Students request to "walk early" 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 by Thursday, November 14, their name will be printed in the program book.
  • Students who walk early will participate in the ceremony the exact same way graduating students do. Ceremony information posted for graduates also applies to walk-early students. Students who walk early 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.

Request to Walk Early

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 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.