Graduation

Instructions for Candidates  Essential information for all candidates is included in the "Instructions for Candidates" and should be posted in advance of the date of the commencement program.

Line of March: The Line of March will be posted approximately one week prior to commencement. Candidates should review both tabs of the Line of March information in order to expedite the process of lining up in the Pryor-England Science building.

Notes:
Applied Studies majors will participate with their primary area of study and should confirm the commencement information with their academic advisor.

Students completing undergraduate degrees with multiple majors in different colleges will walk with their primary degree, as selected on the graduation application. Students completing both an undergraduate and graduate degree will walk with the candidates for the highest degree.

Instructions for Candidates: Essential information for all candidates is included in the "Instructions for Candidates" and should be reviewed in advance of the date of the commencement program.

Line of March: The Line of March will be posted approximately one week prior to the commencement date. Candidates should review both tabs of the Line of March information in order to expedite the process of lining up in the Pryor-England Science building.

Congratulations to those of you who have completed this milestone in your formal education! All commencement ceremonies are held in the Benson Auditorium, and each ceremony will be live streamed at streaming.harding.edu and on Harding University's Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you and your families!

Replacement diplomas and transcripts

Center for Professional Excellence

Graduate Programs

The commencement ceremony is held in the Benson Auditorium and will be live-streamed at streaming.harding.edu. Tickets are required for all guest seating.

• The ticketing process will open in October, with the date announced after the beginning of the fall semester. Graduates will receive an email with instructions on how to secure their tickets and with waitlist instructions.
• In order to allow all graduates and families to celebrate, there is a limit of 10 (TEN) tickets per graduate.
• If your family needs additional tickets, you may submit a request to join the waitlist (link will be available the day tickets open). Please note: Extra tickets are not guaranteed, but every effort will be made to accommodate as many requests as possible.
• We do ask that you coordinate with your family before ordering tickets to determine any accessibility needs and ask that you consider having some of your friends and family, who are physically capable, sit in the balcony, as there is no elevator access to balcony seating to help ensure those who need accommodations can be assisted.
• When reserving your tickets, you will also be asked to RSVP for the complimentary graduation reception following the ceremony. Coordinating this with your family in advance helps our catering team plan appropriately. (See information below.)

If you need help with tickets or if you find that you have more tickets than your family will use, you may return them by contacting the box office at tickethelp@harding.edu or at 501-279-5777.

View Recent Ceremonies

Please review your catalog for specific degree requirements. University graduation requirements are also posted in the catalog and may be found at www.harding.edu/catalog. Students are also encouraged to check uAchieve for a quick view of their progress toward degree completion. This can be done by searching "Degree Evaluation" on Pipeline.

By University policy, to be approved to walk in the commencement ceremony, candidates must have all degree requirements completed by the date of commencement. As the only exception, candidates who will complete degree requirements by enrolling at Harding in their final class during the Harding Intersession term are allowed to participate. Students who complete their degree during Intersession, while they may participate in the May commencement ceremony, their degrees will be awarded after Intersession and they are considered summer graduates.

Students who complete degree requirements after May degrees are verified will participate in the December ceremony, with the exception of pharmacy students who complete degree requirements after May degrees are awarded, and they will participate in the next May ceremony. Similarly, students who complete degree requirements after the December degrees are checked and verified will participate in the upcoming May commencement ceremony.

• All students, who the degree audit identifies as being complete, will receive an email inviting them to order their academic regalia for Commencement.
  • The cost of your cap and gown is included in your graduation fee; there is no extra charge.
  • Please verify you are on track by running your degree audit (Pipeline > Student > Degree Evaluation).
• All undergraduate and graduate students will receive a black and gold tassel with a Harding medallion attached. Doctoral students who receive a tam as part of their regalia receive a gold tassel.
• If you did not pick up your cap and gown at Grad Fest but already placed an order, please contact the Alumni Office at 501-279-4276 or alumni@harding.edu. For those who did not order before the deadline, you should contact the Alumni Office who will have a limited amount of regalia on hand, and these gowns will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis through commencement.
• If you have any questions, please email commencement@harding.edu.

Get Cleared: Students will have the opportunity to complete their final degree check to ensure all academic requirements are met prior to graduation.

Get Robed: This central location will also serve as the place for students to pick up their academic regalia for the commencement ceremony.

Get Prepared: In one convenient location, representatives from key offices, including the Registrar’s Office, Graduate Admissions, the Center for Professional Excellence, the Financial Office, and the Alumni Office will be available to assist you in finalizing graduation tasks and preparing for your next steps.

There are no honor cords for cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude. These honors are designated in the program, on the diploma and on the transcript.

Harding uses an external vendor, Parchment, to provide access to your electronic diploma. Within two weeks of the awarding of your degree, you will receive an email from Parchment containing a link for viewing, downloading and/or printing your electronic diploma. Receipt of this electronic diploma is the confirmation that your degree has been awarded. Your paper diploma will arrive a few weeks after the electronic version.

For students who are awarded a Bachelor's or Master's degree, the paper diploma size is 8.5" x 11".

For those who are awarded a Doctoral degree, the paper diploma size is 11" x 14".