Commencement is the celebratory event that recognizes your achievements. Participation in commencement does not require the completion of your degree requirements. You are not required to participate in Commencement.

Graduation/Degree Conferral refers to the formal completion of your degree requirements - to confer your degree. To officially graduate, you must apply with the university. Participating in Commencement does not mean you will officially graduate without applying.

Applying to Graduate/Degree Conferral

When you apply to graduate, you must inform Penn that you expect your diploma to be conferred for a given semester (e.g. the spring, summer, or fall semester). Please check the GSE Academic Calendar for important deadlines regarding graduation applications.

GSE Students

• GSE Students must apply to graduate by completing the Graduation/Degree Conferral Application. Please refer to the GSE Academic Calendar for more details.

Applying to Participate in GSE Commencement Ceremonies

GSE's 2025 GSE Commencement will be Saturday, May 17th, 2025, at 9:00AM/ET

GSE's 2025 Doctoral Hooding will be Friday, May 16th, 2025, at 3:30PM/ET

Important information regarding commencement ceremonies:

• Details about both ceremonies: Detailed information has been sent to registered graduates' Penn emails. Please check your Penn email for more information.
• Registration: Students will register to participate in either or both of the ceremonies via a registration form sent to their Penn emails from Tassel.
  • The deadline to register to attend is April 20th, 2025. If you did not register, you will be unable to participate in the commencement ceremony.
• Please contact gse-commencement@gse.upenn.edu for any questions you may have.
• Commencement Guests: No tickets are required for guests. Graduates have no limit on how many guests they invite.
  • Guests can begin entering the Palestra at 8:00am. Guests with registered ADA accommodations can begin entering at 7:30am.
• Doctoral Hooding Guests: There will be a limited amount of tickets for guests (4 per graduate). Information was emailed to registered graduates.
• International guests: For guests traveling from outside the US you may need a travel support letter. Below is a link from ISSS with a template you can use for the letter: https://global.upenn.edu/isss/home/prospective/new/students/ letter-request/
• For live updates, please visit this Google Doc.

The University of Pennsylvania's Commencement Ceremony will be Monday, May 19th, gates open at 8:30AM/ET

(**Only August 2024, December 2024, May 2025, and Summer 2025 are eligible to participate in the Penn-wide ceremony. You will need a Penn ID to participate. GSE has no control over the Penn-wide commencement ceremony or requirements.)

Diploma Questions

Diplomas are issued three times a year: May, August, and December, and mailed 8–10 weeks after your degree is officially posted (the date shown on your diploma). You must be in good financial standing. Confirm your degree status in Penn InTouch; if it's not posted, contact your school.

Please visit the University’s main Diploma webpage for more information.

Mailing Timeline:

• May grads: Mailed late July
• August grads: Mailed mid-October 
• December grads: Mailed mid-March

Address Requirements:
Diplomas are sent to your permanent or diploma address listed in Penn InTouch → Profile → Address Information.

Diploma Address Deadlines:

• May grads: Address valid June 7–Sept 30 → Update by June 7
• August grads: Valid Sept 1–Nov 30 → Update by Sept 1
• December grads: Valid Jan 15–Mar 31 → Update by Jan 15

If not updated by the deadline, your diploma will be sent to your permanent address.
Once entered, the diploma address overrides the permanent address—no further action needed.

Additional Info:
Penn diplomas have been printed in Latin since 1757 and measure 9 5/8" x 12 1/4".

GSE Email Account & PennCard

Your Penn email account remains available for two months after graduation. You will receive a notification in advance of the account being deleted.

As a Penn alum, you are also eligible for an Alumni Gmail account with an address of @alumni.upenn.edu. Sign up for an Alumni account here. If you have additional questions, please submit an IT ticket here.