Degree Conferment and Commencement Participation

Authorizing Body:

Office of the Dean

Date Issued:

March 27, 2014

Last Update:

May 19, 2025

Rationale:

Scope and Applicability:

All students enrolled in the School of Medicine.

Standard Practice Guideline:

OUWB medical students must complete the medical school curriculum within six years of initial enrollment. Approved joint degree programs that enrich a student's medical education experience are encouraged but will not count toward the six-year limit. The Student Performance Review Committee (SPRC) reviews appeals for exceptions to the six-year rule on a case-by-case basis.

Procedures:

The MD degree will be conferred by OUWB to persons who have met the following requirements prior to graduation as determined by the faculty:

• Satisfactory completion of all curricular requirements as determined by the SPRC
• A passing score on the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 CK exams
• Completion of an Embark Program Capstone project
• A passing score on a summative Gateway Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
• Paid all tuition and fees in full (and/or paid all outstanding debts to Oakland University)
• Returned all materials/school property
• Attended the mandatory exit interview for medical school student loan borrowers
  
  

All students must apply for graduation in SAIL. A final degree audit is completed by the Associate Dean of Clinical Education, who will review and confirm that all competency and degree requirements have been met. Names of all eligible students are then sent to the SPRC by the Associate Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Management for review and approval. The list of approved students is submitted to Faculty Affairs for placement on the Faculty Assembly agenda for approval, and finally to the Oakland University Board of Trustees for conferral of the degree.

Winter (June) Graduation:

Students are required to submit their applications for graduation by the winter graduate school deadline of January 31 of each year. All MD and joint program degrees for winter graduates are conferred by the end of the winter semester (June) as reported by the Oakland University Graduate School.

Fall (December) Graduation:

Under special circumstances, OUWB will grant the MD and joint program degrees in December. These circumstances include enrollment interruptions due to transitioning between the MD program and other joint programs and/or any enrollment interruptions due to other approved academic enrichment opportunities or academic, personal, or medical leave that increases the duration of enrollment beyond the normally anticipated curricular plan of study at matriculation.

Students are required to submit their applications for graduation by the fall graduate school deadline of September 30 of each year. All MD and joint program degrees for fall graduates are conferred by the end of the fall semester (December) as reported by the Oakland University Graduate School.

Procedures:

Information on how to apply for graduation can be found here.

Commencement Participation:

All eligible students anticipating either winter or fall graduation can take part in commencement ceremonies in May of the academic year in which they complete their requirements. Participation eligibility will be determined by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Career Development and by degree audit completed by the Associate Dean for Clinical Education. Students who are off-cycle and complete graduation requirements after June 30th will not be eligible to participate in the May commencement of that same year. These students will be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony during the following year. If an M4 student needs to use the fall semester to complete additional graduation requirements, they will participate in the May commencement during the following year. It's important to understand that participating in the commencement ceremony does not signify graduation.

Definitions:

N/A

Related Policies and Forms:

Standards for Graduation
Graduation Requirements
Satisfactory Academic Progress to Maintain Enrollment Eligibility

Appendix:

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