Commencement FAQ

NOTICE: Invitation Letters are no longer consistently recognized by US immigration officers in other countries. It is strongly recommended that you write your own invitation letter in support of your family members or friends receiving a visa. Download the student template to write your own invitation letter.

• Face masks are recommended for everyone while indoors at commencement.
• If you have a high-risk medical condition and are not vaccinated, you should carefully consider the risk of attending.

Parking will be available for candidates and guests at Strahan Arena. Please visit the Directions, Parking, and Seating page for more information.

Yes, the ceremonies will be streamed live on the commencement website. The video will go live shortly before the start of each ceremony. You will see a photo slideshow but audio will not start until the live video begins.

The ceremonies will not be filmed for commercial sale, however they will be available for download on the commencement website.

Candidate names will be called only for those that are in attendance.

For security purposes, all persons attending commencement are asked to keep all items to a minimum. All articles brought into the facility will be subject to search, and this may delay persons from entering Strahan Arena. Please see the list of Prohibited and Allowable Items.

There are no secure places to store personal items before or during the ceremony. Small personal items such as phones and wallets must be carried in a pocket or a small bag held under the gown. Candidates are not permitted to hand carry items during diploma presentations other than their diploma cover and Reader Card, which they will hand to the Reader before they cross the stage.

Candidates will be seated on the arena floor by level only (doctoral, master's, or bachelors). Candidates will not necessarily be in order by college, alphabet, or honors designation. During diploma presentations, candidates will have their name called as they cross in front of the stage, shake hands with President Damphousse, and have their photo taken. Only candidates that are in attendance will have their name called.

Yes, regalia is required for all candidates in attendance. Beginning with spring 2022, custom regalia will be implemented for commencement. For more information, please visit our regalia webpage.

Graduation with Academic Honor Cords will be distributed to eligible candidates free of charge at commencement. An optional Texas State stole is available for purchase along with custom regalia. Candidates may wear stoles and cords from other organizations as long as they are in the spirit of academic celebration.

Yes. Texas State University has arranged for a commercial photographer, Flash Photography, to take two different photographs of each graduate during the diploma presentations. Please visit the Graduate Photos page for more information.

Each ceremony is typically one and a half to two hours long. The time length of each ceremony differs due to the number of graduates and the semester in which the ceremony is held. Ceremonies in May and December are usually close to two hours in length, while ceremonies in August are closer to an hour and a half.

If you are concerned about the pronunciation of your name, please contact your Academic Advising Center (undergraduate students) or The Graduate College (graduate students). These offices will forward your information to the Reader assigned to read names at the ceremony.

Candidates must attend the commencement ceremony in the semester in which they are completing their degree requirements. For more information, please visit the Participant Policy webpage.

8-1-2022 Be safe Bobcats! We know many graduates take a celebratory jump in the San Marcos River. Unfortunately, the river water level is currently at a historic low due to drought which significantly increases the risk of serious injury from jumping in.  The university discourages jumping into the river at this time. If you do jump, use extreme caution. Do not dive headfirst or somersault in, and always look before you leap to determine the water depth.

Bachelor's and master's candidates may purchase regalia in-person at the University Bookstore or order online for shipping. Candidates ordering online should order at least one week in advance of commencement to avoid expedited shipping charges.

Doctoral candidates and faculty may purchase or rent their regalia directly from our vendor, Herff Jones.

• Rental deadline for doctoral regalia is June 24.
• Rental deadline for faculty regalia is July 5.
• Purchase deadline for doctoral regalia is June 25.

For questions, contact the University Bookstore at 512-245-2273 or 512-245-0854.

Please review the following Frequently Asked Questions for more information including pricing.

Candidates are advised to only purchase regalia (cap, gown, hood, tassel) through the University Bookstore to ensure they are wearing the official Texas State regalia.

For additional questions, contact the University Bookstore at 512-245-2273 or 512-245-0854.

Honor cords will be distributed to eligible candidates when they check in to the commencement ceremonies. To confirm your honors status, please contact your Academic Advising Center.

Please contact the office of Bobcat Preview at (512) 245-8295 or by email at bobcatpreview@txstate.edu.

Students earning a GPA of 3.40-3.59 will graduate cum laude; 3.6-3.79 will graduate magna cum laude; 3.8-4.0 will graduate summa cum laude.

Effective fall 2021, to be eligible for graduation with academic honors, a student seeking a baccalaureate degree must have completed at least 48 semester credit hours at Texas State preceding graduation. Calculation of the GPA to determine academic honors status is based on all Texas State work applied to the first baccalaureate degree, including work completed in the final semester.

Hours earned through Texas State correspondence courses and extension courses count toward GPA and academic hours eligibility. Hours earned through Texas State credit-by-examination, work/life experience and other courses that offer only "CR" (pass/fail) grades also count toward academic honors eligibility, but they do not count toward GPA. All coursework to count toward academic honors eligibility must be evaluated and graded by Texas State faculty. 

Transfer students who have earned at least 48 semester hours at Texas State are eligible to graduate with academic honors if their Texas State GPA meets the above criteria. Students earning second baccalaureate degrees are eligible for graduation with academic honors if they complete 48 or more semester credit hours at Texas State, meeting the GPA criteria, in pursuit of a second degree. Transfer courses and military credit do not count towards academic honors. All coursework to count towards academic honors eligibility must be evaluated and graded by Texas State faculty.

Undergraduate students earning a Texas State GPA of:
3.40-3.59 will graduate Cum Laude
3.60-3.79 will graduate Magna Cum Laude
3.80-4.00 will graduate Summa Cum Laude

All students graduating with master's degrees have maintained an A or B average in their major and minor courses. Therefore, it is not acknowledged during the ceremony, nor is there special regalia required. Please check with your department to see if there is a special event that recognizes your achievements.

Because the commencement ceremonies immediately follow final exams and prior to the posting of final grades, you will be given a Texas State diploma cover at commencement. Your diploma will be mailed to you after commencement.

To change your name as it will appear on your diploma, the commencement program, and all other university documents, you must submit a Personal Information Update Request with the Registrar's Office.