DETAILS FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS

ELIGIBLE DECLARED GRADUATION TERMS FOR COMMENCEMENT 2024

• Fall 2023 Semester
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding March 1, 2023
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding June 15, 2023
   
• Winter 2024 Intersession
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding September 1, 2023
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding September 15, 2023
   
• Spring 2024 Semester
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding October 16, 2023
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding November 15, 2023
   
• Summer 2024 Session
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding February 1, 2024
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding February 15, 2024

PARTICIPATION

To be eligible to participate in Commencement 2024, students must:

1. FILE FOR GRADUATION
   
   A graduation application must be submitted for the graduation terms of fall 2023, winter 2024, spring 2024, or summer 2024.
   
   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.
   
   If you have questions about the graduation application process, please contact the Graduation Office.
    
2. REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE AT COMMENCEMENT
   
   All graduating students planning to participate in the in-person ceremonies must register in advance to attend. Online registration will start on April 8, 2024 at 9 a.m. (PT), and end on April 26, 2024, at 5 p.m. (PT). Additional information will be posted on March 1, 2024.
   
   Students 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.

Cal State LA is celebrating the outstanding achievement of the Class of 2024 on May 20 and 21, 2024. The ceremonies will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall, in downtown Los Angeles.

There will be 6 college-based ceremonies, and graduates will be automatically assigned to a ceremony based on their college, department, and major. For each ceremony, doctoral and master’s students will be hooded, and all graduating candidates will cross the stage and have their names read and appear on the screen, as well as, on the live stream.

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
CEREMONY 1 | 9 A.M. | COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
CEREMONY 2 | 2 P.M. | COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS | COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
CEREMONY 3 | 7 P.M. | COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
CEREMONY 4 | 9 A.M. | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING COMPUTER SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY | COLLEGE OF ETHNIC STUDIES
CEREMONY 5 | 2 P.M. | RONGXIANG XU COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
CEREMONY 6 | 7 P.M. | RONGXIANG XU COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

To view the full schedule that includes departments and majors, please visit the SCHEDULE page and click on the specific ceremony.

For Commencement, the diploma name used by the Graduation Office is the name that will be used for the following:

• Ticketing information
• Name card during Commencement
• Name display on the jumbo screen
• Name reading during Commencement

The diploma name is the primary (legal) name as it appears on the graduating candidate's GET account.

As noted on 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. Please note that this is not automatically used for your diploma. An approved preferred first name may be used on a diploma 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 March 8, 2024, to the Graduation Office.

For any changes or updates to your primary (legal) name, including your last name, to be reflected for Commencement, please submit a Biographical/Demographical Change Request Form to the Admissions and Record Center on the first floor of the Student Services Building by March 8, 2024.

Please note that during the Commencement ceremonies, last-minute name changes will not be accommodated. The name cards are printed in advance and are embedded with a unique barcode that will be used for name reading and name display 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 2024, 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 in GET by March 8, 2024, 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.

Online registration will start on April 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. (PT), and end on April 26, 2024, at 5 p.m. (PT).

All graduating students planning to participate in the in-person ceremonies must register in advance to attend. Additional information will be posted on March 1, 2024, that includes registration and ticketing instructions.

Graduating students who register to participate during the registration period will be able to reserve up to 7 guest tickets. Please note that Commencement guest tickets are free and cannot be bought or sold. Under no circumstance should an exchange of money occur for tickets. Tickets that are bought or sold will be invalidated by the University.

All guests 3 years of age and older will require a ticket to attend Commencement and enter the venue. Children 2 and under can attend Commencement without a ticket, provided they sit on an adult's lap and do not occupy a seat.

Graduates 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.

The criteria listed below were established by the Office of the Registrar / Graduation Office. The Commencement Office only distributes the honor cords based on the honors awarded / honors projected by the Graduation Office. For additional information on baccalaureate honors, please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website > Apply for your Degree > Honors at Graduation.
 

BACCALAUREATE HONORS CRITERIA

To be eligible for honors, graduating bachelor's degree students must have completed a minimum of 45 units in residence at Cal State LA and have attained the appropriate standing (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.

For Commencement, spring 2024 or summer 2024 graduating students must have obtained the GPA listed above for fall 2023 or winter 2024 term ( if you attended winter 2024) to be projected to receive baccalaureate honors. Projected honors are subject to change based on final grades at the end of the spring 2024 semester or summer 2024 session.

HONOR CORDS DISTRIBUTION

In late March 2024, information regarding the distribution of honor cords will go out to the following:

• Bachelor’s degree students who graduated in fall 2023 and winter 2024 and 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 2024 or summer 2024 and attained the status of graduating with honors based on the criteria listed above from completed courses as of winter 2024.

Graduates participating in the Commencement ceremonies must wear the appropriate academic attire. Regalia represents the three principal levels of academic achievement at Cal State LA: bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Additional information will be posted on March 1, 2024, that includes regalia prices and master's hood colors.

BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE REGALIA
Regalia (cap and gown) for bachelor’s and master’s students will be available for in-person purchase only at the University Bookstore starting March 25, 2024, until Commencement. In addition, the University Bookstore will have a satellite location at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall Lobby, on May 20 and 21, 2024.

DOCTORAL DEGREE REGALIA
For doctoral degree candidates, regalia must be preordered through the University Bookstore's regalia vendor, Oak Hall. Custom doctoral regalia must be ordered by March 17, 2024, and regular doctoral regalia must be ordered by April 19, 2024, by visiting the doctoral degree regalia order form.

For questions about regalia, please contact the Cal State LA Bookstore or visit the Cal State LA Bookstore website for more information.