Commencement Information for Graduating Students

Students completing degree requirements in December, May or August must complete a diploma order. Under certain circumstances a candidate for a degree may be permitted to participate in the commencement procession prior to completion of all coursework or requirements. (See Prospective Graduates for diploma orders, commencement activities and procession concession qualifications.)

The student must use his/her full legal name—absolutely no initials.

A woman who is married prior to the conferral of her degree may opt to use either her maiden or married last name. Example: first, middle, maiden OR first, middle, maiden and/or married.

Note: October 1 is the last day to cancel a December diploma order without being charged the graduation fee; February 1 for a May diploma order; and July 1 for an August diploma. Diploma changes must be made with the Registrar’s Office. Students whose conferral date is changed after October 1, February 1, or July 1 will be charged a $70 diploma reorder fee.

Each prospective graduate will receive a Graduation Status indicating the completion or anticipated completion of degree requirements. Prospective graduates finishing in December will receive one in November and an updated copy in March. All prospective graduates finishing in May or August will receive a copy in March.

All students who are completing a degree and are candidates for graduation will be charged a graduation fee. This fee covers the cost of the diploma, the rental of academic regalia and administrative costs, and is payable in full whether the candidate receives the degree in person or in absentia. Diplomas are ordered from the engraver for December in October, for May in February, and for August in June. If a student’s plans for graduation are canceled or changed after the diploma has been ordered, the student will be charged a diploma reorder fee.

Graduation fees will be billed to the student’s account and should be paid by December 5 (December conferral) or April 5 (May conferral) or August 5 (August conferral), whether or not the candidate participates in Commencement.

Associate Degrees — $120
Bachelor’s Degrees — $120
Master’s and Specialist Degrees — $120
Doctoral Degrees — $140

Bob Jones University’s Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony is held before Commencement each academic year.

The Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony will be held Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m. and Commencement on Friday, May 9, at 2 p.m., both in the Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium. (No guest tickets are required for these events.)

The Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony is a combination worship service and opportunity to honor the graduating class, including graduate students. Special recognition is given to first generation and legacy graduates—those with at least one parent or guardian who graduated from BJU—by awarding cords or medallions to wear with academic regalia at Commencement. Tribute is also given to students receiving more than one degree. In addition, recognition is given to parents and family members of the graduating class.

Degree Candidate Attendance

BJU confers degrees in December, May and August, with Commencement activities in May each academic year.

• December Conferral: All students finishing degree requirements in December are encouraged to attend the Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony.
• May/August Conferral:
• Eligible prospective graduates who are in residence during the spring semester and are receiving their degrees in May or August are to attend the Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony. Arrangements for work, picking up relatives, etc., should be made so that you can attend the ceremony.
• Students not in residence during the spring semester and finishing degree requirements in August by online courses and/or transfer work are encouraged to attend.

Attire

Formal attire for degree candidates and students.

• Men: Coat and tie with a button-up shirt and dress pants and dress shoes.
• Women: Dress or skirt and top and dark dress shoes, including sandals.

Cords and Medallions

BJU Alumni Relations provides cords and medallions to degree candidates to wear with regalia for Commencement. These items will be distributed prior to the Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony in the lobby of the Founder’s Memorial Amphitoirum. To receive an item the student must be present at the ceremony.

• First-generation Cord*: A blue cord represents the first in an immediate family to graduate from any college or university (other than BJU).
• First-generation BJU Legacy Cord*: A blue and white cord represents the first in an immediate family to graduate from BJU.
• Alumni Legatee Medallion*: A bronze medallion on a green ribbon represents one who has parents or grandparents who have graduated from BJU. (Invitations for the Alumni Legacy Reception will be sent in March.)

*Provided for the first degree earned through BJU and are worn with that degree.

For questions concerning this event, please contact Alumni Relations or 864-271-4707.

Incompletes: Students who have an outstanding incomplete in any course, including online learning courses in progress but not completed, will not be eligible to participate in the Commencement procession.

Transfer Work: All coursework taken in residence or by online learning at another institution must be approved in advance by submitting a Transfer Work Request form to the Registrar’s Office.

Students whose degree conferral is in December must inform the Registrar’s Office by April 15 of their Commencement participation plans. Diplomas (in a diploma case) will be released in January. For Commencement participation, you will receive another diploma case on the platform to be turned in after Commencement during regalia rental return.

All degree requirements must be successfully completed prior to Commencement. Grades for any coursework taken from another institution must be reported to the Registrar’s Office by 5 p.m. on the Monday prior to Commencement in order for the student to participate in the Commencement procession. BJU will accept a phone call from the institution indicating satisfactory completion of the course for the purpose of marching; however, an official transcript must be received before the diploma can be released.

Eligible prospective graduates who are in residence during the spring semester and are receiving their degrees in May are to participate. Prospective graduates not in residence during the spring semester must inform the Registrar’s Office by April 15 of their Commencement participation plans.

BJU wants all students finishing degree requirements to have the opportunity to participate in Commencement. Because the University conducts only one Commencement each year (in May), some students may have completed applicable residency requirements or will complete them in BJU summer session but may not have completed all of their course or checkpoint requirements by the deadline for participation in the Commencement program. Many students finishing requirements for their degree during the summer will qualify to participate. To be considered for a Procession Concession, the student must meet the following academic criteria and be planning to complete all outstanding degree requirements prior to the August degree conferral date. (Summer degrees are conferred the Friday prior to the official opening of school for the fall term.)

Transfer Work Request and/or Procession Concession Application for August degree conferral must be completed with the Registrar’s Office by April 15.

Associate Degree Candidates

• Have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
• Have completed applicable residency requirements or will complete in BJU summer session
• Lack six or fewer credits scheduled through BJU or another approved institution

Baccalaureate Degree Candidates

• Have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
• Have completed applicable residency requirements or will complete in BJU summer session
• Lack 11 or fewer credits scheduled through BJU or another approved institution
• May lack recital or show if check has been successfully passed.

Master’s Degree Candidates

• Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (2.6 MDiv with concentrations)
• Have completed applicable residency requirement
• Lack credits scheduled through BJU or another approved institution
• May lack MA Religion Comprehension Exam or Portfolio

The following do not fulfill procession concession qualifications: language proficiencies or thesis/dissertation.

The rehearsal for Commencement and the Commencement ceremony are both on Friday, May 9, in the Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium. All out-of-town prospective graduates participating in Commencement should be in the Greenville area no later than Thursday evening, May 8.

• Graduation Rehearsal Seat/Marching Ticket Distribution: Ticket assignments for eligible prospective graduates may be picked up in the Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium lobby:
  • Thursday, May 8, immediately after Baccalaureate and Legacy Ceremony
  • Friday, May 9, 9 - 9:20 a.m.
• Graduation Rehearsal: Friday, May 9, 9:30 a.m., Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium
  Eligible prospective graduates participating in Commencement must attend and should plan to stay until dismissal before 11:15 a.m. Arrangements for work, picking up relatives, etc., should be made so that you can attend the entire rehearsal. Regular class attire is appropriate.
• Commencement: Friday, May 9, Alumni Building (front)
  Eligible prospective graduates arrive in academic regalia dress by 1:30 p.m. and be in line and ready to march at 1:45 p.m.

Bob Jones University has partnered with Herff Jones as the source for official BJU graduation products. Prospective graduates may order graduate products during the Grad Fairs or online at Herff Jones. Online regalia rental (cap and gown) ordering opens with the spring semester’s Grad Fair and closes April 1.

Grad Fairs for Prospective Graduates
Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024 — 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Den (Student Center)
Tuesday & Wednesday, Feb. 25 & 26, 2025 — 11:45 a.m. to 5 p.m., The Den (Student Center)

Prospective graduates who do not meet the deadline for placing announcement/invitation orders may inform family and friends of graduation through one of the following means:

• Individual handwritten announcement/invitation.
• Individual computer-generated announcement/invitation—not mass-produced by a commercial supplier.

Note that only official announcements/invitations obtained through the Herff Jones website may feature the university logos (i.e., crest, shield, etc.) or indicate that the request or announcement is from the president, faculty and/or graduating class of the University. These are not to be added to handwritten or computer-generated invitations/announcements. These announcements may include the name (and degree) of a prospective graduate; therefore, name cards are not necessary.

Cap and gown rental orders must be placed with Herff Jones for prospective graduates participating in Commencement and regalia distribution will be as follows:

Greenville Area Prospective Graduates
Thursday, May 1 — 11:45 a.m.–5 p.m., The Den (back room)
Friday, May 2 — 11:45 a.m.–5 p.m., The Den (back room)

Out-of-Town Prospective Graduates
Friday, May 9 — Immediately after the graduation rehearsal until 12:30 p.m. at the Alumni Building east entrance by Bellis Copy Center

Please plan ahead and make arrangements to borrow clothing or shoes, if necessary. All students participating in Commencement are expected to follow university guidelines for attire and deportment.

Men: White dress shirts with dark neckties, dark (black, charcoal gray or navy) dress pants, dark socks and dark dress shoes.

Women: White or dark (black or navy) dresses (not longer than gown) or dark skirts with white blouses and dark dress shoes. Hair should be styled off the face. Please do not wear dangling earrings, bracelets or necklaces that call attention.

Honors and Recognitions: Undergraduate degree candidates who received BJU, academic professional organization, or athletic national championship awards/honors (i.e., medallion, cord, etc.) are to wear these items with your regalia for Commencement.

BJU Alumni Relations cords and medallions are for the first degree earned through BJU and are worn with that degree.

What is worn during Commencement is representative of what a student has achieved at BJU. Extra memorabilia (i.e., personalized/affiliation stole, leis, etc.) may be worn for pictures after Commencement.

Prospective graduates needing accommodations for marching and/or seating due to physical limitations should contact the Registrar’s Office prior to the Wednesday before Commencement.

Following Commencement, please return regalia (cap, gown and hood) to the Alumni Building (East Entrance by Bellis Copy Center) then proceed on to the diploma distribution stations. All regalia must be returned by 6 p.m. on Commencement day.

For your diploma to be released your account must be cleared by Financial Services.

* Diplomas (in a diploma case) are released in January.

Guests should arrive on the campus in plenty of time to secure parking and to get to the amphitorium. (No guest tickets are required for Commencement.)

Founder’s Memorial Amphitorium main entrance will open at 1 p.m. and the ceremony will start at 2 p.m. Open seating on the main floor and in the balcony.

Everyone should be seated by 1:45 p.m. The academic procession will move into the amphitorium at 1:55 p.m. The program will last about 2 hours and 15 minutes. After the program has begun, guests will not be readmitted to their seats. Those who must leave during the program may view the remainder of the program at Levinson Hall. Children 6 years of age and up are welcome to attend.

• Children: Individuals with children (infant to 5 years of age) may view the closed-circuit program in Levinson Hall in the Student Center.
• Mobility Aid Accommodations: Guests using a mobility aid enter the doors of tower 3 at Aisle 3 (opposite Student Center) or the doors of tower 8 at Aisle 11 (opposite Cinematic Arts Center) and may be accompanied by another individual. Tower 3 and 8 doors will open at 12:50 p.m. for these individuals.

BJU.edu is offering live coverage of commencement for friends and family that are unable to join us on campus at bju.edu/live.

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