Preparing for Graduation
Application for Graduation
If you have not applied for graduation, please do so here, Graduation Application. In DegreeWorks, your program should be listed as "In Progress" or "Complete". A status of "Incomplete" means you have not met all requirements.
Changing Your Graduation Date
If your plans to graduate in May or August change, please contact us at 605.642.6567 or email April.Meeker@bhsu.edu to change your graduation date.
Guests
The number of guests for commencement is not restricted. Guest tickets are not required.
RSVP for Ceremony
In early March, an invitation to participate in Commencement will be sent to your BHSU email account. Follow the instruction in the email to RSVP.
Announcements & Graduation Apparel
Order your graduation announcements and apparel through CB Announcements at cbgrad.com. Your order will be shipped directly to you. Prices for announcements vary based on style and quantity. Apparel package pricing is outlined below. Items are also sold separately for those who don't need a complete package. Single item pricing can be found on the Balfour website.
Associate Cap, Gown & Tassel $34.99
Bachelor Cap, Gown & Tassel $34.99
Master Cap, Gown, Tassel & Hood $79.98
Exit Exams
All bachelor’s degrees require an exit exam or alternative capstone experience such as a portfolio or an interview. Exit exams will be given on April 29. You will receive a separate communication from your Dean’s office with specific details. Questions about this requirement should be directed to your Dean’s office.
Graduation Rehearsal
A graduation rehearsal (Approximately 1 hour) will be held on Friday, May 3, at 2:45. Check-in for rehearsal will be in the Field House of the Donald Young Center.
Diploma Address
In March you will receive an email with information about where your diploma will be mailed. Please review the diploma address sent with this mailing. If it is incorrect, email the new address to April.Meeker@bhsu.edu.
Commencement
Graduation Ceremony
May 4, 2023
10:00 a.m.
Graduates need to be in the Field House of the Donald Young Center by 9:30 a.m. to line up. The ceremony begins at 10:00 and will run for approximately 2 hours.
Graduating with Honors
To graduate with honors, baccalaureate candidates must complete a minimum of 60 BHSU credits and associate candidates must complete a minimum of 30 BHSU credits. In addition, both the BHSU institutional and the overall cumulative GPA’s must be as follows:
- 3.500 Cum Laude (Baccalaureate) With Honor (Associate)
- 3.700 Magna Cum Laude (Baccalaureate) With High Honor (Associate)
- 3.900 Summa Cum Laude (Baccalaureate) With Highest Honor (Associate)
Honor cords will be distributed at rehearsal and during lineup prior to the ceremony. For ceremonial purposes, honors are based on your GPA as of February 1. Final honors will be posted to your diploma and transcript only after all grades have been calculated.
NOTE: Honors are not awarded at the Master’s level.
Photographs
The Grad Team will photograph you during the ceremony. You may view and purchase your photographs online at thegradteam.com one week after the ceremony.
Congratulations on your upcoming graduation! Below is some information to help you plan for this exciting day. If you have questions, please feel free to contact the Registrar’s office at 605.642.6567 or Email April.Meeker@bhsu.edu
Finalizing Diploma
Final Grades
Grades for the spring and summer terms are due May 8 and August 28, respectively. A final review of your credits will begin after the grading deadline. Students are reviewed in alphabetical order until all degrees are posted.
Incomplete Grades
May graduates with an incomplete grade at the end of term will have until June 2, 2023 to complete the course and still receive a May-dated diploma. Summer graduates will have until August 31, 2023 to complete an incomplete course and still receive an August-dated diploma. Completions after these dates will delay the student’s diploma until the next award date.
Transferring Final Coursework
Graduates transferring additional coursework to us for the completion of their degree must do so by June 2, 2023 in order to receive a May-dated diploma, and August 31, 2023 to receive an August-dated diploma. Transcripts received after these dates will delay the student’s diploma until the next award date.
- Transcripts should be sent directly to:
- BHSU Registrar
1200 University Unit 9666
Spearfish, SD 57799-9666
Transcripts are not required from USD, SDSU, NSU, DSU or SDSM&T because we utilize the same database and can access these directly.
Mailing Diplomas
During the ceremony, you will receive a diploma cover to house your diploma. The actual diploma will not be mailed until all final reviews have been made. May diplomas will be mailed the last week in June and summer diplomas will be mailed the last week in September.
Missing Requirements
If we determine that you are missing a requirement to complete your degree or have other questions for you, we will communicate with you via email to your BHSU account. Please check your email on a regular basis until you receive your diploma.
Final Transcripts
Requests for official transcripts can be made online: Online Transcript Request
Make certain to indicate that you want us to wait until your degree has been posted so the transcript does not get inadvertently sent prior to the posting. Choose the Hold for Degree option.
Official transcripts are $9.00 per copy.
FAQ's
Do I need to register for the ceremony? Graduating students received an invitation to participate in Commencement by email, which has information on how to RSVP.
Do guests need to register? No, tickets are not required and there is no restriction on the number of guests.
How do I order my cap, gown, and tassel? Graduation announcements and apparel can be ordered through CB Announcements at http://www.cbgrad.balfour.com/.
Is there a rehearsal for the ceremony? Yes, the rehearsal will be the Friday before commencement at 2:45 in the Field House of the Donald Young Center.
Will there be pictures? The Grad Team will photograph you during the ceremony, and you will be able to view and purchase pictures online at thegradteam.com one week after the ceremony.
When will I get my diploma? You will receive a diploma cover during the ceremony, and your actual diploma will be mailed to you in the last week of June.
How do I get an official transcript? Requests for official transcripts can be made online at https://www.bhsu.edu/Registration-Records/Transcript-Request. To indicate that you want us to wait until your degree has been posted, choose the Hold for Degree option.
