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 that 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, on the other hand, is a multi-step process of developing an educational plan, completing your course requirements, and Applying to Graduate through mySDCCD. The term in which you have officially and successfully completed all of your graduation requirements is when you graduate. The deadlines to apply to graduate are always before the end of the semester, so pay close attention to deadlines and get it done early. See Evaluations for this year's deadlines.
If you complete your coursework in Fall of 2020, you will be considered a Fall 2020 graduate, however, you may attend the Spring 2021 Commencement. Same for Summer 2021, you would walk during Spring 2021.
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
Make sure you have completed all of the following prior to 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 is not an automatic process and takes longer than a semester to complete so please submit early.
When to Apply to Graduate
Students are encouraged to Apply to Graduate as early as the semester prior to their expected graduation date to the beginning of their last semester. Doing so will help avoid delays in graduation or missing deadlines. Students are emailed any time there is a change to their status including if an Evaluator notes a missing requirement so please keep an eye on your email or check your graduation status. 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 in order to make sure 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 one time but you do not have to.
4. Click Apply to Graduate
5. Complete the information and re-check thoroughly to make sure 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 (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 is granted to students who achieve an overall 3.5 GPA.
- High Honors is granted to students who achieve an overall 3.75 GPA.
- Highest Honors is 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 upon 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 2023
We will be having an In-Person Commencement Ceremony this year!
Commencement Ceremony
Date: Friday, May 19, 2023
Time: Ceremony begins at 10:00 am
Location: Compass Point (Outdoors)
For disability accommodations please contact smarquez@sdccd.edu
Register for Commencement Here
Deadline to Register and have your name included in the Commencement Program PDF - March 17, 2023
Deadline to Register for the Event - April 28, 2023