Seniors

We look forward to celebrating with you at commencement on Friday, May 31, 2013.  This site is designed to guide you through your final semesters at Wellesley by providing important information regarding degree requirements, highlighting key deadlines, and outlining commencement policies.

 

As a 2013 degree candidate, it is important that you thoroughly and routinely review your academic record, submit all required paperwork to the Registrar’s Office on time, and discuss any questions with your Class Dean.  Please remember that it is your responsibility to review your academic record and know all degree requirements; the Registrar’s Office and the Class Deans will assist in identifying the answers for any questions you may have.  We have created a checklist to assist you in reviewing your academic record.

 

 

Cross-registration during your final semester - It is important to review the academic calendar of the host institutions when deciding to cross-register at Babson, Brandeis, MIT, or Olin during your final semester.  All final grades for seniors must be submitted to the Registrar's Office by the Wellesley deadline (Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at noon).  The final exam schedules and grading deadlines at the other institutions may not align with this deadline and may result in your degree being delayed until October 2013.  The MIT deadlines will impact seniors.  The final exam period at MIT is Monday, May 20-Friday, May 24 and final grades are due at MIT on Tuesday, May 28. 

 

Thesis and departmental honors - Students may earn honors in one of three ways:  by writing an honors thesis, by taking an honors examination, or by electing another option approved by their major department or program.  Only the thesis option is offered by all departments and programs.  Please review the Articles of Government, Book II, Article IV for detailed information.

 

Latin honors - Students with an average of 3.60 or higher will be Wellesley College Scholars cum laude; those with an average of 3.75 or higher will be Durant Scholars magna cum laude; students with a 3.90 or higher average will be Durant Scholars summa cum laude.  For purposes of establishing honors, grade point averages are truncated to two decimal places.  

 

For students entering before September 2009: qualification for Latin honors depends on your grades in all Wellesley and MIT courses taken after your first year.  You may take an average of no more than 1/4 of your Wellesley units credit/non (not including courses taken in your first year).  No more than three "I/grade" or "INC" notations may appear after your first year.  You may not have any "F" grades in your final semester.

 

For students entering in September 2009 or later: qualification for Latin honors depends on your grades in all Wellesley and MIT courses taken after your first semester.  You may take no more than 1/4 of potentially graded units (i.e., mandatory credit/noncredit courses are not included) on a credit/non basis. A minimum of 12 graded courses (adding up to at least 12 units) must be included in the calculation for Latin honors.  No more than three "I/grade" or "INC" notations may appear after your first year.  You may not have any "F" grades in your final semester.

 

Transfer students and Davis Scholars should consult their Class Deans about which semesters will count toward Latin honors.

 

Please review the Articles of Government, Book II, Article XI for the full explanation of Latin Honors.

 

Commencement participation - Students typically participate in commencement after they have completed all degree requirements. A student may participate in commencement before completing all degree requirements if she is within two units or two requirements of completing the degree, and if the record is otherwise of diploma-grade standing, or if she has one additional semester in order to complete degree requirements, and the record is of diploma-grade standing. Exceptions to these standards can be considered by the Academic Review Board. Students may participate in commencement only once.