Commencement

Commencement is a great day of celebration for our SCU students who have already graduated or are poised to graduate by the end of the spring semester. Students graduate from SCU when they complete all general education and degree requirements of their chosen academic degree program.

This page is dedicated to providing information about Commencement to our graduates and their families and friends.

If you have questions about Commencement that are not provided on this webpage, please feel free to contact the Registrar.

COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULE

Date for 2024 Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 4, 2024 - Processional begins at 9:50am.

Location: Victory Church, 4300 N. MacArthur Blvd., Warr Acres, Oklahoma

Awards Ceremonies  
Various times prior to Commencement. Watch for announcements from deans and program directors for information about these ceremonies.

GRADUATION APPLICATION

Students are required to submit a graduation application in order to graduate, to be conferred a degree, and/or to participate in Commencement exercises in May. Application deadlines for the three graduation and degree conferral dates offered at SCU are as follows:

  • December 30 Graduation (Commencement ceremony participation may be allowed in the following May): September 30, 2023.
  • May Commencement Date Graduation: 
    • January 31st, 2024: the last day to turn in graduation application with no fee
    • April 1: the last day to turn in a graduation application for degree conferral only (cannot participate in Commencement ceremony)
  • June 30 Graduation (Commencement ceremony participation may be allowed in the preceding May):  May 31st, 2024

More details about the Graduation Application can be found at the Graduation Application link.

PARTICIPATION IN COMMENCEMENT

It is assumed that all students graduating from SCU will participate in Commencement exercises in which they are approved to participate. Regardless of participation in Commencement, students must pay a graduation fee as stipulated by the business office. 

Undergraduate students must be within six credit hours of completing all degree requirements in order to be given permission to participate in Commencement. However, participation in Commencement does not guarantee graduation or degree conferral. All students must have completed all graduation/degree requirements in order to officially graduate and have a degree conferred on their academic transcript from SCU.

Students will be allowed to participate in Commencement if:

  • they have completed all degree requirements as stated in the catalog of their matriculation,
  • they have completed exit counseling with the Financial Aid office, and
  • they have no academic or business office holds.

COMMENCEMENT REGALIA 

For traditional students:
Commencement regalia (a.k.a. cap and gown) for traditional students may be picked up in the Office of the Registrar on the main campus in the Administration Building Monday-Thursday the week immediately prior to Commencement. All business holds must be resolved before regalia will be issued.

For Online Professional Studies and graduate students:
Commencement regalia for graduate students and Online Professional Studies students will be available in the respective offices on Thursday, the week before Commencement. Regalia for only those students who have resolved all holds on their accounts will be available. Other students will be required to pay their balance and pick-up regalia from the Office of the Registrar when they have an opportunity or on the day of Commencement. Students should be prepared to pay off any balance that remains on their account in order to receive regalia.

DIPLOMAS

Graduates do not receive diplomas at Commencement. Instead, they will receive a diploma cover that they can use as a safeguard for the diploma they will receive once all degree requirements are met, financial obligations are resolved and financial aid exit counseling has been completed. Only students who participate in Commencement will receive a diploma cover.

SCU confers degree three times during the calendar year: the date of May Commencement for students completing classes and degree requirements from December 30 to that date; August 1 for students completing classes and degree requirements between May Commencement and August 1; and December 30 for students completing classes and degree requirements between August 1 and December 30. These students are all members of the graduating class of that calendar year.

Our graduation dates and policies are established as a part of compliance with federal reporting mandates for financial aid. Graduates must be processed through financial aid exit counseling within 10 days of the graduation date; therefore, students who have not met degree requirements BEFORE the published dates will not graduate until the next available graduation date. Even if the student applied for graduation in advance, we cannot confer a degree outside the reporting parameters.

Reprinting or Replacing Diplomas

Diplomas are meant for presentation purposes and not for verifying completion of degree requirements. Only official transcripts from SCU verify degree conferral and honors. For more information about transcripts, please see swcu.edu/transcripts.

Diplomas are printed based on the information submitted on the graduation application. If information on the application is incorrect, there is a chance diplomas and commencement programs may be incorrect. If the student submitted erroneous information on the graduation application, the diploma can be reprinted along with the rest of the diplomas at the next available graduation date for a charge of $25. 

Lost or damaged diplomas may be reordered with the rest of the diplomas at the next available graduation date. 

Diploma covers will not be replaced.