The commencement ceremony symbolizes, for many, the attainment of a lifetime goal. As students near completion of their individual degree programs, questions may arise concerning policies and procedures associated with the graduation process. Some of the most frequently asked questions are listed below:
The application for a degree should be submitted one to two terms prior to degree completion. See UWA’s academic calendar for online programs for specific deadlines. Deadlines are also located here.
Completing the application for a degree and paying the graduation fee alerts a student’s academic dean’s office to a pending graduation. The student’s file can then be reviewed to assure that everything is in order to allow that student to graduate as planned. If a student applied within the same term, there would be no time to address a missing class, test score, GPA requirements, etc.
Students applying late for graduation are assessed an additional fee of $75.00. In addition, these students often miss important correspondence from the commencement committee and run the risk of not being able to participate in the ceremony because caps and gowns cannot be ordered, changes to the ceremony program cannot be made and diplomas cannot be printed.
The fee for the application for a degree is $75.00 for undergraduate students, graduate students, and doctoral students. There is an additional fee for a cap and gown, purchased online through our regalia vendor or on campus through Barnes and Noble.
The fee covers the cost of processing student files, diploma print costs, commencement printing and mailing and/or degree shipping.
If a student does not graduate, they must complete a new application for a degree and resubmit the fee. The fee does not roll over since the cost of processing the files, printing costs, etc.
Commencement exercises for Spring will be held on Thursday, May 2, 2024, and Friday, May 3, 2024. Ceremony times for each college will be announced after the application for Spring graduation has closed. Fall commencement exercises will be held Thursday, December 12, and Friday, December 13, 2024.* Students should consult the academic calendars for application deadlines for all commencement ceremonies. Applications for degrees are due the term before one plans to graduate, so students should check their academic calendars carefully.
*subject to change
Questions concerning the commencement ceremony should be directed to commencement@uwa.edu, or you can call (205) 652-5442.
Instructions for Commencement will be sent to your UWA email in October for the Fall Commencement Ceremony, and March for the Spring Commencement Ceremony. If online students do not respond to the correspondence, it will be assumed that the student does not wish to participate and he/she will be graduated in absentia.
No. For students completing coursework or other degree requirements in the term they graduate (campus Spring semester, online Spring 2, online Fall 2, or campus Fall semester), all coursework has to be completed before final approval. This also means th at comprehensive exam scores and Praxis test scores must be on file.
A student with questions about their degree requirements should contact the academic dean about their degree requirements. The commencement committee chairperson does not have this information and cannot answer a student’s academic questions.
A diploma is a symbol of the commencement ceremony itself; therefore, the date on the diploma corresponds with the date of the commencement exercises. A student’s transcripts are the official record of their completion of degree requirements. Typically, it is the transcripts that employers ask to see when seeking proof of the degrees held by an employee. Transcripts will also record the term in which a student completed all degree requirements.
Note: Certificate candidates are completing a certificate and therefore do not receive a diploma upon program completion.