The Final Step: Your Conferral Date, Diploma, and Commencement

You’ve completed your last course, passed your final test, sailed through your graduation requirements, and now it’s the 15th, your conferral date. But what exactly does conferral mean? Is commencement also your conferral? When do you get your diploma? These are all very important last steps in your educational journey. 

Simply put, your conferral date is the date of degree completion. Your conferral date will be displayed on your diploma and transcripts as your official graduation date. Commencement, on the other hand, is a time of celebration and fellowship between graduates, faculty, and staff. The annual commencement ceremony incorporates graduates from the four conferrals of the previous year. For example, this year, the 2013 Commencement will include graduates from the Aug. 15, 2012; Nov. 15, 2012; Feb. 15, 2013; and May 15, 2013, conferrals.

Your diploma is a physical representation of the hard work and dedication you put into your degree and arrives shortly after your conferral date. Have you ever wondered what happens between the date of your conferral and the day your diploma arrives on your doorstep? You may be surprised to find out that there is a team of about 20 staff that print, package, and ship diplomas for each and every conferral. That’s about 2,000 diplomas shipped every three months!

For more information on the graduation process and your diploma, please see the Graduation section of your student handbook or contact graduations@apus.edu. For more information on the annual commencement ceremony, visit the commencement website or contact commencement@apus.edu.

Congratulations again to all our graduates on their hard work and dedication!

Contributed by Lacy Dailey

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