3.5.5 Posthumous Academic Awards

(Last updated 08/18/17)

General

Upon recommendation from the appropriate academic unit, awards are to be made in each case for which the conditions are satisfied. The conditions depend only on grades, units of semester credit, and progress toward completing requirements for a degree.

Undergraduate Degree

  1. Bachelor’s Degree - Unfulfilled requirements shall be waived, and a posthumous Bachelor’s degree awarded, if at the time of death:
    1. The student was regularly enrolled and had attained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher; and
    2. The student was within fifteen (15) semester units of completing all requirements for the degree, and/or was in the final semester leading to completion.
  2. Posthumous Certificate - If at the time of death the conditions for award of a posthumous Bachelor’s degree are not satisfied, a certificate indicating progress toward the degree shall be awarded if:
    1. The student had completed at least one semester of instruction on this campus, was regularly enrolled for the current (or coming) semester on this campus, and had attained a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher; and
    2. The student had consistently maintained full-time enrollment status (according to his or her college’s standards) during his or her time on campus.

 Graduate Degree

  1. Master’s Degree - Unfulfilled requirements shall be waived, and a posthumous Master’s degree awarded, if at the time of death:
    1. The student was regularly enrolled and had attained a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher; and
    2. The student was within twelve (12) semester units of completing all requirements for the degree, and/or was in the final semester leading to completion.

  2. Juris Doctor (JD) - Unfulfilled requirements shall be waived, and a posthumous juris doctor awarded, if at the time of death:
    1. The student was regularly enrolled and was in good academic standing; and
    2. The student was advanced to their final year leading to completion.

  3. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) - Unfulfilled requirements shall be waived, and a posthumous Ph.D. degree awarded, if at the time of death:
    1. The student was advanced to candidacy;
    2. The student’s dissertation was near completion.

  4. Candidate of Philosophy (C.Phil.) – If the time of death the conditions for award of a posthumous Ph.D. degree are not satisfied, a C.Phil. shall be awarded if:
    1. The student was advanced to candidacy;
    2. The student had a GPA of 3.00 or higher; and
    3. The student completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except for the dissertation.

  5. Posthumous Certificate - If at the time of death the conditions for award of a posthumous graduate degree or juris doctor are not satisfied, a certificate indicating progress toward the degree shall be awarded if:
    1. The student had completed at least one semester of instruction on this campus, was regularly enrolled for the current (or coming) semester on this campus, and had attained a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 (for graduate degree) or higher or in good academic standing (for a juris doctor); and
    2. The student had consistently maintained full-time enrollment status (according to Graduate Division and the School of Law’s standards) during his or her time on campus.