Graduation and Commencement
A student’s official graduation from Palo Alto University occurs on the day the university confers students’ degrees. After that date, students can commission or confirm with employers they have completed all degree requirements and are graduates of PAU.
Commencement is the official ceremony celebrating students’ graduation. Graduation/degree conferral and the Commencement ceremony do not need to occur on the same day.
Graduation/Degree Conferral
Graduation/Degree Conferral occurs when a candidate has completed all academic requirements, submits an Intent to Graduate Form to the Registrar’s Office, and their degree is conferred by the Board of Trustees. The Intent to Graduate Form initiates the audit of a student’s academic records to confirm they meet all academic and other requirements for graduation. In order to participate in the June commencement ceremony, the Intent to Graduate Form must be submitted to the Registrar by the following dates:
Graduation Term - application deadlines
Fall 2024 - November 1, 2024
Winter 2025 - January 15, 2025
Spring 2025 - April 1, 2025
Summer 2025 - April 1, 2025
Students who miss the Intent to Graduate Form deadlines for a given year will still be able to obtain a graduation/date of completion when they finish the requirements specified above.
Commencement Ceremony
Once a student has met all graduation requirements, they may participate in PAU’s Commencement Ceremony. PAU holds one commencement ceremony in June each year to celebrate our graduates' accomplishments.
Students are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony if they graduated in the academic year leading up to the June ceremony.