Commencement Participation Guidelines

The Health Science Center’s commencement ceremony, held each spring semester, is intended to recognize students who will complete all graduation requirements by the end of the spring semester and those that completed their requirements in the previous fall or summer semesters. In some cases, students ask to participate (“walk”) in commencement although they will not complete all graduation requirements in that semester.

Students are only eligible to participate in commencement and be listed in the commencement program if they will complete all degree requirements prior to the last day in their spring semester. Students with course(s), an internship or rotation to be completed in the upcoming summer or fall semester would not be eligible to participate in the previous spring commencement.

If students become ineligible to graduate leading up to the commencement ceremony, please note, the students will be removed from all commencement related items and it is the academic programs responsibility to inform the student.

Students who would like to request to participate in a ceremony outside of their actual graduation semester should send an email to their college’s dean and/or associate dean for eligibility and approval. If eligibility is reviewed and approved, the academic program must communicate the decision to the student, as well as the Registrar and Student Records Office registrar@unthsc.edu and the Center for Student Life centerforstudentlife@unthsc.edu before April 1st of the current calendar year.

The Difference Between Participating in Commencement and Graduating

“Graduating [receiving a diploma]” and “participating [walking across the stage]” in the commencement ceremony are two distinctly different things. Candidates will be considered “graduated” when they have officially met all of the following:

1. Have filed a graduation application by the posted semester deadlines (SBS/CPH students only)
2. Have had their graduation application approved by their respective School or College (SBS/CPH students only)
3. Have completed all degree requirements and met the required GPA
4. Have had final semester grades posted to their HSC transcript
5. Have paid any outstanding fees owed to the University
6. The Dean of the respective School or College has certified candidates as graduates

Participating in the ceremony does not mean a candidate has completed their requirements for graduation. “Walking/participating” at a commencement ceremony is not synonymous with “graduating”; yet the act of obtaining public recognition may provide a false impression that a candidate has met all requirements and has therefore “graduated” with a diploma in hand.

Ultimately, the final awarding of degrees, honors, and mailing of the diplomas is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the appropriate requirements by each candidate and the Dean’s final certification.

For questions regarding these guidelines, please email registrar@unthsc.edu.