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Eligibility for Commencement

Commencement is a ceremony that symbolically celebrates graduation (the completion of degree requirements). For most students, graduation occurs at the same time as Commencement, but there are many students who celebrate in May even though they officially graduate in August or December/January.

So who is eligible to participate (or "walk") in the May Commencement ceremony?

Undergraduates

Undergraduates are automatically eligible to walk in the May Commencement closest to their actual graduation date. That means undergrads walk in the May ceremony if they complete their degree requirements in:

May;
the December/January preceding the May ceremony; or
the August following the May ceremony

Students participating in the May ceremony should make sure the [[wdurba, Registrar's Office]] knows if they plan to graduate in August. Winter graduates coming back for the May ceremony must inform their major department directly if they wish to attend departmental events. All graduates must complete the online Commencement Ceremony Registration Form (posted in February) in order to attend the main ceremony.

Graduate Students

Most graduate degree candidates are eligible to walk in Commencement only after they have completed all of their degree requirements. This means that graduate students are automatically eligible to walk in the May ceremony if they complete their degree requirements in:

May;
the December/January preceding the May ceremony; or
the August preceding the May ceremony

MBA, MA Ed (C&I), and Law (JD, LLM) graduate students who complete their degree requirements in August are automatically eligible to walk in the May ceremony preceding their graduation.

Winter graduates coming back for the May ceremony must inform their school/department directly if they wish to attend departmental events. All graduates must complete the online Commencement Ceremony Registration Form (posted in February) in order to attend the main ceremony.

Winter Graduation

The May Commencement is the only formal ceremony honoring graduates each year. December/January graduates are honored at an informal reception and recognition ceremony in December. Students who participate in the Winter Graduates Reception are still automatically eligible to come back and walk in Commencement the following May.