Graduation
SLU–Madrid is pleased to honor our students who fulfill graduation requirements at our commencement ceremonies. Read below for complete information on graduation dates, requirements for participation, ordering caps and gowns and more.
Commencement Events
Please take note of the following important dates and times:
- Awards ceremony: 4 p.m., Friday, May 9, San Ignacio Hall cafetería
- Graduation mass: 6 p.m., Sunday, May 11, Chapel of Residencia Universitaria Virgen de Los Dolores (Calle de los Olivos, 13, 28003, Madrid)
- Commencement: 10:30 a.m., Monday, May 12, Fundación Pablo VI Auditorium (Paseo de Juan XXIII, 3, 28040, Madrid), followed by an "aperitivo" at San Ignacio Hall.
If you have any questions, please email events_madrid@slu.edu.
Caps and Gowns
Degree candidates must wear caps and gowns, which may be purchased at the SLU-Madrid bookstore before graduation. For more information about caps and gowns, contact Marta Sánchez-Paulete at the bookstore by email at copies-madrid@slu.edu.
Diplomas
Diplomas are not distributed at the ceremony. Saint Louis University will send diplomas to the contact address degree candidates provide in their Degree Application Form. For further information about diplomas, contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar-madrid@slu.edu.
Public Transportation to the SLU-Madrid Campus
The Metro station closest to campus is Guzmán el Bueno (Lines 6 and 7). EMT bus service is also available: Lines 2, 45, C and F have bus stops near campus.
Hotels
Below is a list of hotels/hostels for your stay in Madrid. The places mentioned below are intended to be close to campus and downtown Madrid.
Participation Requirements
Graduates must complete their "Application for Graduation" at the beginning of the semester they plan to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
As you prepare to graduate from Saint Louis University, complete the following steps to ensure everything is in place to receive your degree on time. One year before you plan to graduate, double-check that you have completed all graduation requirements:
- Make sure that you have declared your major and minor and that they appear correctly on your transcript on Banner Self-Service.
- Fill out your major and minor checklists.
- Ensure you will have completed all core requirements by the time you intend to graduate.
- Make sure that you will have completed 120 credits. Remember that it's possible to fulfill all major, minor and core requirements and still not have 120 credits.
- Make sure that you do not need to complete additional electives.
- Check your grade point average. Your GPA must be above 2.0 for both your major and your minor to be eligible for graduation.
- Meet with your academic advisor to review everything.
- Fill out the Application for Graduation (PDF). The term refers to your last term of study, when your degree will be awarded, which may differ from the actual graduation ceremony (commencement) date.
All students will be charged a graduation fee on the semester they apply and are approved for graduation. The fee amount can be found on the tuition and fees page.
Students should discuss their specific degree requirements with their advisors throughout their academic careers. An advisor is there to help students plan and confirm their progress toward graduation. Each student is responsible for being aware of the requirements specific to their degrees and the number of hours needed to complete to graduate.
Changes in undergraduate degree requirements must be approved by the last day of the Spring semester to take effect in the following academic year. Such changes must be communicated immediately to the university registrar. Deans, by exception, may allow you to take advantage of new degree requirements immediately if the exception allows you to complete degree requirements.
The general requirements for earning a baccalaureate degree from Saint Louis University are as follows:
- The satisfactory fulfillment of each area's lower- and upper-division course requirements.
- The completion of no less than 120 semester hours of credit (excluding lower-division military science and physical education courses) with an overall grade point average of 2.0. Grade point averages are based on hours attempted (not merely hours passed) and grade points earned.
- At least 30 of the last 36 semester hours of your degree program must be taken at the Madrid or St. Louis campuses of Saint Louis University. Individual schools or colleges may have policies that vary from this norm.
- A degree candidate must submit an online application for graduation before the end of the second week of the semester or session in which graduation is intended. Students must be in good academic standing to apply.
- Because of the progress in various fields of learning, collegiate credits earned more than 10 calendar years before graduation will be reevaluated. If circumstances warrant, you may be required to take further work or repeat certain courses before a degree is conferred.
- Seniors with a grade of Incomplete in any course needed for graduation should clear the record and have the change-of-grade submitted on appropriate forms to the academic dean's office by April 1 for May graduation, July 1 for August graduation and December 1 for January graduation.
- All course requirements for a degree must be completed or be in progress before or during the semester for degree conferral. The University will award a degree if all required coursework is completed and needed documentation is received, within 40 calendar days of the University conferral date. Beyond 40 calendar days, the diploma's award will be deferred to the next University conferral date. See individual schools/colleges for additional graduation requirements.
- Students who participate in an internship must complete it before the official conferral of their degrees. Once the degree has been awarded, the University cannot sign an internship agreement.
Honors and cumulative grade point averages will be determined at the time of graduation. For the purpose of computing honors and cumulative University, departmental or college grade point averages, any grade of "I" will be calculated as an "F." Honors will not be recomputed if the "I" is subsequently changed to another grade. Any grade of "I" remaining on your record at graduation must be resolved within 30 calendar days of the commencement date. At this time, the "I" will automatically be converted to an "F."
Averages for graduation honors are computed only based on coursework taken in the schools or colleges of Saint Louis University. Students receiving a first baccalaureate degree must have completed 54 earned semester hours in residence at Saint Louis University to be eligible to graduate with honors. A student with a baccalaureate degree from another institution may be awarded a second baccalaureate degree with academic honors if at least 48 credit hours are earned at Saint Louis University, and the minimum grade point average (based on Saint Louis University course work only) is satisfied.
Graduation honors are awarded as follows:
- Cum laude for a grade point average of 3.5 to 3.699
- Magna cum laude for a grade point average of 3.7 to 3.899
- Summa cum laude for a grade point average of 3.9 to 4.0