Commencement Eligibility

Step #1 - Turn in Degree Application

The first step to graduation is submitting a degree application to the Registrar's Office. Once your degree application has been processed and you are “pending to graduate”, you will be eligible to make a commencement reservation. 

Undergraduates earning a bachelor’s degree: follow instructions above.

Graduate students earning a master’s or doctoral degree: Be sure that your master’s degree application or doctoral degree application e-sign form is submitted and approved. Be sure to check this website for specific deadlines: Degree Completion | Graduate School | Western Washington University (wwu.edu)

Step #2 - Check that you meet the following requirements

A degree evaluation has been completed and you are pending for graduation (you can check your graduation status at the bottom of your academic history on Web4U or on your Degree Works page).

WWU celebrates its graduates with Commencement ceremonies twice per year: at the end of the Spring (June) and Fall (December) quarters. If you are pending for graduation at the end of Spring or Fall quarters, you will attend the Commencement ceremony at the end of the quarter for which you are pending graduation. If you are pending for graduation at the end of Winter (March), you will be eligible to attend the June ceremony. Summer (August) quarter graduates will have the option to participate in either the June ceremony before August graduation or the December ceremony after August graduation (see step #3).

You must be earning a major toward a degree to attend commencement.

Step #3 - Make a Commencement reservation

Making a commencement reservation is required if you plan to attend the event. There is no charge to make a reservation. Eligible students will receive instructions for making a reservation via student emails. Students can also access commencement reservations via this link.

The commencement reservation webform link will be made available via email announcement for students who have successfully completed steps #1 and #2. The form is initially opened in mid-October for December Commencement and early March for June Commencement. Students who become newly eligible after the first round of invitations will receive invitations the week after completion of step #2. The reservation platform is updated in batches and does not instantly reflect daily updates.

IMPORTANT: Students attending the event must wear graduation regalia appropriate to their degree.

Other Commencement Information

Double degrees and double majors

Students earning double degrees can choose which college they walk with for commencement.

Students earning double majors in different colleges can choose which college they walk with for commencement. 

No diplomas are handed out at commencement

Diplomas are mailed 6 - 8 weeks after the commencement event to the diploma address indicated on the degree application. Students can check and update their diploma address information by viewing it in Web4U - Personal Information - Addresses and Phones.

Starting with the class of Fall 2023, new graduates also are issued a secure digital diploma. Digital diplomas are available in advance of the paper copy. A few weeks after the end of the quarter, a link to claim/access the digital diploma is sent to the external (non-Western) email address indicated on the recipient's degree application.

Visit our Diploma page for more information.

 

Contact the Commencement Team

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