Early or Late Ceremony Participation (Walking Early or Late)

Students may request to participate in a commencement ceremony that does not align with their official graduation term. This includes students who wish to walk early (before completing degree requirements) or walk late (after their official graduation term).

Walking Early or Walking Late

Students request to "walk early" or "walk late" in a ceremony before they actually graduate for a variety of reasons:

• Completing an internship in the last semester and do not want to return for Commencement.
• Student teaching in the last semester and do not want to return for Commencement.
• The student’s health, or that of a family member, makes it difficult for a student to participate in the ceremony affiliated with their graduation date.
• Family members’ travel restrictions require participation in a specific ceremony.
• The student has a few more classes to complete but wants to walk in the same ceremony as friends.

Important Reminders

Important points to remember:

• Students must apply to graduate for the term when they will meet their degree requirements to officially graduate. If a student applies for the wrong term, they will have to re-apply for the correct term and will be charged an additional graduation application fee.
• As long as a student applies to walk early or late by the semester deadline listed below, their name will be listed in the program.
• Spring deadline Thursday, April 2, 2026
• Summer deadline Thursday, June 18, 2026
• Fall deadline Thursday, November 12, 2026
• Students who walk early or late will participate in the ceremony the exact same way graduating students do. Ceremony information posted for graduates also applies to walk-early and walk-late students. Students who walk early or late are responsible for purchasing proper regalia and arriving at the ceremony on time.
• If a walk-early student is present at the ceremony, their name will be called. There is no need to confirm this prior to the ceremony. Once the student receives an email with an approval to walk early, no other action is necessary.
• Academic honors are not issued until a graduate's final semester, so students walking early will not be able to receive their honors medallion until their final semester. Students walking late should have received honors based on their completed academic record.

Request to Walk Early or Late

To request permission to walk early or late in a ceremony that is different from a student’s official graduation date, they will need to complete this form online.

Students should receive a response by email once the commencement schedule and details are available. Questions can be directed to commencement@bsu.edu.

Remember, the approval to participate in an early or late ceremony does not fill the requirement of applying to graduate. Students must apply for graduation for the term when all degree requirements (including terms of internship) are finished. For questions about degree requirements, the advisors listed in a student’s Degree Works should be contacted.