Information for Graduates
All students intending to participate in Commencement should have submitted their gradation application by 2/15. If you have missed this deadline and need assistance, please contact the Registrar’s Office.
You can confirm submission and check the status of your graduation application by clicking on Degree Information on the Academics page of My.Westminster.
All graduates must wear official Westminster regalia to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Regalia can be purchased in-person at The Campus Store from Wednesday, April 8 through Saturday, May 9. Regalia can also be purchased on the Campus Store website through April 27, to allow for shipping time. There is no need to pre-order your cap and gown—they are already in stock, and the Campus Store staff will assist you in selecting the correct size gown. You will take your cap and gown with you at the time of purchase. Bachelor’s degree recipients wear blue caps and gowns, and Master’s degree recipients wear black caps and gowns, with hoods in the color of their program. The Campus Store will host a Senior Salute on Wednesday, April 8 from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Cap and gown sets purchased during Senior Salute will be discounted $5. Anyone purchasing their regalia on April 8 will be entered in a drawing to win a Westminster diploma frame. The Campus Store is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Store will also be open on Commencement Day from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information, visit bookstore.westminster.edu and click on the “Graduation” tab.
The Registrar’s Office will distribute symbols of Latin Honors for undergraduates beginning on Monday, April 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Registrar's Office (Old Main 104). Please bring your student ID. The Registrar's Office will be open on Saturday, May 9th prior to the commencement ceremony. If you need to pick up your cords at this time, please contact the Registrar’s office.
The College’s policy is that the Latin Honor you receive and are recognized for at Commencement is based on career grade point average at the end of the fall 2025 semester. The official honor may or may not change based on grades through the end of the spring 2025 semester.
Please view the College Catalog for Latin honor requirements.
Dr. Jamie Frueh, Dean of the College, will announce each graduate’s name during the awarding of degrees. If you have a unique name, or if the pronunciation of your name is not typical, please call Dean Frueh (x7121 or 724-946-7121). Pronounce your name clearly into the voicemail.
All undergraduate degree students are asked to attend Commencement rehearsal on Friday, May 8 at 11:00 a.m. in Orr Auditorium. Please check your email before rehearsal for additional details. Graduate students are not required to attend.
Students that have a final exam/work/internship/clinical experience that conflicts with rehearsal time and are unable to attend should email Kim Winfield, Academic Events Coordinator, at winfieka@westminster.edu.
Graduates participating in Baccalaureate Service will assemble on the 3rd floor of Old Main and should arrive by 9:50. A faculty marshal will escort graduates down to the Chapel shortly before the service begins.
Baccalaureate service, Wallace Memorial Chapel
Commencement lunch, McKelvey Campus Center
Note: Graduates may pick up a complementary lunch ticket at Friday's Commencement rehearsal.
All graduates will assemble for Commencement in Orr Auditorium to check in with the Dean. Three faculty marshals will help graduates line up in order by degree. Graduates will process from Orr to Weisel Senior Terrace shortly before the ceremony begins.
If Commencement must be moved inside due to weather, graduates will assemble in Beeghly Theater at noon, and then process from Beeghly Theater to Orr Auditorium.
Commencement ceremony, Senior Terrace (rain location: Orr Auditorium)
*Optional event
All Baccalaureate and Commencement participants wear formal academic regalia. Students may also wear academic symbols of honor, including College Latin honors, All-College honors, Academic and All-College honorary societies, and student membership on the Board of Trustees. Street clothes worn under the academic gown should be in keeping with the formality of the occasion. Recreational clothing and footwear (e.g., jeans, sweatpants, tennis shoes, etc.) are not appropriate attire.
The Office of Professional Development & Community Engagement (MCC 2nd floor) can assist you if you need to borrow formal attire for this event. Please contact pdce@westminster.edu for more information.
At the beginning of the ceremony, undergraduate students wear the mortarboard tassel on the right and graduate students on the left. All mortarboards should be worn straight and not tilted to one side or back. Out of respect for all students, their families, and the academic nature of Commencement, you are reminded to avoid customizing your robe and mortarboard beyond official academic regalia.
Dr. Jamie Frueh, Dean of the College, will present the degree candidates to Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson, College President, by groups (B.A., B.M., B.S., B.S.N., M.A., M.B.A., and M.Ed.). As each group is presented, all candidates in the group rise together and remain standing while the President confers the degree formally. Candidates in each group will come forward by rows to receive their diploma. After receiving their diploma, candidates will return to their seat on the lawn and remain standing. After all candidates in each degree group have returned to their seats, the President will instruct the group to shift the tassel on their mortarboard from right to left (except for the provisional graduates, who should not shift their tassel). The group will then be instructed to sit.