Details for Graduates

The 2023 Commencement ceremonies will be from May 22 – 26, 2023, in the Commencement Pavilion, a festive shaded structure that will be built in the event space on the north side of campus in Lot 5.

For more information, please visit the Commencement Schedule webpage.

• Fall 2022 Semester
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding March 1, 2022
  Graduate & Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding June 15, 2022
   
• Winter 2023 Intersession
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding September 1, 2022
  Graduate & Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding September 15, 2022
   
• Spring 2023 Semester
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding October 15, 2022
  Graduate & Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding November 15, 2022
   
• Summer 2023 Term
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding February 1, 2023
  Graduate & Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding February 15, 2023

To be eligible to participate in the 2023 Commencement ceremonies, students must:

1. File to graduate for their bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree during the eligible declared graduation terms.
   
   A graduation application must be submitted for the terms of fall 2022, winter 2023, spring 2023, or summer 2023 to be eligible to participate in the 2023 Commencement ceremonies. If you have questions about your graduation application or have missed your deadline, contact the Graduation Office.
   
   The graduation application is used by the student to notify the University that they are ready to complete their bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree program. All coursework for the degree program must be completed prior to the award date (end of the graduation term they applied for). Students will not be able to register beyond their expected declared graduation term, so it is critical that the graduation application be accurate at the time of filing.
   
   Graduates who have re-applied to graduate this academic year but have already participated in a  Commencement ceremony previously for the same degree are not eligible to participate again.
    
2. Register to participate in Commencement during the online registration period.
   
   All graduates planning to participate in the in-person ceremonies must register in advance in order to attend. Registration will be available from April 10, 2023, at 9 a.m. PT until April 28, 2023, at 5 p.m. PT.

For Commencement, the primary (legal) name as it appears on the graduating candidate's GET account and graduation application is the name that will be used for the following:

• Ticketing Information
• Name card during Commencement for the name display
• Name reading during Commencement
• Diploma by the Graduation Office

As noted in the Registrar’s Office website, graduates can submit a request for a Preferred First Name Change in GET to formally request a preferred first name be used by the University. An approved preferred first name may be used on a diploma and at Commencement if requested by the graduating candidate on their graduation application, otherwise the primary (legal) name will be used.

For the preferred first name change to be reflected for Commencement, requests must be made by April 14, 2023.

For any changes or updates to your primary (legal) name, including your last name, to be reflected for Commencement, please submit a Bio/Demo Change Form to the Admissions and Record Center, Student Services Building 1st floor, by April 14, 2023.

Please note that during the Commencement ceremonies, last minute name changes will not be accommodated as the name cards are embedded with a unique bar code that will be used to display the names on the jumbo screen.

For Commencement, the Cal State LA email address, alternate email address, and the mailing address listed on the graduating candidate's GET account is the information that will be used for the following:

• Commencement registration and ticketing (only Cal State LA email address*)
• Commencement notifications and reminders (Cal State LA email address and alternate email address)
• Commencement photography (Cal State LA email address, alternate email address, and mailing address)

In spring 2023, the Graduation Office will start to submit the names of the eligible graduating candidates to the Commencement Office for inclusion in the Commencement ceremonies. Graduating candidates must make any updates to their contact information by March 10, 2023, to ensure receipt of Commencement-related notices.

Please make sure to check your Cal State LA email address regularly for Commencement emails related to ticketing, important deadlines, and ceremony details. If you do not see any notifications, please check your spam folder.

* For Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates, the primary university email address on file will be used.

Grg aduates obtaining a bachelor's degree, who maintain an outstanding academic record while earning their degree, are accorded special recognition upon graduation and are given golden yellow double honor cords to wear during Commencement. Additional details can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s website > Apply for your degree > Honors at Graduation.

Please note the traditional bachelor’s degree honors awards (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) are not available for master’s or doctoral degree students.

To be eligible for honors, the graduating candidate must have completed a minimum of 45 units in residence at Cal State LA and have attained the appropriate standing (in terms of cumulative grade point average earned at Cal State LA) as described below:

• Summa Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.9
• Magna Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.75 but less than 3.9
• Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.5 but less than 3.75

These honors are designated on the diploma and permanent academic record.

• Bachelor’s degree students who graduated in fall 2022 and winter 2023 who have attained the status of graduating with honors based on the criteria listed above.
• Bachelor’s degree students who are projected to graduate in spring 2023 or summer 2023 and attained the status of graduating with honors based on the criteria listed above from completed courses as of winter 2023.

Please note that the honor status for projected graduates of spring 2023 or summer 2023 is subject to change based on final grades at the end of the spring 2023 semester or summer 2023 term. 

• Check-in
• Seating
• Getting to and from the stage
• Recessional

• All Cal State LA employees, students and visitors shall conduct a health self-screening for COVID-19 symptoms before arriving at Cal State LA. If you are experiencing any of the listed symptoms, please do not come onto the Cal State LA campus.

• You understand the risk of attending a large, crowded event where the vaccine status of others in attendance may be unknown.

• Masks are not required outdoors. The Commencement Pavilion is designated as an outdoor venue. Masks are required in classrooms, labs, and health care settings on campus, but are no longer required in other indoor spaces on campus, such as the University Library, offices, hallways, eateries, and other non-classroom spaces. Students, faculty, staff, and visitors are always welcome to wear a mask. Learn more about face masks. 

• The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health strongly encourages Californians to sign up for CA Notify in advance of large scale events like Commencement to receive alerts when you have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 in public gatherings. If you test positive for COVID-19 after attending Commencement, CA Notify lets you alert those you may have exposed without using your name. 

Please continue visit the Cal State LA Health Watch webpage for the latest information about campus COVID-19 protocols, University messages, frequently asked questions, and more. The information on this website is current and will continue to be updated.

* All protocols are subject to change if warranted by the pandemic.

• Alcohol
• Balloons
• Beverages (bottled water permitted)
• Bicycles
• Bottles and cans
• Cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and vapes (The University is a tobacco and vape-free campus.)
• Chairs
• Coolers
• Drones
• Drugs
• Fireworks
• Flags with poles
• Food (baby food permitted)
• Laser pointers
• Mega phones
• Mid- to large-size purses, backpacks, satchels, and duffel bags
• Pets (except for service animals)
• Rollerblades
• Signs larger than 16” x 20”
• Skateboards
• Strollers / car seats / bassinets (There are no designated check-in locations for these items so please leave in your car.)
• Weapons (including chains, firearms, knives, spiked jewelry and belts, and sticks)
• Umbrellas

The University will be livestreaming the ceremonies, which will be able to be viewed through the Cal State LA website and the Cal State LA YouTube channel.

Cal State LA is providing an alternate on-campus viewing location where guests can watch the livestream of each ceremony during Commencement. The alternate viewing location is in the Golden Eagle Ballrooms. The Golden Eagle Ballrooms are located on the third floor of the Golden Eagle building across from the University Bookstore. This location will not require tickets, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• All levels of Structure E
• Blue levels of Structure C

Graduates who registered to participate must check in 75-60 minutes before the ceremony at the designated location next to the Commencement Pavilion in order to pick up their pre-printed name card and to line up for seating.

Candidates must have their Grad Pass (will be emailed in early May 2023) and must present their Cal State LA ID or a government-issued photo ID during check-in.

Gates to the Commencement Pavilion will be closed five minutes before the ceremony starts to prepare for the academic procession of the faculty and platform party. All candidates who arrive late will be allowed inside the venue after the national anthem.

All candidates will be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony by degree and major. Only graduates, faculty, and authorized staff are allowed in the graduate seating area.

Each ceremony will be between 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours and 15 minutes in duration. The order of events may vary per Commencement ceremony and will include most of the below activities.

• Academic procession of faculty and platform party
• National anthem
• Welcome remarks and introduction of the platform party by the college dean
• President's greeting
• Guest or student speaker
• Academic honors
• Presentation of candidates for degrees by the provost
• Presentation of doctoral degrees
• Presentation of master's degrees
• Presentation of bachelor's degrees
• Conferral of degrees by the president
• Closing remarks by the college dean
• University hymn
• Recessional of platform party, faculty and conferees of doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees

Official graduation portrait photographers will be at Commencement taking photos.

For doctoral and master's degree candidates, photos will be taken while they are hooded onstage, and also when holding their diploma cover after they exit the stage.

For bachelor's degree candidates, photos will be taken when they are presented onstage, and also when holding their diploma cover after they exit the stage.

To ensure that graduating candidates receive their photo proof after the ceremony, they must complete the back of the name card, which will be given to them at the check-in area.

University photographers will be photographing the ceremonies and candid photos will be available for free download on the Cal State LA Smug Mug webpage during Commencement week.

Out of respect for all our graduates and their family and friends, all attendees must stay for the entire duration of the event to not disrupt the ceremony. Please plan accordingly.

In the interest of creating a memorable Commencement experience for all, please be respectful and considerate with your applause when graduate names are read, so that all names are heard.

There is no smoking, including electronic cigarettes and vapes, on campus. Also, possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited during the Commencement Ceremonies and related activities.

Commencement will be photographed and/or recorded. By attending the ceremonies, you agree and grant irrevocable permission to have your likeness, image, voice, and appearance photographed and recorded for any University business-related purpose and that the CSU owns the images and all rights related to them. The images may be used in any manner or media without notifying you, such as university-sponsored websites, publications, promotions, broadcasts, advertisements, posters and theater slides, as well as for non-university uses. You waive any right to inspect or approve the finished images or any printed or electronic matter that may be used with them.