On this page, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about commencement.
COMMENCEMENT REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
Students who would like to participate in a commencement ceremony must register for commencement and order their cap and gown before the deadlines noted. Associate, bachelor’s, master’s and JWMI students are eligible to participate in commencement if they are within TWO courses of completing their degree at the time of the ceremony.
Associate, bachelor’s, master’s and JWMI students are eligible to participate in commencement if they are within TWO courses of completing their degree at the time of the ceremony. Students pursuing certificate programs are NOT eligible to participate in commencement.
Degree conferral is SEPARATE from registering to participate in a commencement ceremony. Only registered graduates will receive detailed ceremony information after registering for a ceremony. Please register for a commencement ceremony by the deadline date.
No, there is no fee required to participate in a commencement ceremony. There is a $150 Final Academic Requirements Evaluation Fee, which will be applied to your account when you register for your capstone course. However, this fee is SEPARATE from participating in a commencement ceremony. Your degree does NOT need to be conferred in order to participate in a commencement ceremony.
More detailed ceremony and arrival information will be sent to all registered graduates via email in the Graduating Student Newsletter 4 weeks before the ceremony. If you do not receive the emailed newsletter, please contact commencement@strayer.edu.
DIPLOMA QUESTIONS
Your diploma will not be issued until all of your degree requirements have been completed. Once you have satisfied all degree requirements, the Strayer University Records department will review your record for conferral. If conferral is approved, your diploma will be mailed to the home address on file. To update your address on file, please visit iCampus and click on Account Settings, My Contact Info, Show Contact and Edit Contact Information.
Commencement is a ceremony and your diploma will not be issued until all of your degree requirements have been completed. Once you have satisfied all degree requirements, your record will be reviewed for conferral by Strayer University's Records department. This review and the degree conferral process are SEPARATE from registering to participate in a commencement ceremony. Degree conferral does NOT need to be approved in order to participate in commencement. A $150 degree conferral fee will be applied to your account when you register for your capstone course. *Note: This will be listed as a "Final Academic Requirements Evaluation" fee on your student ledger. If conferral is approved, your diploma will be mailed to the home address on file. To update your address on file, please visit iCampus and click on Account Settings, My Contact Info, Show Contact and Edit Contact Information.
The $150 Final Academic Requirements Evaluation Fee covers the cost of your official transcript evaluation, and will be applied to your account when you register for your capstone course. This fee is NOT a fee to participate in a commencement ceremony. Every student who is seeking a diploma from Strayer University must pay this fee regardless of whether or not they will be participating in the commencement ceremony.
Please contact your Academic Advisor to check the status of your diploma.
Changes to primary names can be submitted through your Academic Advisor. Please note, some instances will require documentation to implement the change.
CAP AND GOWN QUESTIONS
After a student has registered for a commencement ceremony, students can order their cap and gown online through Jostens. Order your cap and gown by the deadlines to avoid late fees. Every graduate must wear the appropriate commencement attire in order to participate in an in-person commencement ceremony. For virtual commencement, caps and gowns are NOT required.
Yes. All students are required to pay for their own cap and gown. Prices for ordering your cap and gown are shown below.
Associate (black gown, black cap & tassel) - $45.00
Bachelor's (cap, gown, tassel & stole of gratitude) - $65.00
Master's (cap, gown, tassel & hood) - $70.00
*Prices are subject to change. Prices above do not include shipping fees and sales tax.
There is no official dress code for the ceremony, however, most graduates choose to wear business casual attire. All gowns will hit between the knees and mid-calf. To ensure you receive the most attractive photos while crossing the stage, we recommend that men wear long pants with dark colored dress shoes and women wear either pants or a skirt/dress with dark colored dress shoes.
Yes! Graduates are welcome to decorate the top of their caps for the ceremonies.
HONORS DESIGNATIONS AND HONOR SOCIETIES QUESTIONS
Honors designations at commencement ceremonies are based on the degree candidate's cumulative academic record as of the commencement registration deadline. Associate and bachelor's candidates whose grade point average is 3.5 or greater as of the commencement registration deadline will be eligible for an honors designation to be read aloud during the name reading portion of the ceremony. Honors are as follows: cum laude 3.5-3.69, magna cum laude 3.7-3.89, summa cum laude 3.9-4.0. Master's candidates whose grade point average is 3.9 or greater as of the commencement registration deadline will be eligible for an honors designation to be read aloud during the name reading portion of the ceremony. Honors are as follows: graduate with distinction 3.9-3.94, graduate with high distinction 3.95-4.0. Final Honors designation eligibility will be determined at the end of a student’s final quarter based on cumulative academic record and is printed on your diploma.
ALL degree candidates who have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater as of the commencement registration deadline are eligible to receive and wear a complimentary Strayer University honor medallion at the commencement ceremony. Honor medallions are NOT available online. For in-person commencement ceremonies, medallions are ONLY available at the ceremony and can be obtained in the graduate line-up area. For virtual commencement ceremonies, medallions will be mailed to eligible graduates prior to the ceremony.
Degree candidates who are honors scholars within the honors program (see eligibility requirements) are eligible to receive and wear a complimentary honors scholar cord at the commencement ceremony - coursework must be completed to be eligible. Honors scholar cords are NOT available online. For in-person commencement ceremonies, cords are ONLY available at the ceremony and can be obtained in the graduate line-up area. For virtual commencement ceremonies, cords will be mailed to eligible graduates prior to the ceremony.
Strayer University recognizes seven national honor societies: Alpha Chi, Alpha Sigma Lambda, Delta Alpha Pi, Golden Key International Honour Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), Phi Theta Kappa, and The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement (SCLA). Students who are members of these honor societies by the registration deadlines will be listed in the commencement program under their respective honor society. Honor society members are also encouraged to wear their respective honor society’s honor cords, medallions or stoles at commencement. Purchasing information can be found in each link under the Awards & Honors section.
CEREMONY QUESTIONS
Eligible students are welcome to register and participate in any commencement ceremony that accommodates your personal schedule. You can also register to participate in a future ceremony since we do not have a time limit for when graduates walk in a ceremony.
Please see guest ticket information specific to each ceremony location on the commencement website. Guest seating is first-come, first-served.
All eligible students who register before the posted deadlines are included in the commencement ceremony program. The commencement program is only available at the commencement ceremony and is for registered students who are participating in the ceremony and their guests.
Arrival information will be included in the Graduating Student Newsletter which will be emailed to each registered graduate 4 weeks prior to the ceremony.
No, there is no commencement ceremony rehearsal. Ceremony instructions will be communicated to all graduates via email in the Graduating Student Newsletter.
Following the ceremony, you will receive an email from Legacy Photographics containing your portrait. Coordination of your purchase is made directly through Legacy and is optional. If you have any questions, please contact Legacy Photographics at 1-800- 447-2550 or email info@legacyphoto.com.
GUEST INFORMATION
Accessible guest seating areas will be available and are first come, first served. Please direct your guests to an arena usher for assistance. More information regarding accommodations will be provided in the graduating student newsletter. Graduates who require accommodations should contact commencement@strayer.edu to ensure coordination.
Please visit the Guest Visa/Travel section and you will find area information under each ceremony location.
We will provide students with letters of invitation to send to their family members living abroad to document the purpose of their travel to the United States. After completing the commencement registration steps, you should complete the Commencement Visa Letter Application which can be found under the Guest Visa/Travel section. Please allow 5-7 business days for the Events Team to process your request. The letter(s) will be sent directly to the U.S. home address you include on your application.
Yes, announcements can be ordered through Jostens.
