Graduation

The Graduation Process consists of your Degree Conferral and optional participation in the Commencement Ceremony

Degree Conferral and the Commencement Ceremony are two separate events:

• Having your degree conferred does not register you into the commencement ceremony.
• Participating in the commencement ceremony does not mean you have graduated or your degree has been conferred.

Degree Conferral

As of April 2008, Bellevue University confers degrees monthly. The conferral of degrees becomes effective the last day of each month. Students must clear all obligations to the University prior to the release of their diploma. Diplomas will be sent approximately 8 weeks after a student's conferral date.

• Upon the Registrar's Office verifying a student's degree program is 100% complete, the student is notified and asked to go online to order their diploma, which arrives approximately eight weeks after the conferral date.
• The student may complete the Diploma Order Form without notification from the Registrar's Office as long as their BRUIN Degree Works Audit indicates their degree is 100% complete. Do not complete the Diploma Order Form prior to your audit indicating your degree is 100% complete. Early completion of the Diploma Order Forms may delay conferring your degree.
• If your BRUIN Degree Works Audit does not indicate you are 100% complete when you believe it should, please contact your Academic Advisor.

Commencement Ceremony

• The commencement ceremony is to honor and celebrate the graduates' or soon to be graduates' achievement.
• There are two commencement ceremonies per year, Winter (January) and Spring (June), each having specific deadlines students are required to register by.
  • The deadline for registering to participate in the Winter Commencement is October 1.
  • The deadline for registering to participate in the Spring Commencement is March 1.
• Students choose which commencement ceremony they would like to participate in (Winter or Spring) and reserve their spot in the ceremony by registering online before the deadline date.
• Students can participate in the commencement ceremony before their degree is conferred (before they graduate). Degree completion is not a requirement for participating in the ceremony.
• Diploma covers are handed out at the commencement ceremony, diplomas are not. Diplomas are mailed out approximately 8 weeks after the degree has been conferred.

The upcoming Spring Commencement Ceremony is Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The deadline for registration is October 1, 2009. The registration form can be found in BRUIN, in e-Services.

If you have questions about graduation please contact your Academic Advisor at "Ask Your Advisor" online or call 1-800-756-7920 x7281 for Undergraduate Advising and 1-800-756-7920 x7240 for Graduate Advising.

If you have questions about the ceremony please contact the Commencement Coordinator at julie.mahoney@bellevue.edu or 1-800-756-7920, x7012.

If you have questions regarding your diploma, please contact the Registrar's Office at ashley.kirchner@bellevue.edu or 1-800-756-7920, x7404.