Commencement Ceremonies

Commencement ceremonies are held at the conclusion of the Fall and the Spring terms.

• Because commencement exercises are meaningful experiences in the academic lives of students, all students are encouraged to participate when possible.
• Students are permitted to participate in only one ceremony per degree.
• Students must settle all accounts in order to be eligible to participate in commencement exercises. UMHB may restrict students from participating in commencement for failure to make complete payment of student accounts.
• A student may be excused from commencement exercises and be permitted to graduate in absentia with approval from the Registrar’s Office. Students desiring to graduate in absentia should submit a written request to the Registrar’s Office not less than two weeks prior to the commencement exercise.
• Diplomas will be mailed typically within eight weeks of the commencement exercise to the address provided on the application for degree.  This allows time for confirmation all degree requirements have been met.  Under no circumstances will a diploma be released prior to the official degree conferral date.  Diplomas will not be released to students owing a balance to UMHB.
• Students lacking a maximum of seven (7) semester hours toward degree completion (as confirmed by the Registrar’s Office) may petition the Registrar's Office for permission to participate in commencement exercises no earlier than January 31 for Spring participants or September 30 for Fall participants. Any exceptions to the maximum hours lacking for degree completion must be approved by the Provost. Participation in commencement exercises is not equivalent to graduation. Students granted permission by the Registrar's Office or the Provost to “walk” in the ceremony are not official graduates. They will not receive diplomas nor will their degrees be posted to their transcripts until all their degree requirements have been completed.  Degree conferral dates will not be retroactive. The official degree conferral date of the semester in which the students' outstanding degree requirements are completed will apply.  Students failing to graduate after the expiration of one academic year must reorganize their respective degree plan to conform with the current catalog as well as must submit another application for degree and pay another graduation fee by the applicable deadlines. 
• Students may petition the Registrar's Office for permission to delay participation in commencement exercises if students are unable to participate in the ceremony immediately following their degree completion.