Posthumous degrees may be awarded to recognize students who pass away prior to completion of all degree requirements. Posthumous degrees can be requested by a family member, survivor, or legal representative of the student, or a campus representative may initiate the request in which case the campus must obtain consent from a family member, survivor or legal representative.

For graduate students at the University at Buffalo, the posthumous awarding of degrees will be considered provided that the student:

• was considered in good academic and conduct standing at the time of their passing, with consideration given to extenuating circumstances related to their passing that may have impacted their standing.
• had been actively pursuing the degree in an appropriate and timely manner at the time of death and had substantial completion of the degree requirements, defined as nearing completion of the final master's degree project or thesis or the doctoral dissertation.

The campus President, or Provost as designee, will render a final university decision that will be communicated to the student’s family member, survivor, or legal representative of the student and the student’s academic department. If approved, the degree will be conferred, and a diploma will be issued. The diploma or certificate will be presented to the student’s family member, survivor, or legal representative. If a student does not qualify for a posthumous degree per the criteria above, the student may be awarded an Honorary Alumnus Certificate.

Process for the Posthumous Award of a Graduate Degree

Posthumous degrees can be requested by a family member, survivor, or legal representative of the student, or a campus representative may initiate the request in which case the campus must obtain consent from a family member, survivor, or legal representative.

• If the request originates from a family member, they should communicate those wishes to the department within which the student was pursuing the graduate degree. 
• If the request originates from a faculty member, they should submit a written request to the student’s department chair or program director for academic programs where there is no academic chair oversight. 
  • The family’s concurrence that the degree be awarded posthumously to the student must be obtained. It is incumbent upon the chair/director to consult with the Dean of Students office to determine one individual to serve as the primary family contact. Once family consent is obtained, the chair/director submits a formal request for the awarding of the posthumous degree to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Formal requests to the Graduate School require the following documentation:

1. Departmental evidence of completed degree program requirements and a brief summary of those not completed. This may include a copy of the application to candidacy, thesis/dissertation prospectus approval forms, evidence of passing qualifying exams or any other documentation deemed appropriate.

2.  A written letter of recommendation from the department chair/director supporting the conferral, together with correspondence from the instructors of any courses in which the student was enrolled at the time of death (including courses outside the department). Each instructor should indicate the grade (if any) of the student's work in that course up to the time of death.

The Graduate School will evaluate the student’s record including all materials provided by the student’s department and will determine whether the student’s case meets the requirements of this policy. The Graduate School will provide a recommendation to the Provost on whether a posthumous degree is merited.

If the Provost approves awarding of a posthumous degree, the Graduate School will If the Provost approves the posthumous degree, the Graduate School will notify the Chair or Program Director, University Registrar, Dean of Students Office, and University Events. The Graduate School will also authorize the University Registrar to confer the degree and order the diploma. 

The degree will be conferred on the next regular conferral date following approval or, when feasible and requested by the family, with the student’s anticipated graduating class. The diploma will be sent to the primary family contact, who will notify the family of the decision and coordinate delivery. An official transcript will be provided only upon request.

If the Provost does not approve awarding of a posthumous degree, the student will be awarded an Honorary Alumnus Certificate. The Graduate School will notify the Department Chair or Program Director, University Registrar, Dean of Students Office, and University Events and will authorize the University Registrar to issue the certificate. The primary family contact will inform the student’s family of the decision.