One would think that graduation would be a simple process: apply, pass your classes, get your degree. However, students tend to forget that graduation and commencement are a bit more complicated than that, with a host of deadlines, requirements and registrations.
Graduating
How do students graduate?
The first step in graduation is to ensure that you have fulfilled (or are currently taking courses to fulfill) the requirements of your Degree Progress Report, as well as ensuring that you have taken the minimum 120 units necessary to graduate. Once you have completed both these things, you may apply for graduation by going online to your Student Center, and finding “Apply for Graduation” on the drop-down menu beside the courses you are currently enrolled in on the homepage. This will then take you to a page where you may apply for graduation.
Once you click apply for graduation and confirm, you’re done! This is the most simple part of the process, and for those who do not care to attend the commencement ceremony (either the school-wide one or their department’s specific ceremony), this is the end.
What is the deadline to apply for graduation?
You may apply to graduate until the last day of the semester, but if you wanted your name and degree to be included in the commencement ceremony program, you needed to apply for graduation by April 1.
Why do students have to “apply” for graduation? Is there a chance they will reject my application?
There is a chance your application for graduation will be rejected, but that only occurs in cases where a student has unmet or unfulfilled requirements, outstanding grades, or they have not completed their requirements by the term deadline. You will also have to pay a $100 graduation fee for your graduation application to be accepted. There is no way to waive this fee.
If students do not have 120 or more total units, will they be able to graduate?
No, if an undergraduate student does not have the necessary 120 units to graduate, their DPR will be rejected by the university for graduation.
Commencement ceremony
What will commencement be like?
San Francisco State University will be holding its school-wide, general commencement ceremony on Friday, May 23 at Oracle Park. The ceremony will include a procession of the graduating students, followed by an address by SFSU President Lynn Mahoney and speeches by student speakers selected by the university administration. After that, degrees will be conferred on graduates, and the commencement address will be heard. More information about the ceremony itself can be found at SFSU’s commencement website.
In order to attend the ceremony, graduating students do not need any kind of ticket, but they will need to do two things:
- Arrive at Oracle Park on time. The doors will open for the ceremony at 3:30 pm for both graduates and guests. The doors will close at 7:30 pm.
- Arrive in official SFSU regalia. This means graduating students will have to be wearing caps and gowns provided by the school’s official graduation regalia partner, Jostens.
Regalia may be rented directly through Josten’s website, with certain items available through the SFSU bookstore. Those who order their regalia by April 17 are assured to have it by the date of the commencement ceremony. Students will be renting gowns and stoles, not buying them. Therefore, these items must be returned after the ceremony. A return label will be provided by Jostens, the cost of which is covered in the initial payment for the regalia. Students whose regalia is lost or damaged will have to pay to have it repaired or replaced.
Can students customize their regalia?
There are a few options available for customizing one’s regalia. Students may choose from a number of different stoles that they can wear, including a standard SFSU stole, a year-dated stole, stoles marked with a kente design, a serape design or a stole denoting that the wearer is a first-generation college graduate. Students can also design their own stole on the Stole Builder page.
Also, all baccalaureate caps and tassels will be for graduates to keep. This means that undergraduate students may decorate their caps however they want and do whatever they wish with them after the ceremony.
How do students get tickets for those in the audience?
Once a student has rented their regalia, they will qualify to receive seven tickets for the commencement ceremony, which can be given to family and friends. They will be able to pick these tickets up at the SFSU bookstore beginning May 9. Students may have someone else pick their tickets up for them, but it is necessary that they provide the person retrieving the tickets for them with their student ID as well as the confirmation of purchase for their regalia.
The physical tickets must be presented at the entrance gates if a spectator wants to watch the commencement ceremony. Guests may leave their tickets at Oracle Park’s will call windows along King Street and return for the tickets later.
When do students need to arrive to the ceremony?
The SFSU graduating class of Spring 2025 commencement ceremony will take place on May 23 at Oracle Park. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m., and graduating students must enter through the Marina Gate Entrance of the park. Graduating students will then proceed to the staging area from there.
Graduates must be assembled in the staging area by 5:15 p.m. if they wish to take part in the procession of graduating students. If students arrive after this time, they will have to enter through one of the guest entrances.
At 5:30 p.m., the procession will begin, and the ceremony itself is estimated to begin at 6:30 p.m. Graduating students must arrive before this time. At 7:30 p.m., the doors will close to all guests. It is estimated that the ceremony will end around 9:30 p.m.
How do students get to the ceremony?
SFSU’s website recommends attendees take public transit to Oracle Park, with the park being accessible by Muni buses — the Muni Metro N and T lines. The park is also a block away from the Caltrain station. There will also be bike parking available, along with designated passenger loading zones where taxi and rideshare services may drop off and pick up attendees.
While the SFSU website says that students and guests will be able to reserve parking at the stadium’s parking lots, there is currently no link available to do this.
More information about transportation can be found .
Will there be food available at the commencement ceremony?
Concessions will be sold in the stadium during the ceremony, including in the graduating students section. You may also bring your own food to the ceremony.
Will a prayer space be available during the ceremony?
Yes, the Executive Meeting Room will be made available as a space for prayer for both guests and graduates. An Oracle Guest Services team member will be able to direct you to the room.
What if a student needs more than seven tickets?
SFSU will provide only seven tickets Students may not request more. However, students are free to give any of their unused tickets to those who need them. If you need more than seven tickets for friends and family, it is recommended that you ask around to see if anyone has tickets to spare.
Will students’ names be called during the ceremony?
No, students’ names will be called before they walk in front of an SFSU backdrop with a diploma cover for photos. However, speakers will be announced during the ceremony, and anyone may purchase a scoreboard message that will be displayed during the ceremony by making a $100 contribution to the senior class gift. The deadline to purchase a scoreboard message is April 25 at 5:00 pm.
Departmental ceremonies
What about departmental graduation ceremonies?
Every semester, most departments hold their own graduation ceremonies. These ceremonies are much smaller than the schoolwide commencement ceremony but are also much more intimate. Unlike the schoolwide commencement ceremony, graduating students will hear their names called, and they will be able to speak with their professors and other faculty from their departments before and after the ceremony.
Each department’s ceremony will take place at a different place and time on campus, with this information being emailed directly to students. These emails will also include the deadline that students must apply for graduation by in order to participate in their departmental graduation ceremony.
Specific departmental graduation ceremonies may also require students to be in SFSU regalia.
