17 Pitt students learn they didn’t reach graduation requirements after commencement

Nicole Ford
·2 min read

Jennifer Espinoza is a proud first-generation college graduate.

“I take a lot of pride in that. I share that with my family,” Espinoza said.

But nearly two months after she donned a cap and gown and crossed the University of Pittsburgh stage, she’s finding out her degree isn’t valid.

“Now I’m really embarrassed and don’t know what to say. How am I supposed to say that diploma doesn’t really mean much,” Espinoza said.

She’s not alone. There are 16 other students in her five-year education program to get an undergraduate and masters in the same boat. The university said an advisor waived classes to get into the program that they all needed to complete.

“For my employer I’m working for this summer, I now have to tell them on my resume it says I have an undergraduate degree, but that’s now not the case,” said Zora Mosley.

The university said it’s investigating how this occurred and “will cover the cost of any additional coursework required to remedy the situation.”

But the students told Channel 11 there are other financial elements at play.

“They aren’t thinking of the costs of books for these extra classes we are taking or thinking about the lost work hours from having to take these classes when we were planning to work Monday and Wednesday opposite our graduate classes and now, we have undergraduate classes those days and we can’t work,” Brooke Dant said.

At a minimum, the students want a public apology from the university, they say.

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