Graduation
Application for Graduation
The University Senate grants degrees in October and May each year prior to the awarding of degrees at convocation ceremonies in November and June, respectively. Candidates for a degree, diploma or certificate must submit a formal application for graduation when registering in the final Summer or Winter Session before their anticipated graduation. The application deadlines are July 1 for November convocation and December 1 for June convocation. Application forms for graduation are available from Undergraduate Records or can be requested at their website <registrar.uvic.ca>.
Because of the delay in obtaining official transcripts, students completing their degree requirements at another institution during the second term of the Winter Session (January-April) are not eligible to graduate at June convocation. They must apply for a succeeding convocation.
Please note that once a degree, diploma or certificate has been awarded by the University Senate, no changes can be made to the programs that constitute that credential nor can the degree, diploma or certificate be rescinded at the request of the student. For instance, a student may not undertake completion of additional course requirements to qualify for a different credential, such as adding a Minor program to an awarded degree or changing an awarded BA in Geography to a BSc degree in Geography, or changing an awarded BA Major to a BA Honours.
Minimum Degree Requirements for Graduation 
Each candidate for a first bachelor’s degree (in a faculty other than Law) is required:
- to have satisfied the Academic Writing Requirement
- to present credit in a minimum of 60 units of university level courses numbered 100 and above*; at least 21 of the units must be numbered at the 300 or 400 level; at least 18 of the 300 or 400 level units must be UVic courses, and at least 30 of the units must normally be UVic courses. (Post-diploma nursing students are advised to refer to the regulations specific to the School of Nursing; see Minimum Degree Requirements.)
- to meet the specific degree and program requirements prescribed by the undergraduate faculty in which the candidate is registered
- to have a graduating grade point average of at least 2.0
* Important: Credit awarded for a co-op work term cannot be used in satisfaction of the minimum degree requirements of 60 overall/30 UVic/21 senior units. Co-op work term credit is recognized ONLY in fulfillment of the co-op program work-term requirement.
Standing at Graduation
Graduating Average
The graduating average of a student in a bachelor’s degree program (other than BEng, BSEng, and Law) will be determined as the weighted average of the grade values assigned to 300 and 400 level (and in Education 700 level) courses (other than COM-graded courses) taken or challenged at UVic. Courses at the 500 level may be included in the graduating average if they are accepted as credit towards the undergraduate degree.
A course which has been used to satisfy the requirements for one degree, or which has been used in the calculation of the student’s graduating average for one degree, cannot be used for credit towards another degree.
Once a degree, diploma or certificate has been awarded by the University Senate, no changes can be made to the programs that constitute that credential.
Example: A student may not undertake completion of additional course requirements to qualify for a different credential, such as adding a Minor program to an awarded degree or changing an awarded BA in Geography to a BSc degree in Geography, or changing an awarded BA Major to a BA Honours.
With Distinction
The notation “With Distinction” will appear on the degree parchment, the convocation program and the transcript for each student whose graduating average GPA is in the top 20% of those graduating in her or his academic unit (“the 20% threshold GPA”).
The “With Distinction” designation is not available in the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Graduate Studies or the Division of Continuing Studies.
All graduating students in each academic unit - those graduating in Honours, Major and General programs only- are included in a single pool from which the 20% threshold GPA is calculated, and all are eligible for the “With Distinction” designation.
Calculation of the 20% threshold GPA is made at the time that convocation lists are generated for the Spring convocation, except in the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business where Fall Convocation is the basis for the 20% threshold GPA calculation.
- Students who graduate in a Fall convocation will be given the “With Distinction” designation if their graduating average GPA meets the 20% threshold GPA calculated for the previous Spring convocation; a separate 20% calculation is not normally performed, but the University reserves the right to conduct a separate calculation for Fall convocations.
- In the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, calculations for the 20% threshold GPA are made at the time that convocation lists are generated for the Fall convocation, and the same graduating average GPA shall normally be used for the subsequent Spring convocation.
- Students whose names are added to the convocation lists after they are generated will be given the “With Distinction” designation if their graduating average GPA is equal to or exceeds the 20% threshold GPA calculated either at the time of generation or (in the case of Fall convocations in faculties other than the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business and Spring convocations in the Gustavson School of Business) carried forward from the previous convocation.
In the Faculty of Education, calculations are performed separately for each of the following programs:
- BA Recreation and Health Education;
- BSc Kinesiology;
- BEd (Elementary Curriculum);
- BEd Elementary Post-Degree Professional Program;
- BEd (Secondary Curriculum);
- BEd Post-Degree Professional Program (Secondary).
- BEd Post-Degree Professional Program (Middle Years).
Where the total number of students graduating in an academic unit (and, where applicable, in a degree type) in the Spring convocation is less than 20, the “With Distinction” designation is awarded on the basis of a 20% threshold GPA calculated including all units in the faculty.
For students enrolled in a general, double or combined program (Honours and Major, Double Major, Combined Major, Joint Programs), the achievement of "With Distinction" in one program shall be sufficient for the award of the designation.
Graduation Ceremonies
The formal conferral of degrees takes place at a convocation ceremony in the fall and spring each year.
To qualify as candidates for graduation in the fall (November) convocation, students must have finished their UVic course work by the end of August. Students completing final requirements in the first term of Winter Session cannot be considered for fall convocation.
To qualify as candidates for graduation in the spring (June) convocation, students must have completed their UVic course work by the end of April. Students completing final requirements in the May sequence of the Summer Session cannot be considered for spring convocation.
Graduates become members of the Convocation of the University as soon as their degrees are granted by the Senate, which generally occurs several weeks before the convocation ceremony.
Students who require proof of degree completion before degrees have been conferred by the Senate can obtain a letter from Undergraduate Records.
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