Commencement is held twice a year, usually the last weekend of May (on Metzger Lawn) and on the third Friday of December (in the Chase Gymnasium).  If receiving your degree, you are expected to participate in the ceremony unless you have received permission to graduate in absentia.  [see Graduating In Absentia]  BOLD Program students who finish their last module and have all other graduation requirements completed, typically are awarded their bachelor’s degree at the next commencement ceremony.

August Posting of Diploma

If all graduation requirements have been completed after the May Commencement but before August 31st (all grades and official transcripts received by the university), an August 31st Posting may be requested.

The State of California allows degrees to be posted on this date for only two reasons:

  1. Employment-related needs
  2. Graduate school application-related needs

A written request must be submitted to the Dean of Academic Records and Institutional Research.  If approved, you are expected to participate in the December Commencement unless given permission to graduate in absentia.  [see Graduating In Absentia Below] A Graduation Petition must be submitted by the end of August.

 

Degree Requirements

The following degrees are currently being offered through the BOLD Program:

  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Organizational Leadership = 120 units
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Psychology = 130 units

For graduation, the following must be fulfilled:

  1. Major courses (OL - 36 units; Psych - 51 units).  24 units (minimum) must be upper-division, of which a minimum of 15 units must be taken at Biola. *
  2. 30 units of the entire program must be taken in residence.   
  3. Biola’s GE requirements.
  4. Biola’s Biblical Studies requirements (minimum 14 units).  At least 50% of the Bible units that a student will need to satisfy must be taken in residence, which includes Acts.
  5. A minimum cumulative GPA of "C" (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) in the major and on all work done at Biola.

A diploma will only be issued when all degree requirements have been fulfilled.

*  This does not include borrowed units or lower division course that have been substituted for major
    courses.    

 

Deadlines for Coursework

 All graduation requirements must be fulfilled in order for you to be awarded your degree and to participate in commencement.  Please adhere to the following deadlines:

Biola Bible & GE (Spring only) 

All GE and Bible courses taken at Biola must start prior to April 1st in order for the student to be eligible for a May degree posting.  Courses starting after this date (coded as summer courses) may give the student eligibility for an August Posting (see your Academic Counselor).  If a graduate needs verification of her/his degree, prior to the August Posting, a letter may be requested from the Registrar's Office.

Community College Coursework

If you are enrolled in a community college course during your last program term, the community college semester must finish on or before Biola University’s commencement date.  Some community college semesters end after Biola's May or December commencement.  In such cases, arrangements must be made so that all coursework and the final exam are completed prior to Biola's commencement.

Please submit the following three documents:

  • Off Campus Courses Request Form - with Graduation Petition
  • Proof of Registration - by March 15 (May graduation) or by December 1 (December graduation)
  • Progress Report - see information below

A Progress Report must be submitted for each course at the 10th week mark of the term. For an accelerated course, a Progress Report may be submitted at the midpoint of the course. The form must be signed by the professor and mailed directly to your academic counselor in the BOLD Program.  A note from the professor on college letterhead or an email sent by the professor from his/her college email account will also suffice.  An exact grade is not required.  The professor need only verify that you are still enrolled in the course and are maintaining a "C" (2.00 GPA) or better.  [see Important Dates & Deadlines Below]

All forms are available online at www.biola.edu/academics/professional-studies/bold/current_students/grad_prep/

Correspondence Courses, College Level Exam Program (CLEP) Exams and Foreign Language Exams

All correspondence coursesm, CLEP exams, and Foreign Language exams must be completed and an official transcript received by your Education Center showing the grade or score earned no later than March 15th for May graduation or October 1st for December graduation.  [see Important Dates & Deadlines Below]

It is strongly recommended that any correspondence courses as well as CLEP or Foreign Language exams are completed early on in the program.

Credit for Prior Learning (CPL)

May GraduationJanuary 1stProposal
February 1stFirst Draft
March 15th Final Draft
December GraduationAugust 1stProposal
September 1stFirst Draft
October 1stFinal Draft

Graduating In Absentia

You are expected to attend your commencement ceremony.  If you wish to be excused from participation (thus, graduating in absentia), you must request permission in writing from the Dean of Institutional Records and Research, outlining your reasons for such a request.

 

Graduating Non-Resident

Graduation requirements may be completed even if you are out of the area.  However, finishing the program as “non-resident” may only be done under the following circumstances:

  1. A minimum of 30 units (graded), of which 15 units (minimum) of upper-division coursework from the program major have been taken in residence at Biola.
  2. You will finish with at least 24 upper-division units in the major.
  3. You will not exceed the limit of 70 community college units counted towards graduation.
  4. The program modules not taken at Biola, if any, are ones that can be completed at another institution and are transferable to Biola.
  5. You have written both the Dean of the School of Professional Studies and the Dean of Institutional Records and Research, outlining your graduation plan (including specific courses and specific schools), and this plan is approved by both Deans.

This policy is an exception to the Biola University catalog section that states, "all coursework during the final semester which will be applied toward graduation requirements must be taken at Biola University."

 

Graduation Departure Form

A completed Graduation Departure form must be submitted to your Education Center prior to graduation rehearsal.  You may obtain this form from your Education Center or download it online at www.biola.edu/academics/professional-studies/bold/current_students/grad_prep/.  Please complete the top portion of the form as well as the comment section.  You do not need to route it for departmental signatures; your Education Center will handle this for you.    

 

Graduation Information

For information regarding an upcoming graduation (i.e. date, time, ordering announcements or a cap and gown), go to the commencement website located at www.biola.edu/commencement.

 

Graduation Petition

Six months prior to your target graduation date, a Graduation Petition indicating which courses have been completed as well as what requirements are left to complete must be submitted to your Education Center.  [see Appendix 9] 

  1. A Graduation Petition will be sent to you from your Education Center or you may download it www.biola.edu/academics/professional-studies/bold/current_students/grad_prep/.  Please complete it using a recent assessment as a guide.  If need be, you may request an updated assessment from your academic counselor.
  2. Submit the completed petition and the Off Campus Courses Request Form, if applicable, to your Academic Counselor.  You may opt to set up an appointment to discuss the petition and your remaining coursework in person or you may mail it to the office.
  3. Your Academic Counselor will review the completed petition.  Any questions will be addressed.  Once it has been reviewed and finalized, the petition will be forwarded to the Registrar's Office.

Petition Deadline

Failure to submit a completed petition by the deadline will result in a $200 late fee assessed by the Registrar's Office.  Although considered late, Graduation Petitions will be accepted prior to November 1st for fall commencement and April 15th for spring commencement.  Thereafter, the student must participate in the following commencement.
  
Any changes must be made in writing to the Graduation Counselor in the Registrar’s Office.  

 

Graduation Verification

If verification is needed for an employer or graduate school, an official letter from the Biola University Registrar's Office may be requested.  This will confirm that you have completed all necessary graduation requirements for your degree, as well as indicate the date that your degree will be awarded.

 

Honors & Awards

Graduating with Honors or High Honors 

To graduate with Honors or HighHonors,a minimum of 45 units need to be from graded courses completed at Biola University.  Credit for Prior Learning and Challenge Exam units are not counted in the computation of the required 45 units since they do not represent graded learning at Biola University under the supervision of a Biola professor.  GPA is only based on courses taken at Biola.  Grades earned at other colleges do not effect your Biola GPA.  

Honors GPA Requirements:  [see Appendix 8 ]

  • High Honors = 3.95 - 4.00
  • Honors = 3.85 - 3.949

Honors and High Honors will be indicated on the transcript and diploma.  In addition, those graduating with High Honors will be announced at commencement.

Honors Indicated in the Commencement Program

For Honors and High Honors to be included in the commencement program, units and GPA are calculated by the following dates:  April 1st for May commencement and November 1st for December commencement.  If courses are completed after the deadline you may still graduate with Honors or High Honors, but it will not be listed in the graduation program nor will it be announced (for those with High Honors) at the ceremony.  However, it will be indicated on your transcript and diploma. 

Honor Society - Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL)

Biola has been granted authority to establish the "Iota Alpha" Chapter of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society, a national honor society for students in continuing higher education.  BOLD Program faculty, administration, and peers will recommend students based on academic achievement (minimum 3.20 GPA), demonstrated leadership ability, and personal character.  The number of students nominated will not exceed ten percent of the total number of BOLD Program students graduating.  This honor will be indicated in the commencement program.

 

Important Dates & Deadlines

May Graduation

Mid-OctoberMeet with your Academic Counselor for graduation check and to submit Graduation Petition.
March 15 Official transcripts due for correspondence courses, CLEP exams and Foreign Language exams.
Proof of Registration due for off-campus courses.
Credit for Prior Learning petitions must be completed and submitted.
   
March10th Week Progress Reports due for community college courses. *

December Graduation

Mid-April Meet with your Academic Counselor for graduation check and to submit Graduation Petition.
October 1 Official transcripts due for correspondence courses, CLEP exams and Foreign Language exams
Proof of Registration due for off-campus courses .
Credit for Prior Learning petitions must be completed and submitted.
   
November 10th Week Progress Reports due for community college courses. *

* If enrolled in a community college course during your last term in the program. [see Deadlines for Coursework Above]