Commencement vs Graduation
COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
A commencement ceremony is often referred to as "Graduation", but they are not always the same thing. For San Diego Miramar College, the commencement ceremony is the end-of-year celebration in May for students who have completed or are expected to complete their graduation requirements. Students who have completed their graduation requirements in the prior Fall or Summer semesters can also participate in the May commencement ceremony.
Students do not receive their diplomas at the commencement ceremony. Diplomas for summer, fall, and spring graduates are mailed directly to the students after they complete their graduation process.
Spring Diplomas mailed mid-late August
Summer Diplomas mailed mid-late October
Fall Diplomas mailed mid-late February
GRADUATION
Graduation is a multi-step process. Students must first develop an educational plan with a Counselor. If degree requirements are completed, students will then petition for graduation through their mySDCCD portal. The term in which students successfully complete their degree requirements is when they actually graduate. The deadline dates to petition for graduation is before the end of the semester. See Evaluations for deadline dates.
If students complete their degree requirements in the Fall semester, they are considered a Fall graduate and may participate in the Spring Commencement ceremony. If students complete their degree requirements in the Summer, they are considered a Summer graduate and may participate in the Spring Commencement ceremony.
Apply to Graduate
Graduation is not automatic upon completion of requirements. Students who expect to receive an Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement are encouraged to Apply to Graduate the semester before the anticipated graduation. If you apply and have to push back graduating due to any circumstances, your application will remain in the system.
Make sure to be aware of the deadline dates for Applying to Graduate which can be found on the Academic Calendar and on the SDCCD Evaluations website.
Before Applying to Graduate
Ensure you have completed all of the following before Applying for Graduation. If you skip any of these steps, it may result in a delay in graduation or a cancellation.
1. Meet with a Counselor. A counselor will help you choose the right Education Plan and pattern as well as help you determine if you are ready to graduate.
2. Submit all previous transcripts/test scores to SDCCD. For details about this see Transcripts.
3. Request a Transcript Evaluation. This process is not automatic and takes longer than a semester to complete, so please submit early.
When to Apply to Graduate
Associates Degree
Students are encouraged to Apply for graduation for an Associate Degree after they have registered for the semester in which they plan to complete the requirements for their degree program .
Certificate of Achievement
Students working toward a Certificate of Achievement should apply for graduation after they have registered for the semester in which they plan to complete the requirements for their certificate.
See Evaluations for details on how to check your status and what it means.
Applying to Graduate
All students must Apply to Graduate with an Associates Degree or Certificate of Achievement through their mySDCCD Portal. Students' degrees/certificates will be listed under the Apply to Graduate Tab. If you do not see the correct degree/certificate, you should meet with a counselor to ensure you have the proper Education Plan in place. Counselors cannot Apply to Graduate on behalf of a student, they can only guide students and ensure EdPlans are in place.
1. Log into your mySDCCD Portal
2. Click Apply to Graduate in the My Success Path widget or under the My Academics Tab
3. Check to see that your degree/certificate is listed. You can apply for multiple degrees/certificates at once, but you do not have to.
4. Click Apply to Graduate
5. Complete the information and re-check thoroughly to ensure you have requested the correct dates.
6. After submitting your application, be sure to note the timeline and dates for processing as well as how to register for the Commencement Ceremony (see below video)
Click here for important Graduation Deadlines.
Graduation with Honors
Graduation with honors distinction will be based upon all coursework that is associate degree and lower division baccalaureate degree applicable.
- Honors are granted to students who achieve an overall 3.5 GPA.
- High Honors are granted to students who achieve an overall 3.75 GPA.
- Highest Honors are granted to students who achieve an overall 4.0 GPA.
Students will be notified that the honors distinction is pending at the time of the graduation ceremony when the GPA is calculated based on degree or certificate applicable coursework completed through the fall semester of the year of the ceremony. The final honors distinction will be determined upon completion of all coursework completed through the spring semester for spring graduates or the summer term for summer graduates and fall semester for fall graduates.
An honors notation is placed on the student's official transcript and diploma.
Commencement 2025
Commencement Ceremony
Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
Time: Ceremony begins at 10:00 am
Location: Compass Point (Outdoors)
For disability accommodations, please contact smarquez@sdccd.edu
Deadline to Register and have your name included in the Commencement Program PDF - March 15, 2025
Deadline to Register for the Event - May 2, 2025