With a few exceptions, like Math and Computer Science, graduation with Honors requires the completion of a Senior Honors thesis. This consists of detailed, original research in your chosen field. It is normally completed during the senior year. Length and format requirements vary by department. Thesis research and writing is normally done under the direction of a professor who shares the student's areas of interest.

Many departments require their honors majors to register for special seminars and independent study research courses. Other departments don't have these courses, so their students can choose to enroll in Honors 490. Since thesis research and writing often extends beyond one term, your advisor may assign you a "Y" grade for the term or terms prior to completion. This simply means "extended course" or "work in progress." Upon the completion of your thesis, one letter grade will be assigned for all the terms involved. Unlike an "I" (for an incomplete), the "Y" does not remain on your record.

Honors students have the option of using their senior theses to fulfill the Upper Level Writing Requirement (ULWR). If the student intends to use this option, an Honors Thesis Intent Form for the ULWR must be filled out by the student and their thesis advisor. The form is available in the Honors Office, on the Forms page of the Honors website, or at the Sweetland Writing Center (SWC). Return the completed form to the Honors Office for approval and it will be forwarded to the SWC for processing. This form should be completed by the third week of the term in which you plan to complete your thesis. Completion of the requirement hinges on satisfactory completion of the thesis itself, so you may want to select another ULWR course if there is any possibility you will decide not to complete your work.

Deadlines and procedures for evaluating senior theses also vary by department. Some departments have a committee that evaluates all theses, whereas others are based primarily on the judgment of the student's advisor and the departmental honors advisor.

Once the thesis has been evaluated, The department will send one of four possible recommendations to the Honors Office: No Honors, Honors, High Honors, or Highest Honors. "No Honors" is given for work that does not meet departmental standards, and for students with cumulative GPAs under 3.4. The other three will be posted on your official transcript and diploma. These are separate from the Distinction awards, which are also posted on graduates' diplomas and transcripts. "Distinction" is awarded on the basis of the student's final cumulative GPA. "Highest Distinction" is given to the top 3% of the graduating class, "High Distinction" is given to those in the 4-10% of the graduating class, and "Distinction" is given to those in the 11-25% of the graduating class.

With only a few exceptions, like Math and Computer Science, graduation with Honors requires the successful completion of a Senior Honors thesis. If you are not completing an Honors plan in any department, you must complete a Transfer from Honors (form linked), so that your record is accurate and your file and graduation paperwork can be released to the LSA Academic Auditors in G255 Angell Hall. They will process your senior audit and graduation certification. Here is the link to their website regarding graduation procedures: Newnan Advising Center - Applying for Graduation.

If you are in the Residential College (RC), even if you are completing an Honors plan, the RC will process your senior audit and graduation certification. All materials should be submitted to Charles Murphy, 133 Tyler House, East Quad. However, you should submit an Honors Graduation Card:

1. Students must apply for graduation on Wolverine Access. Click on Student Business > Degree Progress/Graduation > Apply for Graduation, and then follow the prompts.
2. In addition to applying for graduation online, students must also meet with departmental advisors to submit Major and Minor releases for each major and minor they have declared. All releases should be submitted to the Honors Program.  Changes to an original release must be approved and submitted by the departmental advisor.

Once all of your releases and your completed online application are received, the Honors Academic Auditor will send your Official Senior Audit to your umich.edu e-mail account. Generally, it takes one to two weeks to process your audit. Please note that at certain times of the year (January, May, August, October, and November) we experience a high volume of requests and audit processing can take up to three or four weeks.

Your Official Senior Audit is an official University document. Please read it thoroughly and keep it for your records; the information in your audit is used to certify your graduation. If you have questions or believe there is a mistake in your audit, please e-mail the Honors Academic Auditor, Jacquelyn Turkovich. (Please note that the online degree audit on Wolverine Access is a useful tool, but is is NOT an official degree audit. The only official audit is the one that you receive from the Senior Auditor in the Honors office.) It is your responsibility to make sure your remaining courses will satisfy the unfulfilled requirements listed in your audit.

If you are taking courses for a major or minor other than the ones listed in your audit (i.e., you have made a change in how you are fulfilling a major’s requirements), have your major advisor submit an updated release.

All Honors seniors (including RC students who are also Honors concentrators) should fill out a Honors Graduation Card for graduation to ensure that you and your family will be invited to the Honors Graduation Ceremony.

Remember, if you are intending to use your thesis to fulfill the Upper Level Writing Requirement (ULWR), you must submit the Honors Thesis Intent Form for the ULWR to the Honors Program. This form must be signed by you and your thesis advisor. Honors will endorse your form and forward it to the Sweetland Writing Center (SWC) for processing

If you applied for the wrong graduation date on Wolverine Access or your plans have changed and you need to defer your graduation, you must notify the Honors Academic Auditor in writing. Please send an e-mail from your umich account: include your name, UM ID number, and new graduation date. If you are deferring because you plan to complete another major or minor, remember to submit a release for the new major or minor.

ATTENDING A COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU HAVE OFFICIALLY GRADUATED.

Once all of your final grades appear on your transcript, your record is evaluated to verify that you have met all degree requirements. If your graduation has been denied, you will receive e-mail notification.

Once your degree is conferred, it will appear on your official and unofficial transcripts. Conferral happens in late May. If you need verification of your graduation prior to the end of May (for an employer or graduate school, for example), contact Jacquelyn Turkovich. After degrees are conferred, however, only the Registrar's Office can provide letters of graduation verification. If your degree has been conferred and you need verification, contact the Office of the Registrar at 734-763-9066.

There are three graduation periods every year - April, August, and December - but only two campus-wide commencement ceremonies: Spring Commencement (at the conclusion of the Winter term), and Fall Commencement (in December). August (Summer) graduates are eligible to participate in either the Spring or the December ceremony.

The Honors Program has its own graduation ceremony and reception each year during the Spring Commencement activities. Here is a link to our Events feed for specific times and dates.

For campus-wide ceremony information, visit www.umich.edu/~gradinfo.