Graduation and Commencement Information

The NC State University Commencement is for all NC State Graduates. Students will be recognized by college, and only Doctoral candidates walk across the stage. The College Ceremony is only for students graduating from The College of Natural Resources. At the college ceremony, every graduating CNR student in attendance will have their name called and walk across the stage. The College of Natural Resources ceremony is on Friday, December 12th at 2:00 pm at The McKimmon Center, and the University ceremony is on Saturday, December 13th at 9:00 am at The Lenovo Center. You must RSVP for each ceremony separately. (Visit https://commencement.ncsu.edu for information on the University-wide ceremony.)

Graduating from college and walking across the stage at your commencement ceremony are two different things, but they are intertwined. College graduation marks the completion of your degree requirements. The commencement celebrates those accomplishments and looks towards the future.

If you plan to finish in the summer, you may be eligible to participate in the CNR May commencement. The policy for allowing summer graduates to “walk” in the CNR spring commencement states that students must have no more than 12 hours remaining to fulfill degree requirements, which they will complete during summer, and a current GPA of 2.0 or higher.

See deadline details here.

The undergraduate application is due by October 24, 2025 at 11:59 pm for Fall 2025

The graduate application is due by October 31, 2025 at 11:59 pm for Fall 2025

The undergraduate application is due by February 9, 2026 at 11:59pm for Spring 2026

The graduate application is due by March 25, 2026 at 11:59 pm for Spring 2026

The undergraduate application is due by May 18, 2026 at 11:59pm or Summer I 2026

The undergraduate application is due by July 9, 2026 at 11:59pm for Summer II 2026

The graduate application is due by June 29, 2026 at 11:59pm for Summer II 2026

You can apply in MyPack. For detailed instructions visit: https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/your-degree/graduation/apply-for-graduation/

Apply within MyPack. For detailed instructions visit: https://studentservices.ncsu.edu/your-resources/privacy/

A google form will be sent out in the weeks leading up to graduation requesting information needed from graduating students for ceremony preparation. Be sure to spell out your name and write out the pronunciation phonetically to ensure proper pronunciation as you walk across the stage.

Academic honors are based on your cumulative GPA. For commencement recognition purposes, your cumulative GPA at the beginning of your last semester will be used in publications and the ceremony. However, your diploma and official transcript will list the academic honor that you earn once your final grades are posted.

Summa Cum Laude: 3.75 and Higher (GOLD sash)

Magna Cum Laude:  3.5-3.749 (SILVER sash) 

Cum Laude:  3.25-3.499 (WHITE sash)

Parking in the front lots of the McKimmon Center is free. Accessibile parking is available, but it is on a first-come, first-serve basis. See the NC State Campus Parking Accessibility Map for details.

The McKimmon Center has accessible seating for those who use wheelchairs. The ceremony room will open early, around 1:15pm, for guests with accessible seating needs.

There will be nowhere to store personal belongings, so bring minimal necessities and if you’d like to, a sealed water bottle.

Bachelor’s degree candidates drape the tassel on the right side of the cap, and will ‘turn’ it at the conclusion of the University Commencement ceremony. Professional, Master’s, and Doctoral degree candidates drape the tassel on the left side of the cap.

For the Fall CNR ceremony in The McKimmon Center, graduating students will enter the main entrance of The McKimmon Center in full regalia by 1:15pm. There will be signs and staff directing graduates to check-in rooms on commencement day. The Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources will assemble in Room 3. The Department of Forest Biomaterials will assemble in Room 4. The Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management will assemble in Room 6, and the Center for Geospatial Analytics will assemble in Room 5.

Graduating students will line-up by department, major, and then alphabetically, the same way the names will be listed in the program.

For the Fall CNR ceremony in The McKimmon Center, guests will enter through the Main Entrance and assemble in the main lobby. Doors to Room 1 will open around 1:15 pm for guests needing accessible seating, and around 1:30 pm for all other guests.

No

About 90 minutes is the anticipated ceremony time.