What's the difference between graduation and commencement?
College graduation marks the official completion of a students' degree requirements, while commencement is a ceremonial event that celebrates those accomplishments and looks toward the future.
The Commencement Ceremony is a special time to celebrate your accomplishments with family, friends, mentors and classmates. We look forward to recognizing your outstanding efforts as you join the ranks of our proud and successful alumni network.
The ceremony will last approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours and includes a welcome address, conferral of degrees, recognition of individual graduates by name and presentation of diploma covers*. Doctoral and Master’s candidates will be hooded during the ceremony. Sign language interpreting services will be provided at all PennWest ceremonies. Commencement is optional for graduates and attendance does not affect receiving a degree/diploma
Commencement Event/Ceremony Questions:
commencementceremony@pennwest.edu
Academic Graduation/Degree Questions:
graduation@pennwest.edu
Please check your PennWest email often for the latest information from commencementceremony@pennwest.edu and graduation@pennwest.edu to prepare for the Commencement Ceremony, and for your graduation (completion of your degree requirements). Be sure to check back to this site for updates as we get closer to celebrating your graduation!
FIRST! To participate in a Commencement Ceremony to celebrate your graduation, you must first APPLY TO GRADUATE no later than Friday, March 14th.
SECOND! After you apply to graduate, you must complete a STUDENT RESPONSE FORM to indicate whether you will be participating/walking in the Commencement Ceremony. You will receive the STUDENT RESPONSE FORM link from the Office of the Registrar at a later date. Keep checking your PennWest email!
Global Online students will participate at the California campus unless you indicate otherwise on the student response form.
Doctoral, Masters, Bachelors, and Associate Degrees together at each ceremony.
UNSURE WHAT COLLEGE YOUR MAJOR IS UNDER? CHECK OUT THIS LINK:
Colleges and Departments | PennWest
Sign language interpreting services will be provided at all PennWest ceremonies.
California – Convocation Center - Directions to PennWest-California
Clarion – Tippin Gymnasium - Directions to PennWest-Clarion
Edinboro – McComb Field House - Directions to PennWest-Edinboro
The Pittsburgh International Airport is the closest large airport to each PennWest Campus, with an option for the smaller Erie International Airport closest to PW Edinboro.
Keep checking your PennWest email for updated information and details for your special day!
All graduates will receive an online survey sent to their PennWest email after Commencement so you can let us know how we did and to help us strive for continuous improvement.
Congratulations! We hope you enjoy your special day and will participate in the survey afterwards!
