Graduation and Commencement
What is the difference between graduation and commencement?
Commencement is the ceremony held once a year to honor students who just have or will soon graduate, which means all degree requirements have been met. Participating in the commencement ceremony does not automatically mean a student has graduated. In order to graduate, a student must complete all degree requirements and submit a graduation application.
Applying to Graduate
All students must apply to graduate by submitting a graduation application to the Registrar's Office. A graduation application should be submitted prior to the end of your last semester. If you wish to participate in the commencement ceremony, the application will need to be submitted in early February - specific deadlines are updated each year on the commencement ceremony page.
Commencement Ceremony
Davenport University hosts one Commencement Ceremony each academic year to honor our current year graduates. A current year graduate is any student who completed or will complete their program during the fall, winter or spring/summer semester of the current academic year. An academic year runs from the fall semester through the spring/summer semester. For example, the April 2024 commencement ceremony includes students who complete their program fall 2023, winter 2024 or spring/summer 2024.