Commencement
Graduation Application
Need to apply for graduation? Get the form at UH's Academic Forms page. Apply through your myUH account. Deadline: is February 25, 2011. Students can apply late by March 25, 2011 with a $50 fee.
This page contains all the information you need if you are participating in the Spring 2011 General Commencement.
Spring 2011 candidates - Although you may participate in Commencement, your graduation is actually contingent upon successful completion of your degree requirements and coursework by the end of the Spring 2011 semester. An application for graduation does not necessarily mean that you have been approved for graduation.
- When and where is the ceremony?
- Will my name be listed in the Commencement Program?
- Where do I order invitations and what do I wear?
- Graduation Fair
- Guest Information
- Where do we park?
- What about Special Access?
- How long does the ceremony last?
- Is the ceremony recorded?
- When and where do I show up, and what do I do?
- How do I get a good photograph?
- When do I actually get my diploma?
- What is a Cougar Spirit Cord and how do I get one?
When and where is the ceremony?
The faculty and staff of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) are proud to invite you, your family, and guests to attend the May Commencement for the Spring 2011 graduating class of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The CLASS Commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 13th at 9:00 AM in Hofheinz Pavilion.
CLASS Pre-Commencement Reception:
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences will be hosting a Pre-Commencement
Reception from 7:00 to 8:30 AM in the O'Quinn Great Hall of the Alumni Center. You and your guests are invited to come and enjoy a light continental breakfast,
coffee and juice, prior to the ceremony. UH faculty, staff, and alumni will be there
to help you celebrate your accomplishment.
Will my name be listed in the Commencement Program?
We make every effort to insure that all graduating students who apply on time are in the Commencement program. However, please be aware of the following information: If at any time you have requested privacy protection for your academic records, your name cannot be published in the program by law unless you have indicated on your application for graduation that you desire your name to be included in the program.
Although your name might not be included in the printed program, you will still be individually recognized by name as you cross the stage.
For more information, undergraduate students contact Christina Williams by email at cawilliams2@uh.edu and graduate students contact Anna Marchese at 713.743.4012.
Where do I order invitations and What do I wear?
Academic regalia (the traditional black mortarboard cap and black gown) are required for all graduates. The University of Houston has selected Official UH Regalia, we strongly encourage you to purchase your regalia at the UH Bookstore. Masters and Doctoral students must also rent the proper hood and bring it with them. Masters students wear their hoods. Doctoral graduates and candidates will be hooded during the Commencement ceremony.
Bookstore representatives will be available to assist you on the day of commencement. They will be located in the Yeoman Field/Sports Court Area. The bookstore will accept cash (small bills) checks and credit cards for students that need to purchase Regalia or Regalia items starting at 7:00 AM.
You may also order your invitations through Herff Jones online or call 281.379.3825.
| Regalia Colors for All Departments Except Music | ||
|
Tassels |
Hoods | |
| Baccalaureate | Citron | None |
| Masters |
Black | Citron |
| Doctoral | Gold | Dark blue |
| Regalia Colors for Moores School of Music Only | ||
|
Tassels |
Hoods | |
| Baccalaureate | Citron | None |
| Masters |
Black | Pink |
| Doctoral | Gold | Pink |
Bachelor and Master's Candidates
| Students' Regalia Purchase Prices † | |
| Bachelor Unit (Cap, gown, tassel) | $45.00 |
| Bachelor Gown | $35.00 |
| Master Unit
(Cap, gown, tassel, & hood) |
$72.00 |
| Master Hood only
|
$30.00 |
| Master Gown | $45.00 |
| Cap only
|
$8.25 |
| Tassel only | $7.00 |
| Key Chain Tassel | $7.50 |
| Mega Tassel | $9.00 |
| Honor Cords | $14.50 |
| Gratitude Stole | $30.00 |
| † Prices do not include sales tax. | |
Doctoral Candidates
| Doctoral Candidates’ Regalia Rental Prices † | |
| Doctoral custom rental unit (Rental gown, keeper hood, tam,& tassel) | $120.00 |
| Ph.D. Keeper Hood | $35.00 |
| Ph.D. Rental Gown | $70.00 |
| Keeper Student Tam w/Tassel | $25.00 |
| † Prices do not include sales tax. | |
Note: PHD Hood & Tam w/Tassel are keepers and only the gowns will need to be returned to the Bookstore.
Graduation Fair
The Graduation Fair will take place at the UH Campus Bookstore from March 1st to the 4th from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Order your official cap, gown, tassel, stole, diploma frame, announcements, and rings! Come prepared to take grad-photos too! Gowns provided.
Please visit the Bookstore Graduation Fair page. Cap and gown orders may be placed through Herff Jones.
Ring Ordering Event (Graduation Fair)
March 1-4
UH Bookstore
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Ring Ceremony
May 4
Moores Opera House
6 p.m.
*Order your ring by March 11 and you will be invited to participate in the Official Ring Ceremony!
Senior Send Off
April 13
Lynn Eusan Park
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
*This is the first annual Senior Send Off, hosted by the UH Alumni Association, Celebrating the Graduates of 2011 (May, August and December)! There will be live band, free t-shirts, food and giveaways for seniors!
Guest Information
When inviting guests, please be advised of the following:
- Doors will open 1 hour before each ceremony.
- Saved seats will be released 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the procession and will be strictly enforced by security and ushers.
- Doors to Hofheinz will close if maximum capacity is reached. This decision is made by the Fire Marshall and not the University.
- Hofheinz Pavilion will be completely cleared after each ceremony, so arriving earlier than the allotted hour is not necessary
Parking and direction information can be found below
Where do we park?
Graduates and guests attending the general Commencement for CLASS are requested to park in Lot 16. We strongly suggest that family and friends arrive well before the ceremony starts. (As indicated later, graduates need to arrive by 8:00 AM to assemble for the processional.)
What about Special Access?
Students needing any additional services or have special requests must notify the Center for Students with DisABILITIES (CSD) at least 2 WEEKS prior to their scheduled commencement ceremony. Center for Students with DisABILITIES (CSD) can be reached at (713) 743-5400 or http://www.uh.edu/csd/ for any additional assistance and/or specific questions.
Students who are mobility impaired will need to contact the commencement coordinators within their college no later than April 9, 2011 to their scheduled ceremony for any additional assistance or requests. For the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, contact Rose Smith at 713-743-4001.
How long does the ceremony last?
The CLASS Commencement should last approximately two hours, from 9:00AM until 11:00AM.
Attention Baccalaureate Candidates Graduating with Honors
Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the stated academic honors if they achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last sixty-six (66) hours completed at the University of Houston. Undergraduates who are graduating with honors may purchase honors cords from the University Bookstore for approximately $14.00 plus tax. Undergraduate students who have completed the graduation requirements of the Honors College may graduate with special honors designations. Please see your advisor in the Honors College for more information.
Students graduating with University Requirements (aka: Career requirements or General Requirements) from a catalog before the 2010-2011 catalog:
Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the stated academic honors if they achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last sixty-six (66) hours (all of which must be A, B, C,... letter grade courses) completed at the University of Houston.
Further, the honors calculation will include all hours completed in the semester in which the first of those final sixty-six (66) hours was completed.
|
Honors Designations:
|
|
| 3.75 to 4.0 GPA | Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors) |
| 3.50 to 3.74 GPA | Magna Cum Laude (with high honors) |
| 3.25 to 3.49 GPA | Cum Laude (with honors) |
Students graduating with University Requirements (aka: Career requirements or General
Requirements) from the 2010-2011 catalog or after:
Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the
stated academic honors if they 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) |
Further, the honors calculation will include all hours completed in the semester in which the first of those final fifty-four (54) hours was completed.
Once the Spring 2011 semester has officially ended and all grades have been posted, your honors status will be updated accordingly and will be engraved upon your diploma.
Undergraduate students who have completed the graduation requirements of the Honors College may graduate with special honors designations. Please see your advisor in the Honors College for more information.
Undergraduate students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis/project and who are not members of the Honors College graduate with "Honors in Major."
Is the Ceremony recorded?
The ceremony is recorded and made available for all to view online shortly after
the ceremony. The ceremony video cannot be purchased. To view the ceremonies from Fall 2008, Spring 2008, 2009 or 2010, click the links
below.
(Quicktime Player required; videos open in standalone player)
When and where do I show up, and what do I do?
When?
You should arrive in full academic regalia no later than 8:00AM for Commencement.
Where?
Students should report to Yeoman Field/Sports Court in the Alumni Center. Family and guests should be directed to Hofheinz Pavilion. Please do not be late. If you arrive late, it may be difficult to find a nearby parking place, and it will be difficult to get you into the processional.
Special note: Women graduates, for safety precautions, please leave your purses with your families. The CLASS commencement staff cannot be responsible for safeguarding your personal belongings.
Tassels
Undergraduates, please wear your tassels on the right side of the mortarboard.
Graduates
Please wear your tassels on the left side of the mortarboard.
Recognition of graduates and candidates
Recognition will proceed in departmental order, beginning with Anthropology. Each graduate will be announced in alphabetical order starting with Doctoral, then Masters, then Bachelors.
As you approach the edge of the stage
- Give your name card to the person collecting the cards.
- Walk across the stage to shake hands with the President and Dean.
- Go back to your seat.
- Remain seated until all students have been recognized.
- Follow the person in front of you when the recessional begins.
The line should be continuous. Staff will direct candidates and graduates to the stage, a few rows at a time. Many people have volunteered to help direct this special event. Just follow their instructions, watch the person in front of you and enjoy family members, friends, cheering, clapping, and flashing cameras. Have a great time!
How do I get a good photograph?
Family and friends should feel free to bring cameras and video recorders and take as many pictures as they desire. However, they must remain in their seats during the ceremony. They must not stand in the aisles, and under no circumstances will they be permitted on the floor of the hall! We also suggest that family photographers take photos at home and at other locations on campus prior to the ceremony.
A professional photographer, "Flash Photography," will be on hand taking individual photos during the ceremony. "Flash Photography" will send the proofs to you so that you can decide if you want to order additional copies. The photographer will already have your mailing address. If you do not receive the proofs within 30 days of your commencement program please contact:
Flash Photography at 800.410.8070
When do I actually get my diploma?
Diplomas are normally mailed eight weeks after degrees have been approved and officially conferred and posted. Decisions of awarding degrees does not begin until May 16, 2011. Please be aware that the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences has 60 days from the official closing date of the semester to award degrees. Students can check the status of their diploma at MichaelSutter.com/UH.
Diplomas are mailed directly to students at the most current address provided through their myUH student account. The diploma printing company will also send email notifications to diploma recipients indicating when diplomas have been mailed. It’s important to keep contact information updated in myUH to avoid shipment delays.
Alums graduating as of Summer 2008 and/or who have placed order(s) for additional diplomas from other graduating semesters, can check their Diploma Order Status online. Contact AskShasta if you have additional questions about your diploma order.
Please note: Effective September 1, 2009, there is a $25.00 fee for each additional diploma ordered (postmarked by or fax received on or after this date). This fee does not apply to the initial diploma mailed upon graduation, but will apply to additional quantities as requested via the diploma order form.*
*The fee is applicable to diplomas requested as a result of a diploma name change. Diploma names must be provided at the time of completing the online graduation application. Failure to do so may result in a $25 diploma order fee for subsequent name changes.
What is a Cougar Spirit Cord and how do I get one?
Don't be left out at graduation.
Give to the University of Houston and get your Cougar Spirit Cord today!
The Cougar Spirit Cord is a symbol of your pride and a way to help make more scholarships available to next year's students or show support for a program that's made a difference in your UH experience.
Make a minimum $15 donation (perhaps a gift in honor of your class, $20.11) to any college or program of your choice and wear the cord at commencement to show your Cougar Pride!
Don't wait, click here and choose to give now!