Please note: applying to graduate (degree completion) is different than registering to attend Commencement (the ceremony). Please complete both steps!

We recommend that students submit an application for graduation during the semester prior to when their degree will be complete. We invite you to apply on the registrar’s website. 

Students who have applied to graduate will receive an email invitation with a link to register to attend the Commencement ceremony.

Students who have applied to graduate will receive an email invitation with a link to register to attend the Commencement ceremony in our Tassel registration system. When you register, you'll have the opportunity to record and confirm the pronunciation of your name for its announcement by a professional reader as you cross the stage. 

• Doors open 1.5 hours prior to the ceremony start time
   
• Graduates, please plan to arrive at least 1 hour prior to your ceremony start time!
   
• The ceremony is anticipated to be no longer than 2 hours. (Please allow for time to find your seat before the ceremony. Also allow time for exiting and meeting up with your graduate/supporters after the ceremony, when considering plans after the event.)
   
• Graduates should establish a predetermined location outside of the Van Andel Arena to meet with their family and friends following the ceremony.

Visit the What to Expect page for the complete list of details you'll need to know about the big day!

Tickets are not required! All seats are general admission, seating is first-come, first-seated and there are no reserved seats. We will live stream the ceremony and provide a live stream link here on this page on the day of the event.

Please visit the Laker Store website to purchase regalia. 

Regalia and Adornments Guidelines

GVSU has partnered with Pro Pics to take professional portraits of all graduates during the ceremonies. Photos will be available for purchase after the ceremony. There is no cost to have your photo taken and no obligation to purchase. Please visit GVSUphotos.com or contact Pro Pics at [email protected].

Land Acknowledgement

At a significant University event like Commencement, we have an opportunity to offer appreciation to those who were stewards of the land on which our beautiful campus was built, long before most of our ancestors arrived. We embrace our role as a leader in urgently advancing equity for all learners and ensure that our community serves as a catalyst for a more just and sustainable world. Grand Valley recognizes the Three Fires People, who include the Ojibwa, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi, on whose ancestral lands we now live and work.