Once you have been approved as a candidate for graduation by the Registrar’s Office, you will receive an email from our commencement team, providing you with instructions for placing a cap and gown order. Emails will not start being sent until late September. The order must be completed no later than Wednesday, October 19. Phone orders are not accepted.
If you have not received commencement information by October 1, and received approval on your graduation application, please contact commencement@nwmissouri.edu.
Graduates have three options to pick up their cap and gown.
Caps and Gowns cannot be handed out before the December 5 date.
You will receive your cap, tassel, honor cords (if eligible), hood (master's and specialist degree candidates only), and reader's card when you pick up your cap and gown.
You may have someone pick up your cap and gown for you.
Please iron gowns on the wrong side (inside out), or hang in the shower to reduce wrinkling. Ironing boards will be available at cap and gown pickup station located in the Student Recreation Center on the day of graduation.
Graduates who are eligible for honor cords will receive them with their cap and gown order.
Honors for the commencement ceremony are are based on the graduate’s Northwest and cumulative GPA the semester prior to graduation. Honors for transcripts and diplomas are adjusted after final grades have been calculated. Honors are only given to undergraduate candidates.
All other approved cords or stoles are the responsibility of the individual organizations.
The Registrar's Office has the listing of those graduates who have earned honors. Graduates who believe they should have received honor cords and did not should contact the Registrar’s Office at 660.562.1151.
The cap is yours to keep, and you are welcome to decorate your keepsake cap and show your Bearcat pride, creativity and style. The top of your cap is 9" by 9".
Make sure that you look inside the cap to determine which side is the front and decorate accordingly.
Rules for decorations:
Your gown must be returned to the Student Recreation Center within 45 minutes of the conclusion of the ceremony. After that time, the doors will be locked and you will have to mail your gown back to the University at your own expense.
If you would like to keep your gown or if your gown has not been returned within two weeks of the ceremony, your account will be charged an additional:
| Alpha Chi | medallion with green and blue ribbon |
| Alpha Psi Omega Honorary Fraternity | blue/gold honor cord |
| Alpha Sigma Lambda | burgundy/gold honor cord |
| Alpha Sigma Pi | platinum/black cord |
| Beta Beta Beta Biological Society | green/red honor cord |
| Blue Key National Honor Fraternity | medallion with blue ribbon |
| Cardinal Key National Honor Society | red/gold honor cord |
| Delta Mu Delta National Honor Society | purple/gold honor cord |
| Delta Tau Alpha Honor Fraternity | green/gold cords |
| Gamma Sigma Epsilon National Honor Society | blue/white honor cord |
| Gamma Theta Upsilon International Honor Society | blue/gold/brown cord |
| Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity | blue/white honor cord |
| Kappa Omicron Nu National Honor Society | burgundy/ivory cord, medallion for active members |
| Kappa Pi International Honorary Society | purple/gold honor cord |
| Lambda Pi Eta National Honor Society | red/white honor cord |
| Mortar Board National Honor Society (Turret Chapter) | silver/gold honor cord |
| National Residence Hall Honorary | blue/white honor cord |
| National Society of Collegiate Scholars | maroon/gold honor cord |
| Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society | white stole |
| Order of Omega National Honor Society | gold/white honor cord |
| Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia | red/black/gold honor cord |
| Pi Mu Epsilon National Honor Society | violet/gold/lavender honor cord |
| Pi Omega Pi National Honor Society | blue/silver/gold honor cord |
| Pi Sigma Alpha National Scholastic Honorary | red/white/black honor cord |
| Psi Chi National Honor Society | gold honor cord with blue/gold tassels |
| Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity | red/white honor cord |
| Sigma Gamma Epsilon Professional Honorary Society | gold/blue/silver honor cord |
| Sigma Tau Delta International Honor Society | red/black honor cord |
| Upsilon Pi Epsilon National Honor Society | medallion with maroon ribbon |
If you are involved in any honor society or organization the provides stoles for graduates, you must work directly with your organization to receive those.
