Graduation Eligibility
You are considered eligible for graduation once you have officially completed a course of study (see: when is my course complete?). The rules for completion, e.g. which units and subjects are core requirements, any electives, and so on are all in your Course Handbook.
To complete a course, you must:
- Successfully complete all coursework and taught subjects – this means results must be final and published for all units. See: When and how will I get my final results?
- Formally complete any placements or work based learning (if applicable to your course) – this means all of your paperwork must be not only submitted but also confirmed as correct by your placement coordinator. See: Placement Handbook or refer to the Placement FAQs for your course.
- Have a final published mark for your thesis or research project (if applicable to your course) – this means that you need to have both submitted the thesis and we need to have formal marking back from your external examiners. See: Thesis Results.
- Ensure that any outstanding fees have been paid in full.
Your Course and Program Coordinator will check your record and authorise your completion of the course, and the date this approval is made will determine your official completion date of your course. These completion checks are conducted monthly, and any eligible student records will be updated at this time.
If you have completed your course you can find your ‘Statement of Completion’ including your official completion date, at the top of your transcript just below the course title. If you have not yet completed the course it will just say ‘Enrolled’. When you Request a Transcript with Completion Statement or other documentation which needs to confirm that you are eligible to graduate, you may want to check to see if your status is completed or enrolled before placing your document order.
When Will I Graduate?
We have conferrals commencing every council meeting as well as the formal graduation ceremony in May each year. The date of graduation and conferral is set and confirmed per year. See below the graduation eligibilty dates depending on when you completed your course.
Do I Have to Apply to Graduate?
Yes. See: Do I have to apply to Graduate?
Council Conferral
When you are marked course complete your degree will then be conferred through the academic council meeting.
Students will then be able to request any official documents related to graduating from your degree.
Students can then choose to attend the May ceremony experience however they will not attain their Testamur at the ceremony event.
Graduation Ceremony
We host one Graduation Ceremony, and this happens in May. The council conferrals do not have a Ceremony.
Students who are eligible to graduate from their degree will be notified of their graduation date and other important graduation information at least 2 months before the set graduate date. Students will be directed to the application page to register for graduation and they will be told when their deadline to apply is (the last date a student can apply to graduate).
All students who are eligible to graduate must apply to graduate.
Eligible students will need to choose if they would like to graduate in-person at the Cairnmillar Graduation Ceremony or to graduate in absentia. There is a strict cut-off deadline for applying to graduate and no late applications are accepted.
The Difference between “Completion”, “Conferral” and “Graduation”
Conferral is not the same as ‘completion’. Conferring your degree is the next step after you have completed your course requirements. It means that you have been admitted into your award as a legal graduate of the Cairnmillar Institute and you can use any titles associated with that degree.
Graduation is a ceremony and celebration. The ceremony can also be the same date in which your degree is conferred. Graduands can attend a graduation ceremony in person or attended in absence (in-absentia). We only host one ceremony and this is during the May conferral period.
In comparison, being marked as ‘Completed’ in your degree means that you have completed the academic requirements for your award. Completion is useful if you are applying for further study, or need evidence that you have met the academic requirements of your degree (i.e., applying for registration through AHPRA or other bodies) while awaiting to have your degree conferred. Completion checks are conducted on a monthly basis, and eligible students will be updated to completed at this time.
In comparison, the completion of your degree is automatic as soon as you have met the requirements.
Your degree is officially ‘conferred’ on a set date of the year. Graduation occurs when the Academic Council formally confer your degree, and you graduate. Graduation and Conferral can be used interchangeably and essentially mean the same thing.
Your Date Conferred will be added to your transcript and it will be the date of your official graduation from Cairnmillar.
Related Articles
It may be possible for students who miss the registration cut-off or have otherwise completed a degree more than 6 months before the next official graduation to graduate by ‘special conferral‘. Learn More.
Information about when your student account will be removed following graduation. Learn more.
Yes, all students who are eligible to graduate will need to apply. Learn more.