Graduate and Professional Studies Information

Welcome graduates! Commencement is on its way; be sure to check back regularly for updates.

View the Line of March

Preparing for Commencement

Check Your Student Account

Your student account must be paid in full to receive your commencement tickets and regalia, participate in the Commencement ceremonies, and receive your diploma.

Order Your Announcements

Announcements can be ordered online from CB Graduation Announcements or Herff Jones.

Record Your Name Pronunciation via NameCoach

Each eligible candidate will be sent an email during the semester with a link to audio record their name pronunciation via NameCoach. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

NOTE: Our commencement name readers will make best efforts to correctly pronounce names during each graduation ceremony. However, in the event an error occurs, candidates may request a correction prior to proceeding to the platform. Once a student has crossed the stage, no correction can be made.

If you have any questions, please send an email to commencement@pointloma.edu.

Tickets

General

• Tickets are required for all convocations at Point Loma Nazarene University.
• Each qualified candidate who will be participating in the Graduate and Professional Studies convocation on Friday, May 9 is eligible to receive 10 tickets.
• Tickets for Spring Commencement will be available for pickup with Commencement Regalia. See “Commencement Week” for a complete distribution schedule.
• Children age three and older are required to have a ticket.
• Tickets allow guests access into the Greek Amphitheatre but do not reserve a specific seat. All seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Tickets are not for resale.
• All financial accounts must be paid before receiving commencement tickets.

Wait List

• The waitlist is now open. Requests will not be accepted after Wednesday, April 23.
• All requests for additional tickets must be made by the student.
• Students who would like to be placed on the waitlist for additional tickets should contact Shelley Fruchey. Please provide your name, student ID number, degree/program/major, and how many tickets you are requesting.
• The waitlist does not guarantee extra tickets will be available.
• The waitlist is first-come, first-served.
• Waitlist tickets will be distributed together with regular tickets and regalia.

Seating

• The Greek Amphitheatre will open for seating one hour before the scheduled start time of each ceremony.
• Seating for guests with special needs is available at the top of the north and south sides of the Amphitheatre.
• Due to limited space, only one person may sit with the guest with special needs.
• Guests may also view a broadcast of the Convocation in the temperature-controlled Crill Performance Hall.
• For those who are unable to attend, a live webcast of the Convocation will be available online via a link on the PLNU commencement page.

Regalia

General

• Commencement regalia is ordered/purchased by PLNU for current eligible students.
• The regalia you receive is yours to keep; you do not have to return it.
• Each regalia package will include your cap, gown, academic hood, and tassel. It does not include a stole. If you wish to purchase a PLNU stole, please visit our Common Knowledge Bookstore in-person or online.
• Students will receive their academic hood during the commencement convocation as part of the event.
• Regalia will arrive pre-cleaned; there is no need to wash it upon arrival. 
• The packing/shipping process will result in some creasing or wrinkling. Please remove the regalia from the packaging upon receipt and place it on a hanger.
• To remove wrinkles and creasing, we recommend steaming the gown by hanging it near a shower or using a garment steamer. Ironing is not recommended as it may damage the fabric.
• Students may choose to decorate their graduation cap if they wish. However, decorations should be tasteful and not present a hazard or viewing obstruction to fellow graduates or guests. The university reserves the right to request that a candidate remove their decorated cap if it is deemed inappropriate.

Honor Cords, Shawls, and Stoles

• Honors applies to undergraduate students who have earned both a resident GPA of 3.500 or higher AND a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or higher.
• Honor cords will be distributed to eligible candidates as follows:
  • Bakersfield School of Education Students – Honor cords will be distributed at the Records Booth on the west side of Peppertree Lane on the Point Loma Campus on Friday, May 9 starting at 3 p.m.
  • All Other Mission Valley, Community College, Online, and Adult Undergraduate Students – Honor cords will be distributed with regalia and tickets according to the distribution schedule provided below.
• Shawls are worn by F-1 visa international students who are supported by the Office of Multicultural and International Student Services. International students should contact the Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) for more information.
• Only university-approved cords, shawls, and stoles will be allowed to be worn at the Commencement ceremony.
• Students may wear one university-approved stole at the Commencement ceremony (nursing, athletics, or PLNU).
• To purchase a PLNU stole, please visit our Common Knowledge Bookstore in-person or online.

LomaFirst Pins 

LomaFirst welcomes you to honor your first-generation student status at Spring 2025 Commencement with a pin! You are welcome to wear this pin on your gown at the graduation ceremony. Pins will be available for pick-up on the day of your ceremony next to the Records tent on Peppertree Lane according to the schedule below.

Who is a first generation student?
At the time that the student completed high school or high school equivalency, their custodial parent(s) or legal guardian(s) had not earned at least a bachelor’s degree. This means that the student is the first to attend a four-year university and obtain a bachelor’s degree. Please know, we welcome anyone who self-identifies as a first-generation college student. This can include students whose parents did not earn a bachelor’s degree in the U.S. 

Why is this important?
First-generation students have done something amazing. Your hard work and perseverance have led you through your undergraduate degree, which is a huge accomplishment for you and your family! And with over 22% of our PLNU students being first-gen, this represents a significant portion of our student population! We are proud of you, and you should be proud of yourself!

Pick Up Your Cap and Gown (Regalia) and Commencement Tickets

The regalia distribution schedule for Spring Commencement is below:

Bakersfield School of Education Students
Tuesday, April 29 through Thursday, May 1 AND
Tuesday, May 6 through Wednesday, May 7
Hours: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Located at the Bakersfield Office (5080 California Ave, Ste 300, Bakersfield, CA)

All other Mission Valley, Community College, Online, Graduate, and Accelerated Undergraduate Students
Monday, May 5 through Thursday, May 8
Hours: 3 – 6 p.m.
Located in the first floor lobby of the Mission Valley Campus (4007 Camino del Rio South, San Diego, CA)

Any GPS Student Unable to Pick Up Their Regalia and/or Tickets During Times Provided Above 
Friday, May 9
Hours: Starting at 3 p.m.
Located at the Records Booth on the west side of Peppertree Lane in front of the Early Childhood Learning Center playground.

Students must show I.D. (driver’s license or PLNU student I.D.) when picking up regalia and tickets. All student accounts must be clear at the time of pickup.

If a student is unable to pick up their own regalia and tickets, they can an email authorization to the following with the name of the person who will pick it up. That person will need to show their own I.D. at the time of pickup.

Bakersfield School of Education Students – chart@pointloma.edu
All Other Mission Valley, Community College, Online, Graduate, and Accelerated Undergraduate Students walking on Friday, May 9 – gpsregistration@pointloma.edu 

Before Commencement Day

• Make sure you have all pieces of your regalia before traveling to Commencement.
• Plan your Commencement Day attire.
  • Comfortable clothing under the robe is suggested.
  • Comfortable shoes are also recommended since you will be descending and ascending unevenly spaced steps in the amphitheatre.

If you have any questions regarding regalia, please send an email to commencement@pointloma.edu.

Commencement Day

Commencement Etiquette

For the Convocations to be enjoyed by all and for everyone’s safety, we ask you comply with the following:

• Leave valuables with family members or guests prior to lining up for the academic procession. There will be no secured areas to store these items during the Convocation.
• Cell phones and other personal electronic devices should be turned off or silenced for the duration of the ceremony. Before the Convocation begins, arrange a meeting place with guests for after Commencement and please resist the temptation to send text messages during the ceremony.
• The items below are not allowed in the Greek Amphitheatre at any time before, during, or after the Convocation and will be confiscated by security personnel:
  • Air Horns, Cowbells, or Other Noisemakers
  • Confetti Launchers, Streamers, Silly String
  • Beach Balls
  • Drones
  • Pets
• Each convocation should last between sixty (60) and ninety (90) minutes. If you should find it necessary to leave your seat, please notify one of the faculty marshals for assistance.
• PLNU is a smoke and tobacco free campus. The University also observes a strict no-alcohol policy.

Lineup and Academic Procession

There is no rehearsal for Commencement. For the Friday convocation, you will begin lining up at approximately 4:45 p.m. Lists of names will be posted on green stanchions for each row of graduates. Students can also find an A-Z list at the front and back of Peppertree Lane. Upon arrival, students should refer to these lists and get in line, making sure to check in with their Faculty Honor Guard to collect their name card. These Honor Guards will assist you with the lineup and provide instructions for the procession. View details of the line of march.

Hooding

A hooding process is part of the ceremony. The hood, or the vestment of colors that fits around your neck and drapes down your back, is an important element of your regalia because its colors represent the university’s degree. As you move to the platform and while you are standing in line waiting for your name to be called to receive your degree, members of the faculty will place the hood around your neck. In so doing, they will be investing you with the colors of your degree. This hood is also yours to keep.

Official Commencement Photographs 

Our official commencement photography vendor, GradImages, will be in the Greek Amphitheatre to take two (2) photos of each graduate. The first photo will be taken on the platform when the student is greeted by President Fulcher and receives their diploma cover/tube. The second photo will be taken as the student exits the platform, toward the bottom of the ramp. Students are encouraged to pause briefly on the mark placed on the ramp for the second photo to be taken.

Students will receive an email from GradImages in the weeks following Commencement with photo proofs to review and a link to purchase online. More information can be found on our Grad Shop page.

In Case of Rain...

This is a “rain or shine” event. While we may experience a delay due to inclement weather, the ceremony will remain in the Greek Amphitheatre. Guests are encouraged to bring a hooded jacket and something dry to cover your seat if rain is expected.

Following Commencement

Diplomas

Since it is impossible to identify with certainty by Commencement Day the students who have completed all requirements, degrees are not posted until all final grades are received and Student Financial Services has confirmed a zero balance on your account. As you walk across the platform and greet the university President, you will receive a symbolic diploma tube or folder. Please complete a Diploma Mailing Request online. This is where your diploma will be mailed. If your address changes from the original request submitted, please submit a new Diploma Mailing Request and email records@pointloma.edu to make us aware of the change. Once the Records Office has confirmed all requirements for graduation are complete and your balance is clear, your degree will be posted and your diploma will be ordered. Degree posting begins approximately 3-4 business weeks after the end of the semester. It then takes approximately 5-6 additional weeks for orders to be placed and diplomas to be printed and mailed out by the vendor. The diploma vendor will mail the diplomas to the mailing address you submit on the Diploma Mailing Request form.

Saying "Good-Bye"

Students who are finishing all requirements for graduation on schedule will be withdrawn automatically from the university following the posting of their degree. It is your responsibility to return library books and settle student accounts. Failure to follow through on these details will make it impossible for the university to release diplomas.

Alumni Benefits

As new members of PLNU's Alumni Association, graduates are eligible to enjoy unique experiences and special benefits. We invite you to visit the Alumni Association website.

PLNU Email Address and Other University Technology Accounts

Your PLNU Google account will expire one year after graduation, along with other University technology accounts, such as Office 365. Once expired, neither your account nor the data stored in it will be accessible or recoverable. ITS will send multiple reminders to your PLNU Gmail account that will include the date when your account will expire. In addition, this FAQ answers common questions regarding this transition, including how to transfer your data to another account.

If you have additional questions, please send an email to commencement@pointloma.edu.