The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) holds two commencement ceremonies each year—
one at the end of the spring semester and one at the end of the fall semester. There is no summer
commencement ceremony.

Spring Commencement

Spring Commencement is for spring and summer graduation candidates.

• Summer graduates participate in Spring Commencement before completing all degree requirements.
• Summer candidates should plan to purchase or secure regalia at the Spring Grad Fair before the
  summer graduation application opens in April.
  
• Summer graduates cannot participate in the CLASS Fall Commencement ceremony. 

Fall Commencement

Fall Commencement is for fall graduation candidates.

• Students completing the Fall graduation application are eligible to participate in the Fall Commencement ceremony.
• Fall graduates cannot participate in the CLASS Spring Commencement ceremony.
• Summer graduates cannot participate in Fall Commencement.

Students completing all degree requirements by end of Fall 2026

• On-time, regular filing period deadline: October 2, 2026
• Late filing period deadline: October 30, 2026

• Grad vendor website: https://collegegrad.herffjones.com/  
  
• UH Grad Fair:  TBA, 10a - 4p, UH Campus Store
  
• Grad Fair Order Pickups will begin TBA, 10a - 4p, UH Campus Store
  
• Questions:  Contact the UH campus store at campusstore@uh.edu  or call 713.741.7095

Students who miss the graduation application deadline will typically need to apply for the next term. Exceptions may be considered for students who have a pending job or program acceptance that requires proof of degree completion.

To request an exception:

• Provide a job offer, graduate school acceptance, or program acceptance letter.
• The letter must include the deadline for proof of degree conferral and contact information for the employer or program. Documentation may be submitted by email.
• Submit the documentation to your major advisor.
• Your major advisor will first verify that you are eligible to graduate in the current term.

If you are eligible for current-term graduation and can provide documentation of a pending job or program, you may submit a general petition to your major advisor requesting approval for a late graduation application.

When an application to graduate is submitted, your college will receive notification. CLASS lead advisors will begin to review all information related to your degree progress and make a preliminary recommendation for degree conferral. If your graduation is contingent upon completing any coursework, you must first successfully complete those requirements before a decision can be made. If there are any other outstanding items that your major advisor is aware of and has already communicated with you about, these items will also need to be completed before a preliminary recommendation for degree conferral can be made.

Your major advisor is your contact for questions related to the status of your application and the completion of your degree.

If there are requirements for your degree completion that will not be met by currently enrolled courses, and your major advisor is not already aware of these outstanding items, your application could be disapproved before the end of the semester that you have applied to graduate. A notification of that decision will be sent by UH (not CLASS) to you at your email address listed on your record. You will then need to work with your major advisor to complete any remaining requirements and apply for graduation again in the next feasible semester.

Your major advisor is your contact for questions related to the status of your application and the completion of your degree.

Once the semester officially closes and all grades are posted, the college Dean’s Office for Academic Affairs will begin their final review for degree conferral.

If you have successfully completed all requirements of your degree program, your application will be approved by CLASS and then sent to UH with final recommendation for degree conferral. After UH has completed their review and has determined that all degree requirements have been satisfied, a final approval decision will be made and posted to your record. A notification of that decision will be sent by UH (not CLASS) to you at your email address listed on your record.

Once the semester officially closes and all grades are posted, the college Dean’s Office for Academic Affairs will begin their final review for degree conferral.

If you have not successfully completed all pending requirements by that date, your application will be disapproved. A notification of that decision will be sent by UH (not CLASS) to you at your email address listed on your record. You will then need to work with your major advisor to complete any remaining requirements and apply for graduation again in the next feasible semester.

To support responsible resource use, all CLASS Commencement ceremonies will feature a digital program, accessible by QR code throughout the venue on the day of the ceremony. 

• The digital program will include the names of students who applied for graduation by the deadline.
• Each graduate participating in the ceremony will receive one printed copy during the ceremony.
• Every effort will be made to ensure all eligible graduates are included in the program.
• Fall 2026 graduates must apply for graduation by October 2, 2026 to have their name included in
  the digital program.

Please be aware of the following:

• If you have requested privacy protection for your academic records, your name cannot be published in the Commencement program unless you indicate on your graduation application that you want your name included.
• Even if your name does not appear in the printed or digital program, you will still be individually recognized by name as you cross the stage. 

 

Graduation with Honors

Undergraduate students who have completed the graduation requirements of the Honors College, including a senior honors thesis or senior honors project, are graduated with “University Honors with Honors in Major.” Undergraduate students who have completed all requirements of the Honors College except for the thesis or project are graduated with “University Honors.”

Undergraduate students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis or senior honors project and who are not members of the Honors College are graduated with “Honors in Major.”

Undergraduate students will graduate with the stated academic honors if they complete at least fifty-four (54) hours at UH and achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last fifty-four (54) hours (all of which must be A, B, C,… letter grade courses) completed at the University of Houston.

Honors Designations:

3.90 to 4.0 GPA Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors)
3.70 to 3.89 GPA Magna Cum Laude (with high honors)
3.50 to 3.69 GPA Cum Laude (with honors)

It takes approximately 6–8 weeks from the close of the term for colleges to review graduation applications and submit their decisions to the registrar’s office for processing. Diplomas are ordered once students have been approved and degrees officially conferred and posted.

Your diploma will be mailed directly to you at the most current address provided through your myUH student account. The diploma printing company also will send email notifications to you indicating when your diploma has been mailed. It’s important to keep contact information updated in myUH to avoid shipment delays.

• Get help with additional questions about your diploma order.

Undergraduate Students – Your major advisor is your contact for questions related to the status of your application and the completion of your degree. For all other event-related questions, please contact: classaa@uh.edu.

Graduate Students – Master and Ph.D. students who have questions about the ceremony and degree conferral process are asked to email Anna Marchese, CLASS Graduate Studies Program Director, amarchese@uh.edu.