• Graduates
  • Participation Process
  • Ticket Information
  • Graduation Fair
  • Ceremony Information
  • Academic Regalia
  • Registrar's Office Graduation Procedures
  • Distance Learning Student Information
  • FAQ
• Information
  • Speakers
  • Schedule of Activities
  • Directions & Parking
  • Special Needs Accommodations
  • Inclement Weather Information
  • Honorary Degree Recipients
  • Traditions
  • Video Archive
  • Future Commencement Dates
  • Information for General Public
• Families & Guests
  • Information for Families & Guests
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  • FAQ
• Faculty
• About & Contact
  • About Commencement@ODU
  • Contact Us
• Resources

Steps to Graduating and Participating in Commencement

1. Degree evaluation

• For bachelor's candidates only

• If you are close to completing your degree, you will receive an email about graduation from the Registrar's Office.

• If you do not receive an email about graduation and you believe you are eligible, run your degree evaluation (on LEOonline) and meet with your academic advisor.

2. Meet with your advisor

• Run your degree evaluation through Leo Online.

• Schedule a meeting with your academic advisor (and your minor advisor, if applicable).

• Print a copy of your degree evaluation and bring it with you to your advising appointments.

3. Apply for graduation

• The application for graduation is available online at http://www.odu.edu/ao/registrar/pdf/forms/UGGraduationApplication.pdf

• Read all instructions and information completely and carefully.

• You must submit it to the Registrar's Office via mail, email (graduate@odu.edu), fax or drop it off in person by the prescribed deadline for the semester in which you wish to complete your degree requirements.
  Deadlines:

  • Spring: November 30
  • Summer: February 28
  • Fall: June 30

• The application for graduation does not register you to participate in the commencement ceremony or guarantee commencement tickets.

• Generally processed within 5 business days (applications submitted close to deadlines may tae longer).

• Once processed, you will receive a confirmation email with reminders about

  • Senior Assessment
  • Exit Exam
  • Commencement

• Your graduation status on LEOonline will show as Pending.

4. Complete the senior assessment

• For bachelor's candidates only

• Required for graduation.

• If you apply for graduation by the deadline, you will receive an invitation to take the survey in your ODU email.

• The survey is completely entirely online.

• Further information about the assessment, including a link to request an invitation if you did not receive yours, is located at www.odu.edu/senior

5. Register to participate in the commencement ceremony

• All students who wish to participate in the commencement ceremony must complete the participation registration.

• The participation registration must be completed online. Printed or faxed copies will not be accepted.

• Failure to register by the prescribed deadline will result in a reduced number of guest tickets.

• Registrations submitted by students who have not applied for graduation will be rejected.

• Please select the appropriate participation registration from the following:

  • May 2012 Commencement Participation Registration begins on Wednesday, February 1, 2012
    Click here to fill out and submit the participation form.
  • Deadline: Saturday, March 31, 2012
    

  • When the registration is complete, you will see a page with your registration information. Print this page for your records. Commencement@ODU is not able to provide copies of this information.

  6. Check Blackboard regularly

  • You are responsible for checking the "Commencement" organization on Blackboard (found under the "My Professional Learning" tab after you log in). This organization will be added by February 15, 2012.

  • All communication will be posted on Blackboard. Certain announcements may also be emailed through Blackboard. These will go to your odu.edu email address.

  7. Purchase your academic regalia

  8. Pick up your commencement tickets

  • Tickets for those who registered by the deadline will be available for pickup at the Campus Information Center in Webb University Center for a two week period. This two week period is specified in the timeline on the Graduating Student Information page.

    • The Campus Information Center has evening and weekeend hours to accommodate most schedules.
    • You must pick up your tickets in person and have your student ID or state-issued driver's license.

  • Students who do not pick up their tickets at the Campus Information Center or who register late will be emailed details about a late-pickup timeframe. This late-pickup opportunity is during business hours, so evening and weekend hours will not be available.

  • Registered students who did not pick up tickets during the first two opportunities will be able to pick up their tickets at the will call window of the Ted Constant Convocation Center beginning the Wednesday of commencement week.

  • Extra tickets for the ceremony are not available.

  • Full ticket information and policies are available on the Ticket Information page.

  9. Attend graduation activities

  10. Attend your commencement ceremony