To be eligible to participate in Commencement ceremonies, a student must be able to complete all degree requirements during the calendar year in which Commencement ceremonies take place. For instance, those who plan to participate in Commencement in June 2024 must be able to complete all degree requirements by the end of Winter Quarter 2024, Spring Quarter 2024, Summer Quarter 2024, or Autumn Quarter 2024.
Students who cannot fulfill requirements for their degrees during the annual commencement cycle are not allowed to “walk” in the Commencement ceremony.
You must formally apply for graduation and are encouraged to do so as soon as you have earned approximately 105 credits and have been admitted to all majors and minors you plan to complete. Apply for graduation through the Banner Information System by selecting “Student Menu,” then “Graduation Menu,” and, finally, "Apply to Graduate."
If you meet the graduation application deadlines below, you will receive information on your academic progress prior to your anticipated quarter of graduation.
- Spring/Summer Quarter: May 1, the year prior to graduation
- Autumn Quarter: November 1, the year prior to graduation
- Winter Quarter: February 1, the year prior to graduation
If you do not meet application deadlines, you might not receive academic progress reports and may apply too late to be listed in the Commencement brochure.
Information about the time, date, and procedures for all Commencement activities will be communicated via your SPU email account. Receiving commencement information does not guarantee that you will be allowed to participate in Commencement ceremonies. It merely indicates that you have applied to graduate during the current academic year.
Your degree will be awarded effective the quarter in which all degree requirements are completed and the final grades for all courses have been assigned, regardless of the term in which you registered for those courses.
Degrees are awarded by the end of the quarter following the quarter in which the degree was completed.
Diplomas are not distributed during Commencement. Instead, during the Commencement ceremony, you will receive a diploma cover. You will receive your diploma once the Office of the Registrar staff has confirmed that all graduation requirements have been fulfilled, and your degree has been formally awarded. Diplomas are mailed approximately six weeks after the degree is posted, as long as all financial obligations to the University have been met. Digital Diploma credentials are emailed to a student's SPU email accounts at the same time as the physical diploma is mailed out.