Registrar uses to determine if a student is eligible for graduation. If the student’s is eligible for graduation, the Registrar will place the student’s name on the graduation list for the specified term.
It is the student’s responsibility to assure all requirements for graduation are met including:
To submit your Degree Plan / Program Evaluation and Application for Graduation:
Application for Associate Graduation
Application for Undergraduate Graduation
Application for Graduate Studies Graduation
Guidelines for Submitting an Application for Graduation
and
Degree Plan using PROGRAM EVALUATION
The steps which follow are intended to simplify degree plan approval procedure. Before proceeding further, please review the following sections of the college catalog regarding graduation requirements: Student Responsibility in Meeting Degree Requirements; Common Requirements for all Baccalaureate Degrees; Liberal Arts Core Requirements; Majors, Emphases, Minors; and the specific requirements for a particular major, minor, and/or emphasis. The responsibility for meeting these requirements is the student’s, but advisers are available to answer questions and offer valuable assistance in the process.
The Application for Graduation which includes the degree plans/program evaluation, approved by adviser and department chair, must be submitted to the Registrar prior to the end of the second semester of the junior year (the semester in which the student will complete at least 90 semester credit hours). Exceptions are students in binary programs who must submit it at the beginning of the last semester at Carson-Newman University.
STEPS for using Program Evaluation:
1. Run Program Evaluation in C-N Connect. Check the major listed on the program evaluation. If the major is incorrect, contact the Registrar’s Office so the major can be corrected in the student system. If the requirements for all majors or minors are not on the program evaluation, contact the Registrar’s Office to request the additional major or minor be added in the student system so that the additional major or minors are printed on the student’s program evaluation and transcript.
2. The Program Evaluation will populate requirements already completed using the appropriate course numbers as per the university catalog. Courses taken to satisfy requirements for a minor or a second major will be listed on the last page or pages of the program evaluation.
3. If a course was taken for credit, meets the requirement for a major or for the liberal arts core as per the catalog, and is on the transcript, but does not populate the appropriate section in the degree audit, write in the course which meets the requirement with a pencil or pen, indicate term taken, number of credit hours earned and grade received.
4. For a course waiver or substitution from stated degree requirements, a written request must accompany the degree plan and must be approved by the adviser and department chair. The form for the Substitution/Wavier may be found on the Registrar’s webpage on the C-N Website. The request must contain sufficient justification and be consistent with exceptions that have been approved in the past. The Registrar does not make the decision on waivers or substitutions for liberal arts core requirements; this is requested through the Academic Standards Committee. Approvals for Liberal Arts Core waiver or substitutions are very rare.
5. If a course that is required for liberal arts or the major has not been taken or registered for, a blank space will appear beside the course number and the evaluation will indicate “______________ one credit needed”. Write the term when the course will be taken on the blank line, i.e., Fall 2017 or 2017 Fall
6. After all the courses to take in future terms have been indicated on the program evaluation/degree plan, add up the hours to be sure that they equal or exceed 120 hours. If they are less than 120, indicate on the program evaluation the elective hours to be taken to reach 120. Write the courses on the side in one of the margins or in the blank space above upper level credit and indicate the term(s) in which they will be taken.
It is also appropriate and appreciated by the Registrar’s Office to indicate the courses the student will complete by term on the last page of the program evaluation where there is typically a lot of white space.
7. If elective courses need to be taken to reach 120 hours and the student does not know exactly which courses will be taken as electives, it is permissible to put the course on the degree plan simply as ELECTIVE 3 HRS or perhaps JR/SR ELECTIVE 6 HRS. Remember to indicate the number of credit hours for electives
8. Items to Verify:
9. Submit a copy of the Program Evaluation/degree plan which has been signed and dated by both the student and the adviser with the Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar’s office. Pay special attention to the following:
Things to note:
If the program evaluation is sent to the Registrar without terms or dates in which the student plan to complete the required courses beside the space “______one course needed”, then it is not a degree plan, it is simply a program evaluation and will be returned for lack of information
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the degree plan has been received by the Registrar. Make a copy of the program evaluation/ degree plan for your file before submitting it to the Registrar’s Office.
The Registrar will review the Application for Graduation and the Program Evaluation/degree plan. If the application for graduation is approved, the Registrar will and sign and date it, noting any items or concerns to be addressed. If the program evaluation lacks requirements for graduation, the Registrar will make notations in the notes section of the application for graduation and sign and date the degree plan to document review or request re-submission. A copy of the signed degree plan will be forwarded to the student and the advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to make the changes necessary to fulfill degree requirements.
After the program evaluation has been reviewed by the Registrar and the graduation date has been approved, the student’s name will be added to the graduation list. Although the program evaluation has been approved, the student maintains responsibility for satisfying all course and GPA requirements before being cleared to graduate and receive diploma.
All tentative course work listed on the degree audit must be completed BEFORE graduation may occur. This includes receipt of an official transcript for any work transferred to Carson-Newman that meets degree plan requirements as well as proof of purchase for AP or CLEP credit.
If, after submitting the degree plan and obtaining approval, the student changes the course or term of graduation, the student must notify the Registrar and make the changes on the original degree plan/program evaluation on file in the Office of the Registrar. The degree plan will then be re-evaluated for approval and a copy sent to the student and the advisor.
The Adviser should review the degree plan with the student each term, particularly at the beginning of the term in which the student plans to graduate, to assure all requirements have been met before the deadline to add/drop for the term.
