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Congratulations! You made it! Get ready for a weekend of festivities celebrating your graduation at May Commencement. Find important details for graduating students — and for your guests!

Get Ready to Graduate

Here's your to-do list for the months leading up to graduation. Be sure you've covered all the prep to ensure that your graduation day goes off without a hitch!

• Apply to Graduate by Jan. 15
  • All students who plan to Â鶹ӰÊÓ in May must apply for graduation. 
  • You must apply whether or not you plan to participate in the commencement ceremony. Your application will include an RSVP for the ceremony. It also will include an opportunity to list the address where your diploma will be mailed — be sure to choose an address you will be able to access approximately six weeks after the May graduation ceremony.
  • Once you have applied to Â鶹ӰÊÓ, your student account also will be charged a $100 graduation fee. This fee is applied regardless of your participation in the ceremony. 
• Complete Your Requirements
  • Once you apply to Â鶹ӰÊÓ, the Registrar’s Office will review your degree requirements. If there are concerns, the Registrar’s Office will contact you or your program director. 
  • If you are currently taking courses at another institution to complete your degree, or if you have any questions about completing your degree requirements, contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@pacificu.edu or 503-352-2793.
• Order Your Regalia by April 13
  • Students who participate in the commencement ceremony are expected to wear appropriate regalia. Regalia includes a cap and gown (there are different styles for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees), as well as a hood for specific Â鶹ӰÊÓ degrees. Questions about the different parts of your regalia and how they are worn? Be sure to check out the video.
  • Graduates who would like to wear regalia or regalia accent pieces that honor their cultural heritage are encouraged to do so. 
  • Student organizations may choose to recognize graduating seniors with special accessories to wear with their regalia, such as cords, stoles, or pins. If your organization is interested in cords, stoles, or pins, please contact the University Bookstore at bookstore@pacificu.edu or at 503-352-2224 for assistance.
  • UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ students who are eligible to wear a gold honor cord for Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) will be given those cords. You will be contacted by the Registrar’s Office with information on how to pick up your cords.
  • . Enter your program to find the right regalia for your program and degree. Your order will be shipped to the location of your choice. For assistance with your order, please contact the University Bookstore at bookstore@pacificu.edu or at 503-352-2224. Orders must be placed by April 13, 2025, to arrive in time for the May 2025 Commencement Ceremony.
• Consider Additional Graduation Gear
  • Diploma information, including how to order duplicate diplomas, is available through the Registrar's Office.
  • offers a variety of accessories for your regalia, such as items to help grad caps fit with your hairstyle or cochlear implants.
  • offers Â鶹ӰÊÓ announcements for purchase.
  • sells diploma frames.
  • Class rings are available through .
  • Exclusive Pacific Alumni gear is available through the .
• Settle Your Accounts
  • All student accounts must be paid in full before you Â鶹ӰÊÓ. If you anticipate an outstanding balance after you Â鶹ӰÊÓ, please contact the Business Office to make arrangements for payment. Students with outstanding balances after graduation cannot receive their diplomas. Students who receive federal student loans also must complete exit interviews before graduating or leaving campus. The Financial Aid Office will contact you to set up an appointment.
• Invite Your Guests
  • If you have RSVP'd to walk in commencement, you do not need a ticket. However, each of your guests will need a ticket. Tickets are free, but required for planning purposes. (We want to make sure there are enough seats for everyone!) , and make sure your guests have all the additional info they need to help you celebrate your special day!
  • The May Commencement ceremonies also will be livestreamed for family and friends unable to attend.

Graduation Day

It's your day to shine! Learn what to expect from beginning to end.

• Ceremony Prep
  • You will receive instructions about the ceremony from your program. Graduate students do not have a ceremony rehearsal. UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ students will get instructions for the processional and seating arrangements at the UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ Award Ceremony at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
  • At the ceremony, a reader will announce your name. Readers will be present at the UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ Award Ceremony to discuss any name pronunciation concerns. Graduate students, contact your program administrator if you have concerns about your name pronunciation.
• Show Up Early & Ready
  • All graduating students need to arrive one hour before their ceremony begins:
    • UnderÂ鶹ӰÊÓ Students: Arrive by 8 a.m.
    • Graduate/Professional Students: Arrive by 12:30 p.m.
  • Graduating students will gather in the Fieldhouse in the Stoller Center. 
  • Parking is available in university lots (no permits needed during Commencement), as well as on city streets around campus (follow all posted city signage). Parking Lot M will be reserved for those with a disabled parking pass. No parking is allowed in the Forest Grove Aquatic Center lot. 
• Weather
  • Pacific’s Commencement Ceremonies are held outdoors, rain or shine. (Exceptions may be made for extreme weather hazards.) Some guest seating in Hanson Stadium is under cover, but graduating students will not be under cover. Please dress accordingly for weather.
• What to Wear
  • Graduating students should arrive wearing their caps, gowns and any other regalia (like stoles and cords). Graduate students: Please carry your hoods; do not wear them.  
  • Plan accordingly for the weather. Graduates sit on the field, with no shade or cover from rain. In the event of heavy rain, Â鶹ӰÊÓs will be provided with rain ponchos.
• What to Bring (or Leave Home)
  • There is not a secure location for graduating students to store personal effects during the ceremony. Please carry as little as possible. Students are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles to fill at water stations in the Fieldhouse prior to the ceremony. (But beware: Once you begin lining up in the Fieldhouse, you will not be allowed to leave to use the restroom. Plan accordingly.) Water stations are not provided outdoors during the ceremony, but you may carry water bottles or provided boxes of water through the processional and into the ceremony. Also, don't forget your sunglasses!
  • Reminder: Pacific's campuses and the adjacent Forest Grove-run Lincoln Park are smoke-free. No smoking or vaping of any kind.
  • Also, no pets are allowed in the stadium. Designated service animals are welcome.
• Crossing the Stage
  • When crossing the stage to receive their diploma cover, students should shake hands with the presenter, rather than hugging. While it's an emotional day, the event is staged to get the best possible candid and formal photographs of each student. Hugs obscure your face in the photos. (Additionally, handshakes also keep the ceremony moving quickly!) 
• Special Events
  • Many academic units host celebratory events around August Commencement. Check with your program for a schedule of award or pinning ceremonies prior to August Commencement.
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  • Photos
  • A professional photographer will take a photo of each Â鶹ӰÊÓ after they receive their diploma. Digital versions will be available for free download a couple of weeks following the ceremony. Guests may also take photos or video from their seats but will not be allowed to approach the stage or stand in aisles for photos during the ceremony. 
  • A university photographer also will be on site taking candid photos throughout the day with free images available to view and download. If you do not wish to be in these images, please step out of any shots when possible or contact marcom@contact.pacificu.edu to have any photos of you removed from the albums after Commencement.

After Graduation

• Photos & Videos
  • The livestream of the May Commencement ceremonies will be available to watch or download from the .
  • Candid photos and Â鶹ӰÊÓ portraits from commencement will be published online about two weeks following the ceremony. These photos will be available to download, for free, for personal use. Graduates will receive an email announcing availability of these photos.
  • Attendees at the Commencement ceremony may be photographed as participants, and those photos may be used in university marketing and communications materials. If you do not wish to be photographed, please tell the photographer or step out of the photo. If an image of you appears in the photo library and you would like the image removed, email marcom@groups.pacificu.edu.
• Transcripts and Diploma
  • Graduates will receive a commemorative diploma holder as they cross the stage. Official diplomas will be mailed to students several weeks following graduation. (Diplomas will be mailed to the address students enter in their graduation application.)
  • Students may order transcripts or duplicate diplomas at an additional fee.
• Keep in Touch
  • Alumni are lifelong members of the Â鶹ӰÊÓ Alumni Association and the Boxer family.
  • Update your contact information to ensure you continue to receive news from Pacific, invitations to reunion and continuing education events, and benefits and discounts information.
  • We love hearing from our alumni! Share your life updates and milestones with us to be published in the class notes section of Pacific magazine, which all alumni receive multiple times a year.