Graduation is having earned eligibility to receive an academic degree or diploma. You must satisfy all of your degree requirements before you officially graduate and receive your diploma.
Commencement is the actual ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred on graduating students. Commencement is not a certification of graduation, but rather a ceremony that celebrates your academic achievements.
The legal student’s name, degree earned, major(s) and scholastic honors appear on the diploma. Minors do not appear on the diploma, but are on the transcript. Students earning two majors of the same degree type receive one diploma.
Graduates will be mailed their diploma within 6-8 weeks after the final date of the semester. Diplomas will be mailed to the permanent address provided on the application for degree that you submitted to the Registrar’s Office or Graduate Office. Any change in address should be reported to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@nwmissouri.edu.
There will be a readers card included with your cap and gown at pickup. The readers card will have your name printed on it, with an area to write phonetic spelling. If you think the reader will have a difficult time pronouncing your name, please complete the phonetic spelling area in clear print. Example: Bobby Bearcat (Ba-bee Bear-cat)
Graduates should arrive no less than 30 minutes before the ceremony if you still need to pick up your cap/gown. We will start lining up the graduates in the Student Recreation Center 15 minutes before the ceremony begins.
All participants should check in at the Student Recreation Center located in Lamkin Activity Center.
Graduates will be seated on the arena floor.
The commencement coordinator will line you up in the Student Recreation Center before the ceremony begins. They will then lead you into Bearcat Arena where you will sit in the designated sections for your degree. If you would like to sit beside a friend, make sure they are lined up in front or behind you.
Graduation ceremonies will last approximately one hour.
If you have questions, please contact us at commencement@nwmissouri.edu.
