Graduation

Official Graduation

Graduation marks the completion of the course of study leading to a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies. Strictly speaking a student is not a graduate of the program until the student’s transcript indicates she or he has graduated. Official graduation, and not the graduation ceremony, is the graduation that counts!

For the purposes of the Doctoral Program, official graduation occurs when the student:

  • gives the Program Coordinator the completed and signed dissertation,
  • satisfies all of the requirements of the Student Dissertation Checklist including removal of all incompletes,
  • student account is paid in full
  • and the Program Coordinator (not the student) has gotten the signature of the Dean of the School of Professional Studies.

Applying for Graduation

University Application to Graduate

Students must apply for Graduation. This can be done using ZagWeb. There is a small fee for the graduation application. Application to Graduate is obtained from Degree Evaluation or online. For March, April, May apply by Nov 15, for June-August and October-December apply by January 23. There is a significant lat fee for missing these dates.

Annual celebration

The Doctoral Program holds a celebratory banquet to honor graduates each Spring. Students who satisfactorily complete program requirements after the Spring term will be able to participate in the next Spring celebratory banquet and graduation ceremony. 

Graduation Ceremony is Once per Year

Participation in the Graduation Ceremony is NOT the same as official graduation and the number of students participating in the Ceremony can differ from the number who officially graduate. To participate in the annual Graduation Ceremony in May, a student must have:

  • a completed and edited draft of their dissertation ready for distribution to their committee by February 1 of the desired graduation year,
  • the dissertation signed by their committee by April 15 of the desired graduation year,
  • completed all requirements of applying to graduate with the university.

If you want to receive your degree in May and participate in the Graduation Ceremony observe deadlines outlined here: Graduation Timeline and Planning

Up To 19 Students Graduate Each Academic Year

A student can officially graduate at six specified times during the year. During an academic year, June 1 through May 31, Gonzaga University can only officially graduate 19 students. Once the 19 graduates have been reached, students will move to the list for the next academic year. Students needing to graduate during a specific year are responsible for the timely completion of their dissertation and working with their advisor to satisfy the requirements of the Program. The list of students who have officially graduated during the year is public information and is posted. The faculty of the Doctoral Program are committed to our students, recognizes that some students have special timelines, and will work with them on meeting their needs.