Instructions for Degree Candidates
For Undergraduates | For Graduate Students
Additional information is included in the Final Instructions for Degree Candidates (PDF), e-mailed to all graduates in April.
For Undergraduates
Before Commencement:
- Review the appropriate sections of this website for important information and deadlines.
- If you plan to attend the main ceremony in W&M Hall, complete the Commencement registration form (logon required) and request guest tickets from February 18 - March 18. The form will be posted online beginning on February 18th. You must submit this form if you want to participate in the ceremony and/or request guest tickets! The form will be open only to students who are eligible to participate in the May ceremony AND have filed their Notice of Candidacy for Graduation form with the University Registrar. If you think you are eligible and you can't access the form, contact the [[studentaffairs, Student Affairs Office]] as soon as possible!
- If you do not plan to pick up your diploma in person, be sure to provide the Registrar's Office with an accurate physical address where your diploma can be mailed.
- If you are a double-major or if your major is in an interdisciplinary program other than Global Studies or International Relations, you must tell the Registrar's Office which departmental ceremony you want to attend to receive your diploma on Commencement Sunday. Even if your program has a ceremony and/or reception on Saturday, you will not get your diploma until after the main ceremony on Sunday. Double-majors may choose to attend either their primary or secondary major department's ceremony. Interdisciplinary majors may choose any department. Use the Commencement registration form (posted in February and due in early March) to indicate where you want to receive your diploma, or e-mail [[wdurba, Wendy Urbano]] in the Registrar's Office.
- Contact [[wdurba, Wendy Urbano]] in the Registrar's Office if you are walking in the May ceremony but graduating in August.
Commencement Weekend:
Please remember that Commencement is a ceremony with a long tradition and great dignity. We ask that you reflect the character of the event in your decorum throughout the weekend. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at the Candlelight Ceremony, Walk Across Campus, and the main ceremony at William and Mary Hall. Your cooperation is much appreciated.
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Dress/Regalia
With the exception of the Senior Class Officers, academic regalia are not worn to the Baccalaureate Service. Most students dress for the Baccalaureate as they would for a religious service. Information about appropriate dress/regalia for other events is included in the paragraphs below. -
Candlelight Ceremony
The Senior Class Candlelight Ceremony on Saturday night provides a time for celebration and reflection. Brief comments will be made by the President of the Senior Class and by a selected student, faculty member, and administrator. The ceremony concludes with the singing of the Alma Mater and the lighting of candles by the graduates. Families are welcome to attend. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held under a tent in the Sunken Garden, with graduates getting first priority for available space under the tent. Caps and gowns (but not hoods) should be worn to the Candlelight Ceremony. The tassel should be worn on the right side of the mortar board. -
Walk Across Campus
On Sunday, seniors should gather in front of the Wren Building at 10:15 a.m. for a final walk together across campus. Class Officers will introduce the three Honorary Marshals who will lead the procession from the Wren Building to William and Mary Hall. Caps, gowns, and hoods should be worn for the Walk Across Campus. The tassel should be worn on the right side of the mortar board. Mortar boards may not have objects or inappropriate messages attached. -
Commencement Ceremony
The undergraduate procession will form on the Lower Level of William and Mary Hall starting at approximately 11:00 a.m. (as students arrive from the Walk Across Campus). Graduates must enter W&M Hall through the back entrance (across from the tennis courts) and your family must use the main entrances unless they need to access the special low-level seating areas. There will be Faculty marshals, staff and signs guiding students to the proper location once inside the Hall. Caps, gowns, and hoods should be worn for the main ceremony. The tassel is worn on the right side of the mortar board until the degree is awarded. Mortar boards may not have objects or inappropriate messages attached.
For Graduate Students
Before Commencement:
- Review the appropriate sections of this website for important information and deadlines.
- If you plan to attend the main ceremony in W&M Hall, complete the online Commencement registration form (logon required) and request guest tickets from February 18 - March 18. The form will be posted online beginning on February 18th. You must submit this form if you want to participate in the ceremony and/or request guest tickets! The form will be open only to students who are eligible to participate in the May ceremony AND have filed their Notice of Candidacy for Graduation form with the University Registrar. If you think you are eligible and you can't access the form, contact the [[studentaffairs, Student Affairs Office]] as soon as possible!
- If you do not plan to pick up your diploma in person, be sure to provide the Registrar's Office with an accurate physical address where your diploma can be mailed.
Commencement Weekend:
Walk Across Campus
On Sunday, degree candidates are encouraged gather in front of the Wren Building at 10:15 a.m. for a final walk together across campus. Class Officers will introduce the three Honorary Marshals who will lead the procession from the Wren Building to William and Mary Hall. Caps, gowns, and hoods should be worn for the Walk Across Campus. The tassel should be worn on the right side of the mortar board. Mortar boards may not have objects or inappropriate messages attached.
Masters Candidates
On Commencement Sunday, masters degree candidates should gather at 11:00 a.m. in the Wightman Cup Room on the Concourse Level of William and Mary Hall. Enter the building through the doors that open directly into the Wightman Cup Room (toward the back of W&M Hall, on the side facing the Commons Dining Hall). Staff members and signs in the Wightman Cup Room will help to organize candidates into the proper order for the academic procession.
At the appointed time in the ceremony, the candidates for each masters degree will be asked to rise and the degree will be conferred on each group. Diplomas for some degrees will be distributed at the departmental ceremonies following the main ceremony. Other students will receive their diplomas by mail. Ask your school/department for details about how you will receive your diploma.
Doctoral Candidates
On Commencement Sunday, candidates for all doctoral degrees should gather on the Concourse Level of William and Mary Hall at 11:00 a.m. Enter the building through the doors that open directly into the Wightman Cup Room (toward the back of W&M Hall, on the side facing the Commons Dining Hall). Once inside, staff members and signs will direct candidates to the appropriate staging area. Doctoral students will process in alphabetical order within their respective degree categories (PhD - Arts & Sciences, PhD - Marine Science, PhD - Education, EdD). Faculty Marshals will form the academic procession with the doctoral candidates and will lead the procession at the appointed time.
At the point in the ceremony when doctoral degrees are conferred, the candidates for each degree will be asked to rise and the degree will be conferred on each group separately by the President of the College. After the degree has been conferred, the candidates for that degree will then be recognized individually as follows:
- Candidates will proceed to the foot of the stairs on the (audience's) right-hand side of the stage, remaining in alphabetical order. The first candidate will proceed to the top of the stairs.
- As the Dean calls the first candidate's name, that candidate should proceed to the center of the stage to receive a substitute diploma from the President. The next candidate should move to the top of the stairs while the previous candidate is walking to the center.
- After receiving the substitute diploma from the President, each candidate should continue across the stage, exit by the stairs on the (audience's) left side, and return to his/her seat. The next candidate should begin walking toward the center immediately after the previous candidate has received the substitute diploma.
- This process will be repeated for each group of doctoral recipients.
