Frequently Asked Questions

Fully read and review the About Commencement page.

See this on the About Commencement page.

Latin Honors are only awarded to undergraduate students. Graduate students are not eligible for Latin Honors.

To qualify for Latin Honors, both your SJSU cumulative grade point average (GPA) and cumulative GPA of all college courses taken at any other institution prior to SJSU must meet minimum requirements, which can be found through the Office of the Registrar.

Latin Honors will be noted on both your diploma and transcript.

Questions about Latin Honors may be directed to the Office of the Registrar. The Commencement team cannot handle inquiries regarding your Latin Honors.

College, student organization or society specific honors eligibility are determined by the associated college, student organization or society office. Contact them directly for more information.

Latin Honors are only awarded to undergraduate students. Graduate students are not eligible for Latin Honors.

Students who are expected to receive Latin Honors (based on their last graded semester at SJSU) will receive an email from the commencement office with instructions for claiming their medallion before the commencement ceremony.

After Commencement, once all students' final grades have posted, eligible students will be notified via email with instructions for when/where they can exchange or claim their medallion.

Questions about Latin Honors may be directed to the Registrar. The Commencement team cannot handle inquiries regarding your Latin Honors.

Graduating student names are provided by the Registrar or GAPE offices. Please contact them directly to verify your name. For Spring, changes made after May 1 may not be reflected in the Ceremony Program. For Fall, changes made after December 1 may not be reflected in the printed book.

If you do not wish to have your name appear in the commencement book, please contact the Registrar or GAPE offices.

Please see information on this page about the name that is printed on your diploma. If you have any further questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office.

Undergraduate students, please view the diploma mailing schedule here. If you have any further questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office 

Graduate students, please contact GAPE Office directly. 

Yes, you can email our office at commencement@sjsu.edu to change your name for the commencement ceremony. If you contact us after the ceremony registration (RSVP) deadline, your changes may not be pre-recorded, but will be read live in the room during your ceremony.

Phased ticket releases help SJSU responsibly-manage registration demand and ensure that all confirmed attending graduates and their guests can fit safely and comfortably in the Provident Credit Union Event Center. 

Commencement attendance trends significantly over the Event Center’s capacity of 4,010 seats. If every eligible graduate were to claim four guest tickets immediately, even without confirming their guests' travel plans or personally commit to attending, some ceremonies could exceed capacity by more than 1,600 seats and many students' guests who do show up, may not be able to enter the Event Center.

This approach allows us to:

• Fairness: prevent "overselling" or "overbooking" seats which will require last-minute reductions in capacity.
  • We do not want to turn away guests who do show up, when other graduates and their guests decide, at the last minute, not to.
  • Distribute tickets more equitably across all ceremonies.
• Safety: protect our guests' experience while ensuring fire code compliance.
• Flexibility: tickets can be released for claims by or sales to other graduates as actual participation numbers become clearer.

Commencement tickets follow a three-phase distribution model:

Phase 1: Initial Claim Period
Graduates may initially claim two (2) guest tickets.

Phase 2: Additional Complimentary Tickets
After the first claim period closes, we will assess actual registration numbers and remaining capacity.

At that time, we will release up to two (2) additional guest tickets per graduate, based on availability — for a potential total of four (4) complimentary tickets per graduate.

Phase 3: Additional Ticket Purchase (If Available)
After complimentary ticket distribution is complete, there may be an opportunity to purchase additional tickets, based on remaining capacity.

Please note: Additional tickets are not guaranteed if all available complimentary tickets are claimed. Do not depend on day-of in-person ticket sales at the Event Center box office for available seats for your guests.

Our goal is to provide the full allotment of four guest tickets per graduate whenever possible. The phased approach allows us to work toward that goal responsibly while ensuring we do not exceed venue capacity.

Please note: Additional tickets are not guaranteed if all available complimentary tickets are claimed. Do not depend on day-of in-person ticket sales at the Event Center box office for available seats for your guests.

Growing enrollment at SJSU means a corresponding increase in the number of students who become eligible to participate in Commencement ceremonies. This growth is a positive indicator of student success and growing enrollment ensures the university's long-term sustainability to provide a comprehensive academic experience for all students.

However, it also requires us to carefully manage venue capacity to ensure:

• A safe environment for all guests
• Compliance with fire code regulations
• A comfortable and celebratory experience

If a ceremony reaches capacity during the complimentary ticket distribution process, no additional tickets (complimentary or paid) will be available. 

We recognize that changes to longstanding processes can raise questions. This decision was made to minimize disruption, prevent last-minute reductions, and ensure a smooth and celebratory commencement experience for our graduates and their families.

We appreciate your understanding as we work to celebrate all of our graduates in a safe, equitable, and meaningful way.

Visit Application Central on the Registrar's website for detailed information.

See how to track status, review process and tips.

View the steps for completing your graduate degree with the GAPE office. You can also view the candidacy and graduation deadlines. We highly recommend attending Graduation Workshops hosted by GAPE throughout the semester.

Please visit the Graduate Student Guide on the GAPE Website.

Contact the Credential Services Office to indicate your intent to participate in Commencement.

View the steps for completing your graduate degree with the GAPE office. You can also view the candidacy and graduation deadlines. We highly recommend attending Graduation Workshops hosted by GAPE throughout the semester.

Yes. Visit the About Commencement page.

See the Academic Regalia page.

You will need to completely read, review, understand and agree to the processes outlined on the Registration and Tickets page.

The Commencement ceremony takes place at the Provident Credit Union Event Center on campus.

Digital programs for each ceremony are available shortly before Commencement ceremonies and after. Guests and graduates are invited to customize and create their own digital Grad Books with personalized messages and images.

There is no practice walk or run-through for graduates. Graduates should instead arrive to the venue no later than 30 minutes before the ceremony starts, and follow staff instructions to get seated in their designated section, inside the building.

Please email us at commencement@sjsu.edu as soon as possible with your name, student ID, preferred displayed name and preferred name pronunciation so that we can change your name in the system.

A letter from SJSU is not required for a visitor's immigration visa application. SJSU does not issue invitation letters for students or family members, but you can provide a copy of your graduation application, unofficial transcripts and academic calendar to your family so that they can include that with their immigration visa application when they apply on their own merit.

All guests ages three (3) and up will need a guest ticket. Guests who are two (2) years old or younger do not need a guest ticket.

No, students can only participate in one ceremony for their graduation. If a student is earning two (2) degrees from more than one different college in the same semester, they will be able to attend both ceremonies.

Fully review and read the Amenities page, then explore the interactive event map.

To access the map on the day-of Commencement, on any mobile device, go to go.sjsu.edu/gradmap.

Fully read and review the Commencement parking page for the latest information, then explore the interactive event map for all parking and wayfinding on the day-of.

All gift and merchandise information is found on the Amenities page.

All accessibility information for graduates and guests is available on the Accessibility page.

Visit the Ceremonies page.

Students and guests, should arrive to the venue on campus no later than one hour before their respective ceremony start time. Parking will be impacted/ traffic will be congested, so please arrive early enough to find parking and walk to the venue on campus before the arrival window listed above.

Fully read and review the day-of expectations for graduating students.

Fully read and review the day-of page.

Undergraduate students, fully read the diploma mailing schedule. If you have any further questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@sjsu.edu and include your student ID. Graduate students, please contact the GAPE Office directly at graduate@sjsu.edu and include your student ID.

You can join the Alumni Association online or by phone at 408-924-6515.

You will receive your membership packet, including membership card, by the end of June (for spring graduates) or end of January (for fall graduates).

The transcripts page on the Office of the Registrar's website provides information on requesting an official transcript. Visit the Office of the Registrar site for more information.