Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Community Service Requirement
The Grey School of Wizardry holds that wizardry is not solely an inward or theoretical pursuit. While disciplined study remains central to the apprentice path, the School affirms that the application of knowledge in service to others is a necessary component of a complete wizardly education. For this reason, a formal community service requirement is included among the conditions for graduation.
From the 2026 Summer Term onward, all apprentices seeking to graduate must complete a minimum of 100 hours of documented community service in addition to their academic coursework. This requirement applies prospectively and does not alter or revoke previously completed academic work.
Scope and Intent of the Requirement
The purpose of the community service requirement is to ensure that apprentices demonstrate sustained engagement beyond private study, applying their time, skills, or leadership in ways that contribute meaningfully to a broader community. Service may take place within the Grey School of Wizardry, within an apprentice’s local or professional community, or within other organized settings where the work clearly benefits others rather than the individual alone.
This requirement is not intended to mandate social clubs, competitive activities, or theatrical events, nor is it intended to force apprentices into roles that conflict with their personal circumstances or professional obligations. The School recognizes that apprentices come from a wide range of ages, professions, abilities, and life situations. Accordingly, qualifying service is defined by its substance and impact, not by a single prescribed format.
Qualifying Forms of Community Service
Community service hours may be fulfilled through a wide variety of activities, provided that the work meets the School’s standards for outward contribution. Qualifying service generally falls into one or more of the following categories.
Service within the Grey School of Wizardry includes sustained participation in roles that support the School’s academic, communal, or outreach functions. Examples include ongoing leadership roles in Lodges, serving as a Prefect or Lodge officer, organizing or facilitating School moots or instructional gatherings, assisting with official School events, supporting new apprentices through structured mentoring, contributing to School publications, or participating in sanctioned outreach initiatives. Activities of this kind must involve real responsibility and consistent effort over time, rather than isolated or symbolic participation.
Service within one’s local or professional community may also qualify, provided the work is verifiable and oriented toward the benefit of others. Examples include volunteer teaching, mentoring, or tutoring, participation in community arts or cultural programs, service with nonprofit or charitable organizations, organizing community education efforts, or other forms of civic engagement. Professional service may count when it extends beyond paid employment and serves a public or communal purpose.
Hybrid service that bridges the apprentice’s professional expertise and community benefit is strongly encouraged. For example, an apprentice who teaches, counsels, creates educational programming, or leads community projects may document those efforts when they clearly serve others and are distinct from routine paid obligations.
Examples of Acceptable Community Service
Because apprentices come to the Grey School of Wizardry from widely varied backgrounds, professions, and stages of life, the School does not limit community service to a single mode of participation. Acceptable service is defined not by spectacle, social visibility, or novelty, but by sustained contribution that benefits others beyond the apprentice’s private study or personal advancement.
The examples below illustrate the breadth of service that may qualify toward the community service graduation requirement. These examples are not exhaustive, nor are they automatic. In all cases, service must be documented, verifiable, and demonstrably outward facing. Activities that are purely recreational, symbolic, or undertaken solely for personal enrichment do not qualify unless they clearly involve leadership, instruction, organization, or service to others.
Apprentices who are uncertain whether a particular activity qualifies are encouraged to consult the Master of Pupils or the Headmaster for guidance before relying upon it for credit.
Service Within the Grey School of Wizardry
Service that supports the functioning, governance, or communal life of the School may qualify when it involves sustained responsibility and benefits the wider apprentice body.
Serving as a Lodge Prefect for a full academic term
Serving as a Captain or equivalent leadership role
Holding a Lodge officer position with defined duties
Coordinating Lodge initiatives that benefit the wider School
Organizing an official School moot or gathering
Assisting with the facilitation or logistics of School events
Supporting new apprentices through structured mentoring programs
Mentoring in official School discussion spaces
Contributing editorial or organizational work to Grey Matters
Assisting faculty with approved administrative or academic support
Supporting School communications or outreach efforts
Assisting with apprentice onboarding or orientation activities
Serving on School committees or working groups
Supporting graduation or commencement preparation
Assisting with archival, record-keeping, or organizational projects
Assisting with accessibility needs during events
Supporting School surveys, assessments, or institutional projects
Supporting School fundraising events as a volunteer
Supporting Lodge-wide service projects
Volunteering time for School community initiatives as assigned
Community and Civic Service
Service performed outside the School may qualify when it benefits others and is clearly distinct from personal leisure or routine obligations.
Volunteering at a food bank or pantry
Volunteering at a homeless shelter
Participating in community cleanups
Volunteering with environmental conservation groups
Assisting at community gardens
Volunteering with libraries
Volunteering with museums or cultural centers
Assisting with community festivals or fairs
Volunteering with animal shelters
Supporting community health outreach programs
Volunteering with senior centers
Assisting youth programs or after-school programs
Volunteering with disability support organizations
Supporting community arts organizations
Volunteering with literacy programs
Assisting with neighborhood improvement projects
Volunteering with faith-based service programs
Supporting mutual aid organizations
Volunteering with disaster relief efforts
Assisting with community meal programs
Professional and Skill-Based Service
Professional skills may qualify when applied voluntarily and for public or community benefit rather than personal or commercial gain.
Providing pro bono professional services
Offering free educational or informational workshops unrelated to wizardry
Mentoring students or early-career professionals
Assisting nonprofits with planning, strategy, or organization
Developing educational or informational materials for public use
Supporting community organizations with professional expertise
Providing volunteer coaching or counseling services
Supporting grant writing or fundraising efforts for nonprofits
Assisting with community accessibility or inclusion planning
Advising community projects using professional skills
Educational and Support Service
Educational service qualifies when it supports learning, access, or development without positioning the apprentice as an authority on wizardry or School curriculum.
Tutoring in general academic subjects
Supporting adult education programs
Assisting with literacy or language programs
Supporting homeschooling cooperatives in a volunteer role
Facilitating study groups for community learners
Supporting after-school or enrichment programs
Assisting with educational program logistics
Supporting career readiness or life skills programs
Providing academic mentoring in community settings
Assisting with educational outreach initiatives
Creative, Cultural, and Organizational Service
Creative work may qualify when it serves a community need and is organized for the benefit of others.
Volunteering with community theater in a support role
Assisting with backstage or production tasks
Volunteering at community art events
Helping organize cultural exhibitions
Assisting with public performances as support staff
Volunteering with community storytelling programs
Supporting writing or arts nonprofits
Helping with cultural workshops as an aide
Assisting with community media projects
Supporting local history or heritage programs
Long-Term and Sustained Commitments
Ongoing service is particularly valued when it demonstrates continuity and responsibility.
Maintaining a long-term volunteer position
Coordinating recurring community programs
Serving as a consistent mentor over time
Supporting sustained outreach initiatives
Leading recurring community workshops
Organizing long-term service projects
Serving as a volunteer coordinator
Supporting ongoing nonprofit operations
Maintaining community partnerships
Facilitating ongoing support groups
Additional Qualifying Service
The following examples illustrate other forms of service that may qualify when properly documented.
Supporting accessibility accommodations
Providing translation or interpretation services
Supporting community health outreach
Assisting with civic education initiatives
Supporting digital literacy programs
Assisting with technology education efforts
Supporting refugee or immigrant assistance programs
Providing volunteer administrative assistance
Supporting community data or research projects
Other comparable service approved in advance by faculty
This list is intended to clarify expectations, not to replace judgment or reduce service to a checklist. The guiding principle remains consistent: service must benefit others in a tangible way and reflect sustained engagement beyond the apprentice’s private study. When in doubt, apprentices should seek guidance before assuming an activity will qualify.
Documentation and Verification
All community service hours must be documented and submitted for review via the School Grimoire. Documentation must include a clear description of the service performed, the dates or duration of the work, the community or group served, and a means of contact for Verification. Verification may include a supervisor, organizer, faculty reference, or other appropriate contact, depending on the nature of the service.
The School will provide standardized reporting tools and templates to assist apprentices in tracking and submitting their service hours. Apprentices should and are strongly encouraged to record service hours as they are completed rather than waiting until the end of their studies.
Evaluation Standards
Service hours are evaluated based on clarity, consistency, and demonstrated contribution. The School does not assess the ideological content, belief system, or personal motivations behind service, only whether the activity meets the stated criteria and reflects genuine engagement beyond the apprentice’s private pursuits.
The School reserves the right to request clarification or additional documentation when service submissions are incomplete or unclear. Apprentices are encouraged to seek guidance in advance if they are uncertain whether a particular activity will qualify.
Completion of the community service requirement is mandatory for graduation. Apprentices who have fulfilled all academic coursework but have not completed the required service hours will not be eligible to graduate until the requirement is satisfied.
Levels of Study and Credit Requirements
Apprentices must complete seven levels of study at the Grey School of Wizardry. Academic progress is measured in credits earned through successful completion of approved courses.
At Level One, Apprentices must complete a minimum of 12 credits with a passing grade of 80% or better in each class counted toward completion.
At Levels Two through Seven, Apprentices must complete a minimum of 26 credits per level, again earning a grade of 80% or better in each class counted toward completion.
Across all seven levels, Apprentices must earn no fewer than 168 total credits. Only classes completed with a grade of 80% or higher may be applied toward this total. Courses completed with a lower grade may not be counted toward graduation requirements, even if credit was attempted.
Core Class Requirements
In addition to the overall credit requirement, Apprentices must complete all required classes designated by the School. These courses form the core curriculum and ensure a shared academic foundation across all disciplines.
Each required class must be completed with a minimum grade of 80% or better. Required classes may not be waived, substituted, or bypassed without explicit approval through established academic procedures.
Failure to complete required coursework, regardless of total credits earned, will delay eligibility for graduation.
Major and Minor Fields of Study
Every Apprentice must complete the requirements for both an academic Major and an academic Minor. These fields represent areas of focused study and sustained engagement within the School’s curriculum.
Completion of a Major and Minor requires passing all relevant classes designated for each program with a grade of 80% or better. Courses applied toward a Major or Minor must meet departmental requirements and be formally recognized as fulfilling those criteria.
An Apprentice may not graduate without successfully completing both a Major and a Minor, even if all other credit requirements have been met
Practicum Requirement
As a final demonstration of applied learning, Apprentices must complete a Practicum within their chosen Major area. The Practicum consists of both lecture and laboratory components, designed to assess the Apprentice’s ability to integrate theory, practice, and disciplined execution.
To satisfy the Practicum requirement, the Apprentice must:
Complete both the lecture and lab portions of the Practicum
Earn a minimum score of 80% or better
Receive formal approval from the Practicum instructor
The Practicum instructor’s approval reflects not only numerical performance, but also the Apprentice’s preparedness, engagement, and adherence to academic expectations. A Practicum may be repeated if necessary, but graduation cannot proceed until the requirement is successfully completed.
The Outgoing Wizardry Exam (O.W.E.)
In addition to completing coursework and the Practicum, all Apprentices must successfully complete the Outgoing Wizardry Exam, commonly referred to as the O.W.E., as a condition of graduation.
The O.W.E. is administered after submission of the Apprentice’s Practicum and is designed to assess the Apprentice’s overall readiness to progress beyond the Apprentice level. The exam evaluates:
General knowledge expected of a Wizard within the Apprentice’s chosen Major
Core concepts, principles, and frameworks taught in the School’s required classes
The O.W.E. is not intended to test narrow specialization alone, nor is it a repetition of individual course exams. Rather, it measures integrated understanding, retention, and the ability to connect foundational knowledge with one’s primary area of study.
Apprentices who do not pass the exam on their first attempt are permitted to retake it after one week, and are encouraged to use this time to review their submissions and feedback given by the Master of Studies. Graduation will be delayed until the O.W.E. requirement is satisfied. Additional retakes may be permitted at the discretion of the School under the guidance of the Master of Studies.
Final Eligibility for Graduation
An Apprentice becomes eligible for the Journeyman Letter only after all of the following have been satisfied:
Completion of seven levels of study
Accumulation of the required number of credits
Successful completion of all core classes
Fulfillment of Major and Minor requirements
Successful completion and approval of the Practicum
Fulfillment of the community service requirement
Successful completion of the O.W.E.
Meeting some, but not all, of these conditions does not constitute graduation. The Journeyman Letter is awarded only when the full program of study has been completed in accordance with the standards of the Grey School of Wizardry.
The Journeyman Letter
Upon successful completion of all graduation requirements, graduates of the Grey School of Wizardry are awarded a Journeyman Letter. The Journeyman Letter serves as the School’s formal acknowledgment that an Apprentice has completed the full course of study and has demonstrated the academic competence, applied understanding, and breadth of knowledge expected at the Journeyman level.
The Journeyman Letter is issued by the Grey School of Wizardry and is mailed to the graduate after all requirements have been verified and approved. Issuance of the Letter marks the conclusion of the Apprentice program and the transition from Apprentice standing to Journeyman standing within the trade of Wizardry.
Content and Academic Designation
Each Journeyman Letter identifies the graduate by name and records the successful completion of the Apprentice curriculum. The Letter lists the graduate’s academic Major reflecting the primary field of focused study pursued during the Apprentice program.
The Major designation indicates sustained academic concentration and successful completion of all required coursework, practicum, and examinations within that discipline. It does not imply comprehensive mastery of all subjects taught at the School, nor does it grant authority to teach, certify, or formally represent the Grey School of Wizardry. The School reserves the right to revoke or withhold a Journeyman Letter in cases of academic dishonesty, misrepresentation, or serious violations of School policy.
Requirement for Journeyman Programs
Possession of a Journeyman Letter is required for participation in Journeyman-level programs offered by the Grey School of Wizardry. Apprentices may not enroll in Journeyman programs, or Journeyman-specific opportunities until the Journeyman Letter has been formally issued.
This requirement ensures that all participants in Journeyman programs share a common academic foundation and have met the full standards of completion expected of graduates.
