COMMENCEMENT 2025

Eligible Declared Graduation Terms for Commencement 2025

• Fall 2024 Semester
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding March 1, 2024
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding June 17, 2024
   
• Winter 2025 Intersession
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding September 3, 2024
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding September 16, 2024
   
• Spring 2025 Semester
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding October 15, 2024
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding November 15, 2024
   
• Summer 2025 Session
  Undergraduate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding February 3, 2025
  Graduate and Doctorate Degrees Application Deadline: Preceding February 17, 2025

Participation

To be eligible to participate in Commencement 2025, students must:

1. FILE FOR GRADUATION
   
   A graduation application must be submitted for the graduation terms of fall 2024, winter 2025, spring 2025, or summer 2025.
   
   The graduation application is used by the student to notify the University that they are ready to complete their bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree program. All coursework for the degree program must be completed prior to the award date (end of the graduation term they applied for). Students will not be able to register beyond their expected declared graduation term, so it is critical that the graduation application be accurate at the time of filing.
   
   If you have questions about the graduation application process, please contact the Graduation Office.
    
2. REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE AT COMMENCEMENT
   
   All eligible graduating students planning to participate in the in-person ceremonies for Commencement 2025 must

   register in advance to attend when registration opens in April, 2025. The link to register will be emailed to the graduating students and posted on this website before registration starts.

   Students who have re-applied to graduate during the 2024/2025 academic year but have already participated in Commencement 2024 previously for the same degree are not eligible to participate again.

Cal State LA is celebrating the outstanding achievement of the Class of 2025 at the end of May 2025. Commencement at Cal State LA are college-based ceremonies, and graduates will be automatically assigned to a ceremony based on their college, department, and major.

The full schedule that includes the dates, times, location, departments, and majors, will be posted at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester.

The diploma name used by the Graduation Office is the name that will be used for Commencement for the following:

• Ticketing information
• Name card during Commencement
• Name display on the jumbo screen
• Name announcement during Commencement

The diploma name is the primary (legal) name as it appears on the graduating candidate's GET account. To view the diploma name, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to your GET account.
2. Click on the Self Service option.
3. Under the Degree Progress/Graduation section, click on the View Graduation Status option.
4. Under the Student Information section, you will see your diploma name that will be used for Commencement.

An approved preferred first name may be used on a diploma if requested by the graduating candidate on their graduation application, otherwise, the primary (legal) name will be used. For the preferred first name change to be reflected for Commencement, requests must be made by March 7, 2025 to the Graduation Office.

For any changes or updates to your primary (legal) name on your diploma, including your middle and/or last name, to be reflected for Commencement, please submit a Biographical/Demographical Change Request Form to the Admissions and Record Center on the first floor of the Student Services Building by March 7, 2025.

Please note that during the Commencement ceremonies, last-minute name changes will not be accommodated. The name cards are printed in advance and are embedded with a unique barcode that will be used for name announcement and name display on the jumbo screen.

For Commencement, the Cal State LA email address, alternate email address, and the mailing address listed on the graduating candidate's GET account is the information that will be used for the following:

• Commencement registration and ticketing (only Cal State LA email address)
• Commencement notifications and reminders (Cal State LA email address and alternate email address)
• Commencement photography (Cal State LA email address, alternate email address, and mailing address)

In spring 2025, the Graduation Office will start to submit the names of the eligible graduating candidates to the Commencement Office for inclusion in the Commencement ceremonies. Graduating candidates must make any updates to their contact information in GET by March 7, 2025, to ensure receipt of Commencement-related notices.

Please make sure to check your Cal State LA email address regularly for Commencement emails related to ticketing, important deadlines, and ceremony details. If you do not see any notifications, please check your spam folder.

All eligible graduating students planning to participate in the in-person ceremonies must register in advance to attend when registration opens in April, 2025.

The link to register will be emailed to graduating students and posted on this website before registration starts.

Graduates obtaining a bachelor's degree, who maintain an outstanding academic record while earning their degree, are accorded special recognition upon graduation, and are given golden yellow double honor cords to wear during Commencement.

The criteria listed below were established by the Office of the Registrar / Graduation Office. The Commencement Office only distributes the honor cords based on the honors awarded / honors projected by the Graduation Office. For additional information on baccalaureate honors, please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website > Apply for your Degree > Honors at Graduation.

Baccalaureate Honors Criteria

To be eligible for honors, graduating bachelor's degree students must have completed a minimum of 45 units in residence at Cal State LA and have attained the appropriate standing (cumulative grade point average earned at Cal State LA) as described below:

• Summa Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.9
• Magna Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.75 but less than 3.9
• Cum Laude: GPA equal to or greater than 3.5 but less than 3.75

These honors are designated on the diploma and permanent academic record.

For Commencement, spring 2025 or summer 2025 graduating students must have obtained the GPA listed above for fall 2024 or winter 2025 term ( if you attended winter 2025) to be projected to receive baccalaureate honors. Projected honors are subject to change based on final grades at the end of the spring 2025 semester or summer 2025 session.

Honor Cords Distribution

In late March 2025, information regarding the distribution of honor cords will go out to the following:

• Bachelor’s degree students who graduated in fall 2024 and winter 2025 and have attained the status of graduating with honors based on the criteria listed above.

• Bachelor’s degree students who are projected to graduate in spring 2025 or summer 2025 and attained the status of graduating with honors based on the criteria listed above from completed courses as of winter 2025.

Graduating students participating in the Commencement ceremonies must wear the appropriate academic attire. Regalia represents the three principal levels of academic achievement at Cal State LA: bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Additional information about regalia and other Commencement related merchandise and services such as graduation portraits and sashes, will be posted at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester.

Graduating students who require assistance during Commencement can contact the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) at (323) 343-3140, or by email at [email protected], two weeks or more before the ceremonies. 

OSD can assist graduating students with:

• Check-in
• Seating
• Getting to and from the stage
• Recessional

For graduating students who require mobility equipment, please make arrangements on your own according to specific needs.

The Office of International Programs and Global Engagement at Cal State LA will no longer produce letters of invitation for the purpose of inviting students’ family members to visit the United States or attend the student Commencement ceremony. These letters are not required by the United States Consular Offices in order for families to obtain visitor visas. Their office is providing an invitation letter sample (see link below) for students who wish to write their own letter to invite family members to the United States. Please note that this letter is not required to obtain a visitor visa.

View a sample letter