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Pipers perform at American University Commencement

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Preparing to Graduate

  1. Apply to Graduate on Eagle Service and go to Graduation Overview. Connect with your advisor if you have any questions about your graduation application. (The deadline to apply for Spring 2023 Commencement is March 27.)

  2. Order Regalia. Starting March 1, as students are marked eligible to participate in Commencement, they will be sent a link to order regalia. April 2 is the deadline for best price shipping and on-campus pick-up orders. Please allow three weeks for shipping and receipt of regalia. Your regalia order serves as your registration to participate in the ceremony and signs you up for your tickets and parking pass.

  3. Register with NameCoach. Eligible degree candidates for Spring 2023 (2023S, 2023T1, and 2023T2) will receive an email from commencement@american.edu with a unique link to the NameCoach site to record their diploma name exactly how they would like it announced for the commencement ceremony. The deadline to record a diploma name is April 2.

  4. Diploma Name Verification. Even if your chosen name has not changed since you first applied to AU, please take a moment to check your application to graduate on Eagle Service to verify the spelling (José Rodríguez or Jose Rodriguez), punctuation (Al Shamsi or Al-Shamsi), spacing (La Barge or Labarge), and capitalization (Dewitt or DeWitt) of your diploma name. If any of the above are incorrect, please correct the diploma name field so that it will appear accurately on your diploma and in the commencement program. Updates must be made no later than March 31 (updates made after March 27 will need to be emailed to Graduation Services).

  5. Complete the Grad Census and enter the Diploma Frame Raffle. This annual survey asks main campus graduate and undergraduate students about experiences at AU and their postgraduation plans. This provides a basis for improving services and support for students and alumni. We hope you will complete the Grad Census you receive by email invitation or via this link. All students who complete the Grad Census by May 14, 2023 at 11:59 pm will be entered in a raffle for an AU Diploma Frame. The winners will be drawn on May 15, 2023 and contacted via email May 16, 2023. For questions about the Grad Census or the raffle, contact the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. This raffle is co-sponsored by the AU Career Center, Kogod Office of Career Engagement, SIS Office of Career Development, and the Office of Alumni Relations.

  6. Mark your calendars for the Spring Affinity Graduations. Graduating students are invited to celebrate at the 2023 Spring Affinity Graduations. Affinity stoles and cords will be distributed to participants at these events.
    • Veteran and Military-Affiliated Affinity Graduation, Friday, April 28 | 6:00-8:30 p.m., WCL Faculty & Staff Lounge
    • First Generation Affinity Graduation, Thursday, May 4 | 6:00-8:30 p.m., WCL Faculty & Staff Lounge
    • PRIDE Affinity Graduation, Friday, May 5 | 6:00-8:30 p.m., WCL Faculty & Staff Lounge
    • Asian & Pacific Islander Affinity Graduation, Tuesday, May 9 | 12:00-2:30 p.m., Constitution Hall East Campus
    • Latinx Affinity Graduation, Tuesday, May 9 | 6:00-8:30 p.m., Constitution Hall East Campus
    • Black and African Heritage Affinity Graduation, Wednesday, May 10 | 6:00-8:30 p.m., Constitution Hall East Campus

  7. Graduating Seniors Only: Review your transcript online. Students with Latin Honors (3.67 cumulative GPA as of the fall term and 60 of 120 credits at AU) should pick up a gold Honors cord during on-campus regalia distribution May 9-11.

  8. Collect your Tickets. Registered students will receive a unique link to their AU email to access their electronic tickets and parking pass approximately three (3) weeks prior to the ceremony. Tickets are required for admittance to the commencement ceremonies. Each participant will receive six (6) electronic guest tickets and one (1) parking pass.

  9. Check back for more updates on plans to celebrate our graduates.

Covid-19 and Commencement

  • Vaccinations: COVID vaccinations and boosters are strongly recommended, but not required for AU community members and guests, including commencement attendees in May. Vaccination and booster shots are readily available near campus, including pharmacies and grocery stores, and can be located on the CDC’s vaccine location webpage.
  • Good Health Practices: To support our community and your personal health, you are strongly recommended to stay home when you are sick, get tested if you exhibit COVID symptoms or have been exposed to a confirmed case, and wash your hands often.
  • We have developed updated FAQs that provide additional information about the new protocols that begin in May. If you have questions, please contact covidhealth@american.edu. Thank you for your continued support for the health and well-being of our AU community.

Student Speaker Selection

Each school or college ceremony includes an address by a graduating student. Selection of the student speaker is coordinated within each school's dean's office starting in early February. Speakers are announced by the dean's office in late March or early April. If you would like to be considered as a student speaker, contact your school’s commencement coordinator.

Regalia Orders

A student’s regalia order serves as their registration to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Your order signs you up for your tickets and parking pass (which you will receive access to approximately three weeks prior to your ceremony).

As students are marked eligible to participate in Commencement, they will be sent a link to order regalia. April 2 is the deadline for best price shipping and on-campus pick-up orders. Please allow three weeks for shipping and receipt of regalia.

(If you are borrowing regalia from a past graduate, please email commencement@american.edu.)

 

  Includes Pricing (before tax) Needs to be returned?
Bachelor’s Regalia Cap, gown, and tassel $41 No
Master’s Regalia Cap, gown, tassel, and hood $72 No
Juris Doctor and LLM Regalia Tam (cap), gown, and hood $115 Yes, immediately following the ceremony
Doctoral Regalia Rental Tam (cap), gown, and hood $115 Yes, immediately following the ceremony
Doctoral Regalia Custom Purchase* Tam (cap), gown, and hood Begins at at $900 N/A

Please note: AU regalia is ordered through an online website. The link is now closed.

*The deadline to order custom doctoral regalia to purchase is March 20. Please contact commencement@american.edu to request the custom doctoral regalia order form if you plan to purchase regalia.

Regalia Campus Pick-Up

If you selected the on-campus pickup option when you ordered your regalia, please pick it up from Mary Graydon Center (MGC) 200:

  • Tuesday, May 9, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 11, 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday, May 12, 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, May 13, 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

In order to walk in the commencement ceremony, you must wear a cap and gown designed especially for American University. Students not wearing the proper regalia will not be permitted to walk in the ceremony. (The only exception is for active-duty service members and students joining the Armed Forces who have received permission from AU Commencement to wear their formal dress uniforms in lieu of academic regalia.)

International Grads & Guests

Students participating in commencement or their guests who are not in the U.S. at the time of graduation and do not have a U.S. passport may require documentation in order to secure a visa to attend commencement. All requests must be submitted by the graduate via a written request to the Registrar's Office with the following information:

  1. Name of the graduating student

  2. Major or course of study

  3. Date of ceremony

Submission Options
Mail:
Degree Clearance Team, Office of the Registrar
American University
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016

Fax: 202-885-1016

Email: Graduation Services
(Email submissions must have a PDF attachment of the request which includes the student's signature)

This page will be updated as additional Commencement details become available.