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Procedure for Awarding Posthumous Degrees at the University of Washington (Seattle)

A degree may be awarded to a student who dies prior to the completion of degree requirements if the following guidelines have been met:

  1. Request is made by a family member(s);
  2. Student was within two quarters of graduating;
  3. The Dean of the college attended by the student approves the awarding of the degree.

Procedure

The formal request (the posthumous degree form) along with a copy of the student record and a graduation degree audit (DARS), should be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar. After review the request will be forwarded to the dean of the student's college for a final determination.

If approved, the formal request will be returned to the Office of the University Registrar for action (degree posted and diploma ordered) and the Office of the University Registrar will notify the family. If it is denied, the dean of the student's college will notify the family and include a letter of explanation.

At the UW (Seattle), college deans have full authority over the awarding of a posthumous degree within the college they represent.