Graduation Information

Please read below for information on graduation and commencement.

First, you need to know the difference between GRADUATION and COMMENCEMENT!

Short version:  Graduation is when you earn your degree, Commencement is when you celebrate your accomplishment! 

• GRADUATION occurs when your degree is awarded after you have completed all of your courses and degree requirements. Graduation can be at the end of Fall, Spring, or Summer semester, depending on when you finish your courses.  After you have graduated and your degree is verified, your diploma will be sent to you through the mail.
• COMMENCEMENT is the ceremony when students walk across the stage in cap and gown to celebrate graduation. Commencement ceremonies are held each May (Spring) and December (Winter).   Diplomas are NOT handed out at Commencement - they are mailed to students after grades are verified and will arrive approximately 8-12 weeks after  the graduation date.
  • Which commencement do I attend?
    • Fall graduates participate in the December/Winter commencement ceremony.
    • Spring graduates participate in the May/Spring commencement ceremony.
    • Summer graduates who are pending bachelors degrees can elect to walk in the ceremony before their graduation (May/Spring) or after their graduation (December/Winter).  Summer graduates are the only students who can "choose" which ceremony they wish to participate in, because there is no ceremony in August/Summer.  Per university policy, summer graduate names will only appear in the December/Winter commencement program. 

GRADUATION INFORMATION - Fall 2023 Graduation

• UNDERGRADUATES
  • Application Process:  
    • Undergraduate CHS students wishing to apply for Fall 2023 graduation should complete the application online: https://utepsubacc.questionpro.com/CHSGradApp-Dec23.  Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.
      • Deadline for Fall 2023 Applications:  
        • October 6, 2023 is the “on time” deadline. Applications submitted by this date will be assessed a diploma fee of $35.  The fee increases to $50 for applications submitted after this date.  Students must submit by this deadline to be considered for Commencement Honor Roles (Banner Bearers & Student Marshals).
        • November 17, 2023 is the final (late) deadline to apply if you want your name to appear in the official commencement program. 

• • • After the application:  
      • Your academic advisor will review your records and determine if you are on track to complete degree requirements by your intended graduation date.  You will get an email from your advisor after submitting the application that indicates if your application was approved or if there are issues that need to be resolved before approval - please look out for this email!
      • Starting in mid-September, applications will be submitted and processed through the registrar’s office. Once the registrar's office has processed your application, you will see the Diploma Fee ($35 for on-time; $50 for late) posted to your student account. 
      • Pay this fee the same way you pay tuition – online, in person at Mike Loya, etc. 
    • Degree Verification:
      • After final grades are posted, both your academic advisor and the CHS Assistant Dean will review your records and verify you have met all degree requirements.  
        • If there are any issues after grades are posted, you will get an email from your academic advisor.  Make sure to keep checking your utep.edu email in case there are issues!
      • You will get an email from the graduation office after your degree is verified to confirm your diploma mailing address.  Make sure to keep checking your utep.edu email until you have received the graduation office verification. 
      • TL;DR: Don't stop checking your utep.edu email until you have received your diploma in the mail. 
        
        
  • GRADUATE STUDENTS
    • Graduate CHS students wishing to apply for graduation should refer to the Graduate School Website for information on applications and deadlines.  
    • Graduate students must have an approved application submitted by the graduation deadline (October 6, 2023) to be considered for Commencement Honors.
    • Process:  Graduate applications for degree are completed online https://www.utep.edu/graduate/forms.html - go to "Graduation" tab.
    • Verification:  The graduate school verifies degrees after final grades are posted. 

Commencement Information - Fall 2023

All updates about the UTEP Commencement Ceremonies will be posted at https://www.utep.edu/commencement/.  

• Undergraduate and Graduate Students are invited to participate in the University Commencement Ceremony
  • The Fall 2023 Commencement Ceremony that includes the College of Health Sciences is December 16  at 1:00 PM at the Don Haskins Center.  
  • All information and updates about the University Commencement Ceremonies can be found on the UTEP Commencement Website at https://www.utep.edu/commencement/. 
  • After your graduation application is approved by the graduation office, you will receive an invitation from graduation@utep.edu to the UTEP Commencement Ceremony.  You must RSVP to this invitation if you plan to attend!
  • Regalia:  You can purchase required graduation regalia (cap and gown) at Grad Fair - October 10 (2-7 PM), October 11 (2-7 PM), and October 12 (9-12 noon).  You can also purchase your regalia after Grad Fair through the UTEP Bookstore.
  • Undergraduate students who are on track to earn Graduation Academic Honors (Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude,  and Cum Laude) will get an email from the Assistant Dean in November with information on picking up their Honor Cords.  Honor cords are provided by the College of Health Sciences Dean's Office as a gift to those who are on track to earn honors.

CHS Graduate Student Hooding Ceremony

• The Fall 2023 CHS Hooding Ceremony will take place Friday, December 15, at 6:00 PM.
• This ceremony includes CHS graduate students who are August 2023 graduates and pending Fall 2023 graduates. 
• At this ceremony, both masters and doctoral student candidates are hooded by their faculty and celebrated by the College of Health Sciences.  
• Students must submit their graduation application by November 17, 2023 to be invited to the ceremony.
• Students will receive a separate invitation to the CHS Graduate Hooding Ceremony in mid-November.  Please RSVP to this invitation if planning to attend the Hooding Ceremony!
• Students must report by 5:30 in academic regalia for lineup.
• The event will be livestreamed

Useful Links:

• Official UTEP Commencement Site
• Graduate School Graduation Information
• UTEP Alumni Association Grad Fair

Please contact the CHS Student Support Center at studentsupportcenter@utep.edu with any questions related to CHS Graduation or the CHS Graduate Hooding Ceremony.