Graduation Requirements

It is our goal that every candidate for graduation give evidence of a true Christian life and character during their academic studies at TIU. All candidates are recommended for consideration as graduands by faculty vote. To be eligible to receive the Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity College, students must meet the following requirements within seven years of catalog date:

  • Earn 120 semester hours of credit. Included in this are those hours required in general education and the student’s major field of study. A maximum of 12 hours of applied music, 4 hours of Preparation for College Studies (PCS) classes, 4 hours of drama production, 6 hours of human performance and wellness activity courses, and 12 hours of internship will count toward graduation.
  • Earn an overall Trinity cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00. The general education, major1, and minor requirements must each be completed with a minimum of 2.00 GPA.
  • Complete the general education requirements.
  • Be accepted into a major and fulfill the requirements of that major. Students must declare a major no later than the second semester of their sophomore year or on entrance, in the case of junior and senior transfer students. A minimum of nine (9) upper-division credits in the major must be earned while in residence.
  • Complete at least 30 of the last 45 hours at Trinity, or in a nonresident program of study authorized by the faculty, as a regular student in order to receive a degree. Hours completed through credit by examination (CBE) do not count toward these 30 hours. Seniors who plan to matriculate in another college and transfer their final credits to Trinity must make arrangements with the Academic Records Office prior to leaving Trinity.
  • Apply for and complete graduation requirements. A student may complete degree requirements and graduate from Trinity at the end of one of three different completion semesters: fall, spring, or summer. The Application for Graduation is due on December 15 of the year prior to the anticipated graduation year for spring and summer graduands. For fall graduands, the Application for Graduation is due on July 15 of the anticipated graduation year. The following documentation must be filed with the Academic Records Office for review and verification of degree completion. All of these documents are available online or in the Records Office:
    • Application for Graduation form.
    • When approved by faculty, any “Substitution/Waiver Form” should also be submitted to the Records Office for processing.
    • “6-Hour Contract,” if applicable, for commencement participation (see Commencement Participation for further information). 
  • Attend2 the commencement ceremony. Permission to graduate in absentia must be obtained from the Dean of the College.
1

Students should review their specific major requirements as listed in this catalog. Some majors require a higher cumulative GPA for graduation.

2

Attendance at commencement does not necessarily indicate degree completion.