What is the difference between Commencement and the diploma ceremonies? (2024)

Answer:

Degrees are conferred upon all candidates during the Commencement ceremony, but students do not receive individual diplomas. At the Old Campus ceremony, symbolic diplomas are presented to student marshals, who accept them on behalf of fellow degree candidates. The official Latin diplomas are distributed at a separate ceremony in each residential college and professional school. Diplomas for the Graduate School are presented in Woolsey Hall and Horchow Hall.

Diploma ceremonies in some colleges and schools may last until 1:45 p.m., so lunch could be later than usual for many guests. A packed snack might be prudent, especially for younger or older family members.

If you are not planning to attend Commencement or for degrees conferred mid-year, you may elect to have your diploma mailed or schedule a pick up time by completing the Diploma Request Form. A sample translation is available on the Diplomas Website. If you require an official translation, please complete an Application for Translation.

What is the difference between Commencement and the diploma ceremonies? (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Commencement and the diploma ceremonies? ›

What is the difference between Commencement and the diploma ceremonies? Answer: Degrees are conferred upon all candidates during the Commencement ceremony, but students do not receive individual diplomas.

What is the meaning of diploma ceremony? ›

1. the act of graduating or the state of being graduated. 2. the ceremony at which school or college degrees and diplomas are conferred.

What do you mean by commencement ceremony? ›

Simply put, Commencement is a ceremony held once a year that honors students who just have or will soon graduate, which means completing all requirements of their degree program. Participating in Commencement does not automatically mean that a student has graduated.

Do you have a graduation ceremony for a diploma? ›

Diploma ceremonies are one of the most popular events in the College calendar.

Why is it called commencement instead of graduation? ›

Why is graduation called “Commencement?” It is, after all, a ceremony to mark the completion of something. The word reflects the meaning of the Latin inceptio – a “beginning” – and was the name given to the initiation ceremony for new graduates in medieval Europe.

What is the difference between baccalaureate and commencement ceremony? ›

A baccalaureate ceremony generally refers to a non-denominational service held a few days before high school or college graduation. These ceremonies are meant to be a more intimate time of reflection prior to the larger, louder rite of passage that is commencement.

Who hands out diplomas at a college graduation? ›

The answer varies — the institution can decide. In a university environment, the President, by the virtue of the authority of the Board, officially confers the degrees, and will typically shake the hand of each graduate, but he or she does not necessarily hand out each diploma.

What is the difference between Commencement and diploma ceremony? ›

What is the difference between Commencement and the diploma ceremonies? Answer: Degrees are conferred upon all candidates during the Commencement ceremony, but students do not receive individual diplomas.

What is the difference between Commencement and degree conferral? ›

Attending the commencement ceremony does not mean that you have graduated. The conferral process is when we officially award your degree. This process will begin approximately four business days after the commencement ceremony.

What do you mean by commencement? ›

1. the act or time of commencing; beginning; start. 2. the ceremonies at which degrees or diplomas are conferred at a school or college. 3.

What is also referred to as commencement? ›

A graduation is the awarding of a diploma by an educational institution. It may also refer to the ceremony that is associated with it, which can also be called commencement, congregation, convocation or invocation.

What is an example of commencement? ›

A poet will speak at the commencement. And at the end of her four years she was invited to give the commencement speech. On commencement day, Massey was the last of his classmates to put on his cap and gown.

Does your diploma say if you graduated with honors? ›

If you meet the GPA requirements, University Honors (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude) and Honors in the Major (if your department has nominated you) will also appear on the diploma.

What does it mean to be graduated with a diploma? ›

A graduate diploma (GradD, GDip, GrDip, GradDip) is generally a qualification taken after completion of a first degree, although the level of study varies in different countries from being at the same level as the final year of a bachelor's degree to being at a level between a master's degree and a doctorate.

Is a graduate diploma the same as a diploma? ›

Although a graduate diploma (Grad Dip) sounds similar to a diploma, they are different. You can only study a graduate diploma if you have previously studied a bachelor degree or have relevant work experience.

What is the purpose of commencement? ›

Commencement is the ceremony that honors graduating students. Commencement refers to the start of something, and in an academic context, this ceremony signifies you're starting your career and the next phase of your life.

What is another name for graduation ceremony? ›

That's why a graduation ceremony is called a commencement — a graduate is embarking on a new life, and the commencement ritual marks the official beginning of that life.

What is the ceremony before graduation called? ›

Baccalaureate occurs the Friday before Commencement, usually at 1pm, and typically lasts an hour.

What is the difference between commencement and ceremony? ›

Participation in the commencement ceremony does not imply that you have officially graduated. Graduation is the completion of all degree requirements as recorded on the official transcript. Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates the completion of a degree.

What is the graduation ceremony day called in college what degrees or diplomas are given? ›

There is a commencement ceremony for graduates and during that time the graduates line up and as their name is called they are given their diploma. If a student cannot be there the diploma will be mailed to them. It's usually a very solemn occasion.

What is the graduation ceremony called? ›

Commencement ceremonies are the official graduation events for the university. Commencement is open to all graduating students, regardless of what college or school they are graduating from.

Does your diploma say your degree? ›

The diploma shows the title of the degree the student has earned, such as Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, or Master of Science in Nursing; it does not include the student's major.

What do you call someone who graduated with a diploma? ›

A person who has successfully completed a course of study or training. graduate. alum. alumna. alumnus.

What is your college diploma called? ›

The four types of college degrees are associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral. Each level varies in duration, depth of study and the potential career opportunities they may offer.

What does a diploma represent? ›

It also has a symbolic value, it is representative of all the hard work the graduate has put in and it represents the opening of new possibilities and freedom to forge a new path. The diploma, that single piece of paper, encapsulates the end of one stage of life and the beginning of a new one.

What is the full meaning of diploma? ›

a document given by an educational institution conferring a degree on a person or certifying that the person has satisfactorily completed a course of study. a document conferring some honor, privilege, or power. a public or official document, especially one of historical interest: a diploma from Carolingian times.

What does it mean to award a diploma? ›

A diploma is a document awarded by an educational institution (such as a college or university) testifying the recipient has graduated by successfully completing their courses of studies.

Does a diploma mean I graduated? ›

US answer: I got my degree. Diploma is a piece of paper — the formal certificate of completion that arrives some months after completing a program of education.

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