Frequently Asked Questions
Where will the information pertaining to graduation be sent?
How do I receive my degree if I can't be present for the ceremony?
What are the graduation requirements?
What is the program for commencement?
How long should my guests plan on staying in Atlanta for the graduation ceremonies?
What if it rains on graduation day?
Under what circumstances can I request "permission to walk" at graduation?
May I study abroad during my final semester?
What if my guests need special assistance?
Where can I get more information about graduation (robes, videos etc.)?
What should I wear for graduation?
Where will the information pertaining to graduation be sent?
Information will be sent to the address on record. This is where the Bursar's office sends your bills. In addition we will be posting information in the Seniors folder in LearnLink. Please check this periodically.
How do I receive my degree if I can't be present for the ceremony?
You will need to request permission from the Office for Undergraduate Education to receive your degree in absentia. Please e-mail Senior Associate Dean Joanne Brzinski (joanne.brzinski@emory.edu) with your request; include the reasons for your request in the body of the e-mail.
What are the graduation requirements?
In order to be a degree candidate for any given term, students must file an application for the bachelor's degree with the Office for Undergraduate Education at the beginning of the semester they expect the degree to be conferred. The degree application (PDF) is available online or from White Hall 300. Deadlines for submitting applications each term are indicated in the Registrar's Academic Calendar.
What is the program for commencement?
Details will be made available on the Commencement website.
How long should my guests plan on staying in Atlanta for the graduation ceremonies?
Rain is always a possibility in springtime Atlanta. In the event of inclement weather, the College ceremony may be moved back to 2 p.m. and be completed by about 5 p.m.
What if it rains on graduation day?
In the event of inclement weather, the College ceremony will reconvene at 2 p.m. in the Woodruff PE center. Severe weather plan tickets (rain tickets) will be mailed to graduates by Emory College in April. Tickets will be mailed to the student's address on OPUS (be sure this address is correct). Each College graduate will receive two guest tickets. Additional guests may view the ceremony in White Hall classrooms. A video recording of the university ceremony will be played at 12 p.m. in White Hall.
Under what circumstances can I request "permission to walk" at graduation?
Students may petition to walk with their class if they lack credits or other requirements that will be completed fully the semester immediately following the May commencement. Students normally should walk in the commencement cereonies of their entering class. This commencement usually occurs four years after the student enters Emory College of Arts and Sciences. Students may not participate early (e.g., after only three years) unless all requirements are completed. Of course, students may always return and walk with their class the following May.
Students may request "Permission to Walk" by contacting Senior Associate Dean Joanne Brzinski (joanne.brzinski@emory.edu). Please include "Permission to Walk" in the subject line.
May I study abroad during the summer semester after commencement?
Graduating seniors are eligible to participate in summer study abroad. Students either can defer graduation until the end of the summer or apply to the Graduate School as a student in Special Standing.
Generally students choose to defer graduation in order to receive final aid or to complete final requirements to graduation. Students who wish to defer graduation are still eligible to walk with their class with permission from the Office for Undergraduate Education. Emory summer study abroad courses would count toward the cumulative GPA. Students currently receiving financial aid or a courtesy scholarship would remain eligible.
Follow this link to download a degree application. Please take note of the deadline for degree application submission. If the grades for all summer study abroad courses are not reported and posted to a student's transcript by the deadline for Emory College of Arts and Sciences certification of degrees (generally early- to mid-August for summer graduation), the diploma will not be dated for that term. Rather the diploma will be dated in the actual term in which all grades were recorded on the transcript. In order to graduate on time at the end of the summer, students should be sure to remind their summer program director(s) that they are intending to graduate at the end of the summer and to complete all program assignments in a timely manner so that grades can be posted by the deadline.
Students who not wish to defer graduation may apply to the Graduate School as a non-degree student in Special Standing. Click here to view the special standing application. The application and official transcripts must be received as part of the Summer Study Abroad Application packet delivered to CIPA. The graduate School has agreed to waive the $50 application fee for summer study abroad students. Students in special standing do not receive merit awards or financial aid. The grades earned on summer study abroad do appear on the undergraduate transcript but ar enot calculated into the GPA. However, students should note that, if they later apply to other schools, the summer grades will be seen by these universities, even if they are not part of the undergraduate GPA. Students in special standing who later wish to enroll in a Graduate School degree program must submit a formal application for admission to the Graduate School.
Please contact the Center for International Programs Abroad (CIPA) office for more details.
What if my guests need special assistance?
Please contact Ms. Brenda Nix to discuss the arrangements. Phone 404-727-6040 or Email bnix@emory.edu.
Where can I get more information about graduation (robes, videos etc.)?
Please visit the Commencement website which is updated by early spring.
What should I wear for graduation?
Sensible and cool clothes are recommended under your robes since the ceremony will start at 7 a.m. and continue till 1 p.m.