To be considered for graduation honors, students who enter JMU for the first time in Fall 2015 and thereafter need at least four completed regular semesters (fall and spring) at JMU, a minimum of 60 attempted and earned credit hours at JMU, and a minimum grade point average of 3.50 at JMU (including any work completed at JMU as a Dual Enrollment student prior to undergraduate matriculation, and/or any work attempted and earned beyond four semesters or 60 credit hours). For students who entered JMU for the first time prior to Fall 2015, please consult the undergraduate catalog for information regarding graduation with honors for the year in which you first enrolled at JMU. Graduation honors noted in the commencement program, and for Honors cords, will be based on verification of four completed regular semesters and 60 completed credits, and on the grade point average at the end of the semester preceding the semester in which final graduation requirements are met. For students who participate in the May ceremony but complete requirements in summer session, the honors noted in the commencement program will be based on the grade point average earned at the end of the preceding fall semester. In progress credits and semesters will not count toward the 60 credits and/or four regular semesters required. Final graduation honors recorded on the diploma and transcript will be determined by the grade point average at the end of the semester in which all graduation requirements are met.
| Honors | Grade Point Average |
| Cum laude | 3.5 - 3.699 |
| Magna cum laude | 3.7 - 3.899 |
| Summa cum laude | 3.9 and above |
Once you have submitted your graduation application via MyMadison, you may access your graduation status at any time in your Student Center by selecting the “other academic” dropdown, then “Graduation”. All graduation requirements on the graduation status page must be listed as “On Track” after final grades post in the term in which you intend to graduate in order for you to be eligible for degree conferral.
All graduation requirements must be met in the semester for which you have applied to graduate. Students may not participate in the December commencement if their requirements will be met in the coming spring semester, nor may students who will complete their requirements in the coming fall semester participate in the previous May commencement. Students are permitted to participate in the May ceremony if all requirements for graduation will be completed during the subsequent summer session, but the diploma will not be awarded until the end of the summer term and will be given an August confer date.
Diplomas are mailed to students approximately 8 weeks after each conferral date. All diplomas are mailed to the primary address listed in MyMadison. If you would like to have your diploma mailed to an alternate address, you can update your information in MyMadison.
Some account holds can prevent your diploma from being ordered. Once the hold is removed, please email graduation@jmu.edu so we know to order your diploma.
Your diploma will list your full name as listed in MyMadison, as well as the degree earned. Your major(s), minor(s), and concentration(s) will not appear on the diploma.
All James Madison University diplomas measure 12 inches by 16 inches in landscape format.
To order a replacement diploma, please complete the Diploma Request Form. The diploma will have the current signatures of the university president and rector.
If you are requesting a copy of your diploma for degree verification, check to see if an official transcript or verification letter would be accepted instead. Typically, a transcript or letter serves as official proof of graduation in place of a diploma. An actual diploma is usually required for verification in foreign countries.
If you have applied to graduate and you need to change your anticipated graduation date, log into your MyMadison Student Center and select the “other academic” dropdown, then “Graduation”. On the Graduation Status page, select the ‘Change Expected Graduation Term’ button and follow the instructions.
In order to qualify for graduation for a specific term students must have all academic work completed, as verified by their instructors, by the last day of that semester. Incomplete grades that extend beyond the end of the last day of the term will result in the awarding of the degree at the next degree conferral date.
For example, a student applies to graduate for the fall semester. The last day of finals is December 18th so all academic work will need to be completed by December 18th in order for the student to qualify for a December degree conferral. A student who finishes that fall semester with an “I” grade, denoting “Incomplete”, and subsequently finishes the academic work for the “I” removal on January 18th, will receive their degree at the next (May) conferral date that occurs after the removal of the “Incomplete”.
JMU’s conferral dates are the Saturdays following the last days of classes from each term (fall, spring, summer). However, final grades do not post until after those dates and it typically takes up to five days for grade processing, graduation requirement checks, and degree conferrals to post to transcripts. For example, if the conferral date for a spring semester is May 4th, that is the date that will display on the transcript once final grades post, all requirements are checked, and the conferral process is run. Those processes could take as long as seven business days from the time final grades post.