Undergraduate Commencement
Capital University’s 174th Commencement Ceremony for undergraduate students will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024 in the Capital Center Field House.
At 10:30am we will celebrate our undergraduate students with a ceremony that will last approximately 2 hours. The ceremony will end with time for a gate ceremony celebration on the front lawn. A live broadcast will be available on Capital University's YouTube Channel beginning at 10:25am.
All seating will be general admission with areas designated for mobility or hearing impaired guests. All guests must have an e-ticket to enter the building: infants and toddlers who are able to sit on the lap of an adult are allowed to enter without a ticket. All entrances are easily accessible. Doors will open at 9:30am.
Graduation Requirements
Students have until Friday, January 26, 2024 to complete the graduation application in myCAP. After January 26, 2024 if you have not applied for graduation, you will need to contact the Registrar’s Office for assistance: graduation@capital.edu or 614-236-6150.
Undergraduate students who have applied to graduate and plan to participate in the Commencement ceremony must have completed all degree requirements. This includes:
- Required coursework
- Incompletes
- Official transcripts
- Any other materials related to the completion of the degree
All students who have completed the above requirements will receive their diploma covers at the Commencement ceremony. All diplomas for the class of 2024 will be mailed to the graduates. Students who have graduated in December of 2023 or applied to graduate in August of 2024 are also eligible to participate.
Undergraduate students who will not be attending the ceremony will be mailed their diplomas from the Registrar's Office.
Financial Obligations: All bills and fees must be paid prior to graduation. If your account is not completely cleared by graduation, neither your diploma nor transcripts will be issued. Contact the Student Accounts Office at 614-236-6213 or studentaccounts@capital.edu if you have questions.
Admission
Each graduate will receive up to six (6) e-tickets for their guests. If you would like to be considered for additional tickets, please fill out the request form. Additional tickets are not guaranteed.
All sessions will be live-streamed from Capital's YouTube channel. Only graduates who have registered to attend through the Registrar’s Office may order tickets. Any duplicate requests will be deleted. Tickets will be available through May 3.
SPECIAL NOTES
COVID-19 Policies: Capital University is looking forward to celebrating our graduating students and to making sure that we do it safely and responsibly. We invite everyone to evaluate their own personal risks when considering attending the ceremony. Currently, masks are not required regardless of vaccination status but the public health agencies still recommend that individuals who may be at higher risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19 (e.g., immunocompromised or unvaccinated) continue to mask when in public. Capital remains a mask-friendly university and supports anyone who chooses to continue to wear a mask. Please note these requirements are subject to change based on State, County, City, and campus policies.
Regalia
Graduation regalia is available to order through Herff Jones and will not be listed on the Capital Bookstore University Gear website.
Ordering is available through March 25th (by midnight) for pickup in the bookstore starting May 1st. Ordering for delivery to your home address will be available starting March 26th through April 8th.
https://colleges.herffjones.com/college/capital/
For any regalia-related questions, please contact Cliff Fehr from Herff Jones at cfehrway@hotmail.com.
For last minute needs, please visit the University Gear Shop to purchase caps and gowns in-store or call (614) 236 -6629.
University Gear Shop will host a Grad Fair in-store on March 14th, 15th, and 25th from 11am-5pm.
University Gear Shop Hours of Operation
Monday, May 6 - Saturday, May 11
9 am - 5 pm
1st Floor, Harry C. Moores Student Union
Honors Cords/Service Member Cords/Stoles
Capital University holds all of its graduates in high esteem. In addition to the traditional cap and gown regalia, specific students who have excelled academically are entitled to wear honor cords, and graduation stoles (sashes). Graduation stoles and honor cords must be in keeping with the decorum of the event and the following guidelines:
Honor Cords
An Honor Cord is a token consisting of twisted cords with tassels on either end. Their wearing signifies specific academic achievement or membership in a recognized academic honor group or society. By tradition, more than one cord may be worn at the same time. Cords represent one or more of the following honors, memberships, and/or academic distinctions: Membership in an academic honor society; and Graduation with Honors (Honors Program). Honor cords will be handed out based on your final cumulative GPA by the end of the Fall semester during Friday’s rehearsal in the Field House or at graduate line-up on Saturday in the Performance Arena.
Service Member Cords
Service members on active duty or in the National Guard or Reserves, as well as veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard, are entitled to wear a twisted cord of red, white, and blue. ROTC graduates who will commission on or immediately after graduation are also eligible. These cords are handed out by the ROTC department.
Graduation Stole
A graduation stole is a decorative vestment worn by students who are members of college organizations for the purpose of recognizing membership or achievement. A stole takes the form of a cloth scarf-like garment worn over the shoulders adorned with the awarding Society’s colors and/or insignia. Only one graduation stole may be worn. Various stoles are available on the Herff Jones website.
Entrance
Graduates will enter into the Capital Center through the Performance Arena doors located on Pleasant Ridge Avenue. Doors for graduates will open at 9:30am.
Guests will enter into the Capital Center through the Field House doors located on Pleasant Ridge Avenue. Doors for guests will open at 9:30am.
Parking
All parking lots will be available for public parking during the day. Please adhere to mobility-impaired parking restrictions: do not park in unmarked spaces and do not block intersections or pathways. Parking on Pleasant Ridge and E. Mound Street will be prohibited.
Our campus Parking and Directions maps can be found on our website.
Mobility Impaired Drop-off will be available on Pleasant Ridge Avenue: please look for the signs for drop-off.
Volunteers will be driving golf carts to assist anyone getting to the Capital Center, to the Gate Ceremony, and to their cars.
Rehearsal
All undergraduate students who are registered to walk on Saturday, May 11th are strongly encouraged to attend a one hour dress rehearsal on Friday, May 10th at 2:00pm. Please enter into the Capital Center through the Pleasant Ridge Avenue Performance Arena doors. We will review line-up, seating, procession, and recession. Please be prompt.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Sign-up through Eventbrite.com at the designated date. All Graduates MUST register with the Registrar’s Office BEFORE you can request tickets through Eventbrite.com. ONLY Graduates can request tickets and only sign up once. Duplicates or additional reservations will be deleted.
We are pleased to announce that each graduate will receive up to 6 tickets for their guests. When selecting tickets on Eventbrite.com, please select 1 ticket per guest. If you do not need all 6 tickets then please only chose the number you need.
Herff Jones offers a high-quality robe made out of recycled material. All robes are manufactured and processed here in the United States.
We strongly suggest business or business casual with special emphasis on comfortable shoes. Graduates will walk the entire length of the Capital Center multiple times as well as stand for a length of time.
Less is more. Heavy bags and purses will be burdensome so we suggest wristlets or small crossover bags for your essentials. Once you leave line-up in the Arena and walk into the Field House, you will not return to the Arena. Personal belongings will be your responsibility so we strongly suggest to bring very little.
The Registrar’s Office is responsible for providing an honors cord to you based on your final cumulative GPA by the end of the Fall semester. These will be handed out at Friday’s rehearsal and Saturday’s line-up.
There will be a professional photographer set up in the Field House. After you leave the stage you will have a photograph taken. Volunteers will assist with this process and you will be contacted by the photographer after Commencement.
Please refer to “Parking” above.
All entrances into the Capital Center are on the 1st floor and wheelchair accessible. They may sit anywhere they would like and an usher will remove their chair to make way for their device. There WILL be a Mobility Impaired seating area on the south side of the Field house but your guests do not need to sit there.
Hearing Impaired seating is designated at the north side of the Field House in front of the stage. ASL interpreters will be present during the entire ceremony. Please see an Usher for assistance.
Volunteers will be driving golf-carts around campus prior to and after the event to assist anyone needing a ride to the Capital Center.
Grad Week Events – Celebrating the graduating class of 2024!
Mark your calendars for the fun activities we will offer starting on May 6th and leading up to Commencement! More details to follow!
- Baccalaureate Ceremony and Lunch
- GradFest
- Cap Decorating in the Student Union Lobby
- Senior Spaghetti Dinner
- Nursing Pinning
- Commencement Rehearsal
- ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
- DSLA Awards and Dinner (invitation only)
Contact Us
Meredith Gaul, Assistant Registrar of Operations
614-236-6150 or graduation@capital.edu for questions regarding graduation registration and graduation requirements.
Era McMahon, Director of Meeting and Event Services 614-236-6200 or events@capital.edu for questions regarding Eventbrite ticketing, additional tickets, logistics, and day-of needs.
Student Accounts Office
614-236-6213 or studentaccounts@capital.edu for financial obligations.
University Gear Shop Bookstore
614- 236 -6629 or capital@getugear.com for regalia and bookstore needs