Posthumous Degrees
National Louis University may award posthumous degrees. Students who have been approved to graduate, or meet all graduation criteria, will be awarded the degree or certificate for which the student is eligible. Deceased students who meet the criteria outlined in the Posthumous Degree Procedures may be eligible for an honorary posthumous degree.
A family member, or family representative, may request that a degree be awarded posthumously by reaching out to the Office of the Registrar and providing a death certificate via email at records@nl.edu. The Registrar will complete a degree audit to determine progress towards degree. If all degree requirements have been met the Registrar will alert the Vice President of Student Affairs and the Provost of the degree that was awarded posthumously. The Vice President of Student Affairs, or their designee, will communicate any next steps with the family. At the discretion of the institution, the student may be recognized at the university commencement ceremony.
Students who have made significant progress towards their degree may be eligible for an Honorary Posthumous Degree based on the following criteria.
The student was:
- In good academic standing and making satisfactory progress towards degree completion
- Enrolled within the last year at the institution
- Has made significant progress towards their degree program as outlined below, or at the discretion of the college
- Certificate students must be within 5 quarter hours
- Associates students must be within 15 quarter hours
- Bachelors students must be within 30 quarter hours
- Graduate students must be within 6 hours of completing the coursework for the degree
- If a thesis, dissertation, or capstone is required for a graduate degree the student must have a significant portion of the project completed and the committee must review and find the work to be acceptable.
After the Registrar completes an audit for an honorary degree, he or she will forward the results to the Dean of the respective college to make a formal nomination to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer. The Provost will review, and if approved present to the President for final approval. If approved, the Vice President of Student Affairs, or their designee, will communicate any next steps with the family. Honorary Posthumous Degrees are listed as so on the transcript and diploma and are excluded from institutional reporting of graduation outcomes.