Frequently Asked Questions

Please remember that commencement is different from the actual graduation process.

• COMMENCEMENT refers to the ceremony, officiated by the President of the University, which is an opportunity for the students to share the excitement and importance of their academic accomplishments with peers, family, and friends. It is also a time for the University, senior administration, faculty and staff to pay special tribute to students for the outstanding efforts they have shown in earning their degrees.
  
• GRADUATION is a four-step process consisting of submitting a graduation application, completing all academic requirements for your degree, updating your address, and settling all financial obligations.

IMPORTANT: Participation in the commencement ceremony is not a guarantee or an indication of degree completion. To officially graduate from NDSU, students must satisfy all university, college, and departmental requirements for the specific degree.

Your degree becomes official when it is posted to your transcript, not by your participation in commencement exercises. Your degree will be posted to your transcript once all requirements are complete. Your diploma will be mailed to your 'Mailing' address as listed in Campus Connection 4-6 weeks after the degree is posted (see the Updating Your Contact Information help page for information on updating your address). For more information on the graduation process, please contact the Office of Registration and Records.

• UNDERGRADUATE & PHARM.D. STUDENTS — Submit an online Application for Undergraduate Degree form to the Office of Registration and Records by the third week of the planned semester of graduation. (This application is NOT used for Commencement participation)
• GRADUATE STUDENTS — It is important to complete the Intent to Graduate Survey by the posted deadline to initiate your Graduation Audit and receive commencement information. Registration and Records sends commencement ceremony information to the student's NDSU email address, at which time the student will need to RSVP for the ceremony if they intent to participate. Ceremony questions should be directed to Registration and Records.
  • An email with information about the commencement ceremony and participation sign-up is sent six weeks before the ceremony to students who have declared their intent to graduate.
  • If students plan to participate in the NDSU Commencement exercises at the end of their final semester, they must submit their commencement participation information online (further instructions will be provided to students via email).

No tickets or guest passes are required to attend the ceremony.

• Cap and gowns are required academic apparel for all graduates
  • Bachelor degree candidates can purchase the custom green gown and mortarboard cap from the NDSU Bookstore
  • Master's and doctoral degree candidates can rent or purchase the custom green gown, hood and mortarboard cap (master's degrees) or tam (doctoral degrees) from the NDSU Bookstore. This apparel must be ordered a MINIMUM of 8 weeks prior to the ceremony. Please see the NDSU Bookstore website for ordering deadlines. Orders are placed online with our partner Herff Jones from the NDSU Bookstore website.
  • Students have the option to purchase a Stole of Gratitude to wear during the ceremony and then present the stole as a thank you to a person who has helped them on their educational journey.
• Bookstore phone: (701) 231-7761 or 800-428-8309 or visit the NDSU Bookstore web site for more information

There are a variety of hotel accommodations in the Fargo-Moorhead area. The Convention and Visitor's Bureau website can assist you in selecting accommodations.

Each ceremony is expected to be approximately 2 hours.

Complete the official Name Change Form (via Campus Connection eForms) and provide proper documentation as described at the top of the form. Return it to Ceres 110 as soon as possible.

Diplomas are mailed 4-6 weeks following the close of the academic session in which graduation requirements have been completed. Your diploma will be mailed to your 'mailing' address in Campus Connection. You can review or update this address through Campus Connection (Click on the Profile tile and select Addresses). Degrees will be posted to academic transcripts approximately three weeks following the close of the semester.

• Undergraduate and Pharm.D. students: contact your Degree and Records Analyst in the Office of Registration and Records (Ceres Hall 110 or 701-231-7981).
• Graduate students: contact The College of Graduate and Interdisciplinary Studies (Putnam 106, 701-231-7033).

Graduation with honor applies only to baccalaureate degrees. Candidates who have earned a minimum of 60 credits in residence at NDSU and a minimum institutional grade point average of 3.50 will graduate with honor. All final grades on the NDSU academic record will be included in grade point average calculations for graduating with honor. Students who meet these academic criteria will graduate according to one of the following honor levels:

• Recognition in the commencement program is based on coursework that is completed and graded at the time of the ceremony. Courses that are in progress and not yet accessible online (via Campus Connection) are not included.
• The honor level of candidates meeting "Graduation with Honor" criteria will not be announced during the ceremony.

• The "With Honor" medallion is worn around the neck. (Available for purchase from the NDSU Bookstore. See criteria.)
• The following are worn around the neck: Alpha Epsilon, Blue Key, Eta Kappa Nu, Golden Key, Mortar Board, Pi Sigma Alpha, University Honors program, and Upsilon Pi Epsilon medallions; Beta Gamma Sigma, Gamma Sigma Delta, Lambda Beta Honor Society, Lambda Pi Eta, National Residence Hall Honorary, Phi Alpha Theta, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Upsilon Omicron, Pi Lambda Theta, Rho Chi, Sigma Tau Delta, Sigma Theta Tau, and Veteran Honor Society honor cords; Order of Omega, Tau Beta Pi white satin collar; Pi Tau Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Psi Chi, and Tau Sigma Delta stoles. All are available from the respective student organization.
• Elementary Education graduates: Contact Valley City State University (VCSU) for honor awards. You may wear VCSU honors for the NDSU ceremony; however, they are not announced at the ceremony.
• Social Work graduates: Contact Minot State University (MiSU) for honor awards. You may wear MiSU honors for the NDSU ceremony; however, they are not announced at the ceremony.