The Road to Graduation – From Your First Term to Commencement
The road to graduation day is a long journey, and it starts from your very first term! It takes courage and grit to finish college, and I am proud of you for embarking on this journey. You will likely encounter some bumps along the way. However, being prepared and informed will help you persevere and be successful.
A. The First Part of Your Academic Journey: It Starts with Your First Term
After you've been enrolled in courses, you will spend time learning how to navigate your mySNHU (your online campus) and Brightspace (your online classroom). At the beginning, everything seems daunting. You will need to give yourself a lot of grace! It takes patience to learn and adjust to these new systems. This is particularly true for those who haven’t been in school for many years and have never taken an online course. You may not fully understand or feel 100% comfortable with navigating our systems until your second or third term, and that is completely normal.
Once you feel comfortable navigating our systems, take time to familiarize yourself with your Academic Evaluation. It is an important tool that will help you track your progress every step of the way until graduation day.
Tracking Your Progress
You can access your Academic Evaluation through your mySNHU home page. Your home page is where you see “Hi [your first name]! Welcome to mySNHU!”). Click on View My Academic Evaluation under the Quick Links.
On your academic evaluation, you can view the following information:
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Student Data. In this section, you will see your student ID, name, major(s), degree program, concentration (if applicable), and campus (GC/Global Campus). When reviewing this section, make sure that the program listed is the one you selected during the admissions process.
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Academic Progress. This is where you can view your academic progress as a percentage. It will show you the percentage of completed requirements and credits. This is also where you will find your cumulative GPA.
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Program Requirements Summary. Here you will find a summary of your degree program requirements:
Credits required for credential. All undergraduate Bachelor's programs at SNHU require you to complete 120 credits; for the Associate's degree, you are required to complete 60 credits.
Credits applied to credential. This is how many earned credits have been applied to your program. Please note that Degree Works includes your pre-registered and in-progress courses in your credit totals, even though they have not yet been completed.
Catalog year. Your assigned catalog year is dependent on when you were enrolled in classes at SNHU.
The number of free electives required for your program.
The number of institutional credits you have completed.
120 credits are required. If you see a green checked circle, it means you have completed the required 120 credits. A red empty circle means you have not yet completed this requirement.
NOTE: For an Associate's degree program, the number of credits required is 60.
Academic Residence Requirement. For a bachelor’s degree, you must complete 30 credits at SNHU to meet this requirement, and for an Associate’s degree, you must complete 15 credits at SNHU. If you see a green checked circle, it means you have completed this requirement. A red empty circle means you have not completed it.
Minimum 2.0 (C) Cumulative GPA met. To be in good academic standing with the university, you must earn a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Something you should keep in mind is that if this requirement is not met, you will be placed on scholastic warning, which can eventually lead to serious consequences (i.e., academic suspension and dismissal) if your cumulative GPA does not improve.
If you see a green checked circle, it means you have met the minimum cumulative GPA requirement. A red empty circle means you have not met the requirement.
General Education. If you see a green checked circle, it means you have completed all general education requirements. A red empty circle means you have not completed any requirements. A blue half circle means all requirements are complete except for courses that are still in progress.
Major Requirements. If you see a green checked circle, it means you have completed all major requirements. A red empty circle means you have not completed any major requirements. A blue half circle means all requirements are complete except for courses that are still in progress.
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General Education: The Commons. This section shows you whether you have completed your General Education: Foundation/Cornerstone and General Education: Exploration and Culmination course requirements. If you see a green checked circle, it means you have completed all requirements. A red empty circle means you have not completed any requirements. A blue half circle means all requirements are complete except for courses that are still in progress.
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General Education: Foundation/Cornerstone. This is where you see what General Education: Foundation/Cornerstone courses are needed. If you have completed any courses in this section, you will see the grade received, credits earned, term completed, and whether this course was a retake. You will also see a green checked circle in front of each completed course. If you see a red empty circle, it means you have not completed the course; and a blue half circle means you are pre-registered or the course is in progress.
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General Education: Exploration and Culmination. This section lists the General Education: Exploration and Culmination requirements for your program. If you have completed any courses in this section, you will see the grade received, credits earned, term completed, and whether this course was a retake. You will also see a green checked circle in front of each completed course. If you see a red empty circle, it means you have not completed the course; and a blue half circle means you are pre-registered or the course is in progress.
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School of Arts & Sciences Requirements: This section is only applicable to Anthropology, Human Services, Political Science, and Sociology Bachelor's programs. If you have completed any courses in this section, you will see the grade received, credits earned, term completed, and whether this course was a retake. You will also see a green checked circle in front of each completed course. If you see a red empty circle, it means you have not completed the course; and a blue half circle means you are pre-registered or the course is in progress.
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Major section. This is where you see your major course requirements. If you have completed any courses in this section, you will see the grade received, credits earned, term completed, and whether this course was a retake. You will also see a green checked circle in front of each completed course. If you see a red empty circle, it means you have not completed the course; and a blue half circle means you are pre-registered or the course is in progress.
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Other sections. If you have a concentration(s), a minor, or a secondary major, you will see additional sections for these after the major section.
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The electives (free electives) section. If you have transferred in any electives, you will see those courses listed in this section. Once you start taking SNHU electives, you will see them in this section as well.
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In progress and pre-registered section. This section lists the courses you are currently completing as well as ones you have been pre-registered for in future term(s).
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Courses Not Applied to This Program. You will only see this section in your academic evaluation if there are courses not applying to your program. Review this section to make sure that there isn’t a course that should be applied to you program. Most of the time, courses in this section are transfer courses that simply do not meet your current program requirements.
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Insufficient and Repeated Courses. If you have failed or retaken any courses, you will find a section that lists these courses. You will see an R for "Repeated" under the Repeated column.
NOTE: When reviewing your academic evaluation to view your grades, please know that under the Grade column, a “T” represents transfer credit from a previous institution. Grades for transferred courses are not factored into your cumulative GPA, which means you start with a clean slate when you begin classes at SNHU. Also, "PR" means pre-registered, "IP" means in progress, and "R" means repeated.
Depending on your catalog year or whether you are enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program, your academic evaluation may look slightly different from what is described above. However, you should still see much of the information I have covered.
I recommend checking your academic evaluation at the end of each term. Be proactive in checking your progress and celebrate yourself when you have successfully completed a course! You are working hard and are sacrificing time with family and friends. Celebrate your wins every step of the way.
If you have a challenging term, whether for personal or academic reasons, and you can't successfully complete a course, please know that it will be okay. Do not beat yourself up over it! Take a deep breath and then pick yourself up after feeling the disappointment. Email me at advising@snhu.edu or set up an appointment with me @AdvisingSupportWithBrenda. Let’s talk about when is a good time for you to retake the course so that you can push forward toward obtaining your degree.
Student Support Services
I love SNHU, and it’s not because I work at the university. It’s because I have never come across a university that offers such a wide range of support services! In my opinion, it is impressive. And all services are included in your tuition!
Academic Advising Support
The academic advising department helps students address their academic concerns. Academic advisors can help students navigate their online learning environment, select and register for courses, add/drop courses, process course withdrawal requests, and connect students to available resources. They also provide guidance pertaining to the submission of dispute forms, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals, and graduate school applications.
To speak to me directly, email, call or book an appointment @AdvisingSupportWithBrenda.
Contact Information
Phone: 877-591-4723
Email: advising@snhu.edu
Advising Department Business hours:
Monday-Friday - 8AM - 8PM ET
Saturday-Sunday - 9AM - 8PM ET
My Business Hours:
Monday-Thursday - 9:30AM - 6PM ET
Friday: 11:30AM - 8PM ET
Note: If you can't connect with me during my business hours and you need immediate assistance, please speak to an available advisor when prompted.
Academic Support
Are you having difficulty understanding your course materials? Do you need tutoring or support from an academic coach? Are you feeling insecure about your writing or your APA citations? SNHU has you covered. Check out the Academic Resource Center. Also, if you click on the Academic Support tab at the top of your course home page (where you see your instructor’s photo and email), you can access 24/7 Drop-In Tutoring, Workshops, Written Feedback (via the writing center), and connect with an academic coach.
SNHU Academic Support YouTube Channel - Many helpful videos available
Accommodations Support
The Online Accessibility Center (OAC) helps students with diagnosed disabilities/illnesses determine what accommodations may be needed to help them be successful. Supporting documentation stating your specific diagnosis and/or 504/IEP is required. If you believe you’ll need accommodations, reach out to an OAC Accommodation Specialist.
Contact Information
Phone: 866-305-9430
Email: oac@snhu.edu
Fax: 877.520.8916
Website: Online Accessibility Center (OAC) | SNHU
Business hours:
Monday-Friday - 8AM - 6PM ET
Career Support
Are you currently looking for a job? Has it been a while since you updated your resume? Do you need to brush up on your interviewing skills? Do you want to understand your career prospects for the degree that you are pursuing? Make sure to connect with our Career Advising Team early on in your academic journey and visit Career 360. On Career 360, you will find information regarding your career options for your chosen major.
Contact Information
Phone: 888-672-1458
Email: cocecareer@snhu.edu
Website: Career 360: Online Student Virtual Career Center
Business hours:
Monday-Thursday - 8AM – 8PM ET
Friday - 8:00AM - 7:30PM ET
Financial Literacy Support
Do you need help completing your FAFSA? Are you having a hard time figuring out your financial aid breakdown? Do you need help understanding when and how to make payments? Do you work for Amazon, Walmart or any company that offers tuition reimbursement and have questions about third party billing? Do you have questions about setting up your Bank Mobile account or about your financial aid refund? Do you need your book voucher information? Do you need to know if your financial aid will be impacted if you take time off from classes?
Connect with Student Financial Services and speak to one of our wonderful financial counselors. They are available 7 days a week (8AM – 8PM ET Monday - Friday and 9AM - 8PM ET Saturdays and Sundays). A lot of the information you may need is also available through the Student Account Center.
To access the Student Account Center, please log into your mSNHU, and on your mySNHU home page (where you see “Hi [your first name]! Welcome to mySNHU!”) click on View My Student Account Center under the Quick Links.
Contact Information
Phone: 877-455-7648
Email: studentfinance@snhu.edu
Business hours:
Monday-Friday - 8AM - 8PM ET
Saturday-Sunday - 9AM - 8PM ET
Mental Health Support
SNHU offers a program called Mantra Health Care Hub, which provides students free access to real-time support and connection to mental health professionals. You can get up to 6-free counseling sessions per year! If you don't have a therapist or counselor and need mental health support, please reach out to Mantra. They can help!
Contact Information
Phone: 833-589-0141
Email: hi@mantrahealth.com
Website: Mantra Health Hub
Business hours:
24/7 for crisis support.
Peer Support
Do you want to make friends and connect with other students? SNHU offers SNHUConnect, a social platform where you can join clubs or groups with others sharing similar interests. Also, check out SNHU's virtual events.
Technology Support
Are you having technical difficulties, issues logging into your mySNHU or Brightspace? Do you need to verify that you’re purchasing a computer with the right technology specifications?
Speak to the IT Service Desk or connect with them through your mySNHU account.
Contact Information
Phone: 855-877-9919
Submit a Ticket to the IT Service Desk This link opens in a new window. Please bookmark this page for easy future access.
Chat with the IT Service Desk This link opens in a new window.
Business hours:
Every day (7 days a week!) – 7:30AM – 12:30AM ET
During your time at SNHU, make sure to use these available support services, when needed. Remember, you are not alone.
B. Completing Your Courses and Getting to Graduation
This part of your academic journey is the longest. If you transferred in credits from a previous institution or an organization such as Sophia Learning, your time at SNHU can be reduced significantly. However, if you complete all of your courses at SNHU and/or take a lot of term breaks along the way, it can take much longer.
Anticipated Graduation Date
You may have noticed that Degree Works does not calculate students' anticipated graduation date. Every student completes their education at their own pace, so this is impossible to calculate.
However, there is an easy way to calculate your expected graduation date. At SNHU, there are 6 terms per year, and each course is worth 3 credits. See the formula below:
Credits Earned Per Year
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Formula: (Courses per term) x (Credits per course) x (Terms per year)
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Example: 2 courses x 3 credits x 6 terms = 36 credits
Time to Graduation
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Formula: Total credits required % Credits earned per year
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Example: 120 credits % 36 credits/year = 3.33 years
Note: At this pace, you will finish in 3 years and 2 terms.
If you need assistance with calculating your anticipated graduation date, please email me at advising@snhu.edu.
Grade Level
In addition to checking your progress via your academic evaluation, check to see what your grade level is as you continue to complete classes at SNHU. The chart below shows you how many credits you need to be considered a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.
Fast Tracking Your Degree
Many students at SNHU want to fast-track their degrees because they need their degree to get a promotion at their current place of employment or to get a higher paying job. But how can you get to the finish line faster?
Fortunately, you are able to fast-track your degree with online education platforms such as Sophia Learning. SNHU partners with Sophia Learning to provide college-level self-paced classes that students can complete to fulfill general education and/or free elective requirements.
If you are interested in completing Sophia Learning classes, please read the pages on this website devoted to Sophia Learning prior to getting started. Also, please email me at advising@snhu.edu for guidance or book an appointment with me via @AdvisingSupportWithBrenda.
Questions to Ask Yourself Throughout Your Academic Journey
As you move forward in your academic journey, reflect on the following:
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How can I stay motivated and engaged in my courses during my time at SNHU?
To be able to do this, you need to ensure you are enrolled in classes that interest you. Please email me at advising@snhu.edu if you think a course will not be a good fit. We can always switch you into another course as long as you let me know no later than the first week of classes.
It is particularly important that you select courses that spark your attention if you get bored easily, have a short attention span, diagnosed ADHD, and have periods where you lose motivation.
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What concentrations or minors will help me achieve my long-term career goals?
Adding a concentration or a minor to your degree program may help you accomplish your long-term career goals. Learn about concentrations and minors by reviewing the links below. If you decide to add a concentration or minor, please email me at advising@snhu.edu or book and appointment with me @AdvisingSupportWithBrenda. Let's talk about it!
Note: The AS degree in Criminal Justice and BA in Political Science do not offer concentrations.
Criminal Justice [BS] [Online]
Psychology [BA] [Campus, Online]
Sociology [BA] [Campus, Online]
Major vs. Minor vs. Concentration: What's the difference?
Why a College Minor Might Be Your Secret Weapon
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Should I double major or complete a dual degree?
With a double major, you are completing two majors and obtaining one degree. Generally, students decide to add a second major because they're equally interested in another subject and/or want to broaden their career prospects. Only bachelor's programs are eligible for second majors.
With a double major, you will have a primary major and a secondary major. For instance, your primary major might be Psychology, and your secondary major might be Human Services. With a double major, you will be required to complete 120 credits toward your degree requirements and when you graduate, you will receive one degree. While only your primary major appears on the diploma, both majors will be reflected in your transcript.
With a dual degree, you are getting two separate degrees. For example, let's say your long-term career goal is to become a mental health counselor, and so you decide to get a BA in Psychology. At the same time, you know that in the future, you would like to start your own private practice and would like to develop business skills. With that in mind, you decide to pursue a BS in Business Administration.
If you move forward with a dual degree, you would start your Bachelor's in Psychology and complete 120 credits for that degree, and then complete an additional 30 credits to fulfill the requirements for the BS in Business Administration. By the end of your academic journey, you would receive two separate degrees.
If you decide to pursue a dual degree and will be using financial aid, it is critical that you contact Student Financial Services (phone: 877-455-7648, email: studentfinance@snhu.edu) to find out if you will have enough financial aid funds to cover both degrees.
Before considering a dual degree, book and appointment with me @AdvisingSupportWithBrenda to see if adding a minor makes the most sense for accomplishing your career goals. Also, many times, it makes more sense to pursue a Master's degree than to complete two separate undergraduate degrees, so let's talk about your options.
Dual Degree vs. Double Major: What's the Difference?
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What courses do I want to take for my general education requirements?
See the General Education: The Commons curriculum HERE. If you would rather let me register you for your general education courses and don’t have specific courses in mind, make sure to let me know. If you have specific courses in mind that you would like to complete, email me your desired course plan. Communicating with me is the key. The general education courses you select must come from The Commons curriculum.
The Commons Curriculum - General Education Degree Requirements
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What courses do I want to complete for my free electives?
The same applies for free electives. Let me know if you have any preferences. Review the links below to see your course options. Remember, when reviewing free elective course options, make sure that the courses are in the 100-400 level AND that you have met the prerequisite requirements.
Elective Options
Everything You Need to Know About Free Electives
Find Courses
How to Choose the Best Free Elective Courses
Popular Free Elective Options
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How soon do I want or need to graduate?
For some students, obtaining a college degree is needed to get a promotion or to get that better paying job. With the option to complete courses through Sophia Learning, you could potentially be on a faster track to graduation. Let’s talk about this option, if you are interested. Review the pages on this website devoted to Sophia Learning. Then email me or schedule a call with me @AdvisingSupportWithBrenda. Let's discuss your plan.
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If you have decided that Sophia Learning is a good option for you, which general education and/or free electives will you take through Sophia Learning?
Review your Academic Evaluation and the Sophia Learning guidelines I’ve provided on this site, and start selecting the courses you want to complete. I do not recommend taking English Comp I, English Comp II, Introduction to Statistics, or major classes through Sophia Learning. These are best taken at SNHU. However, if you feel strongly about taking English Comp I and II and Statistics through Sophia Learning, let's talk about it first to ensure it's the right decision for you.
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How can I start preparing for graduate school?
A page will be devoted to this topic on this website. Please stay tuned.
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What graduate program will meet my long-term career goals?
A page will be devoted to this topic on this website. Please stay tuned. It will be available on this site by March 1st, 2026.
C. Petitioning to Graduate
You have been diligently completing your course requirements, and the finish line is on the horizon! If you have earned at least 102 credits toward your program, including any transfer credits, you can petition to graduate. Please note, you will NOT be able to petition to graduate before completing 102 credits.
Requirements to Petition:
You need a minimum of 102 earned credits to be able to petition to graduate. This means you would only have 6 courses left to complete at the time you petition.
D. At The Finish Line – Attending Commencement
You have worked so hard to get to the finish line, and you have finally made it! Now it’s time to celebrate your HUGE achievement with family and/or friends at commencement.
SNHU offers four commencement ceremonies each year: a spring in-person and virtual commencement; and a fall in-person and virtual commencement.
Learn more about commencement by clicking on the links below:
What to Expect at SNHU Commencement?
