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Enrollment Bulletin

Commencement

Commencement:
commencement@vanderbilt.edu.
vanderbilt.edu/commencement

Vanderbilt Commencement is traditionally held on or just before the second weekend in May, though specific dates may change based on the needs of the university community and the graduating class.

Commencement Participation

  • Degree candidates must have successfully completed all curriculum requirements and have passed all prescribed examinations by the published deadlines.
  • A student completing degree requirements in the summer or fall semester will be invited to participate in Commencement the following May.
  • Undergraduate students who have no more than seven (7) credit hours remaining at the end of the spring semester may request permission to participate in Commencement while final credit hours remain. Eligible students must submit a request by the last day of class in the spring semester, and include confirmation of their outstanding credits, completion plan, and obtain approval from their Office of Academic Services and the Office of the University Registrar. Students approved under this provision will appear in the program with a “degree pending” notation. Official diplomas are issued once all academic requirements have been fulfilled and certified.

Diplomas

  • The semester in which the degree was actually earned will be the one recorded on the diploma and the student’s permanent record.
  • Financially clear students unable to participate in the graduation ceremony will receive their diplomas by mail.
  • Students must meet all financial obligations before their diplomas can be released.

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