Congratulations!
Celebrate the Graduating Class of Summer and Fall 2024
The Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Commencement ceremony will occur:
Friday, December 13, 2024
7 p.m., Cullen Performance Hall
Tickets will be required for all University Commencement ceremonies. Each candidate for graduation will be emailed a link to download six (6) electronic tickets closer to the date of your ceremony. Graduates themselves will not require a ticket. Children two (2) years of age and younger will not require tickets.
Please note: All commencement tickets are complimentary. We do not condone the selling of commencement tickets. Please be wary of individuals attempting to sell tickets.
Ticket information is available on the UH Commencement website.
Guest Information
When inviting guests, please be advised of the following:
Cullen Performance Hall
Doors will open for guests one hour before the ceremony.
Doors will close if maximum capacity is reached. This decision is made by the UH fire marshal and not the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts.
Parking
Parking is available in the Welcome Center garage located next to the Hilton Hotel and College, and at other locations as indicated on the Parking Map.
Parking Map
Guests with Accessibility Needs
Special seating is available, but limited. Guests with accessibility needs are encouraged to arrive an hour an a half early (30 minutes before the doors open) so they may be comfortably seated. Please email the Cullen Performance Hall staff to make a seat reservation. In order to accommodate as many requests as possible, there will be a strict limit of one accompanying guest in the reserved seating area. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause your group.
*Graduating students with accessibility needs: please read What to Expect on Commencement Day below.
Photographs
Family and friends should feel free to bring cameras and video recorders and take as many pictures as they desire. However, they must remain in their seats during the ceremony. Guests will not be allowed to stand in the aisles, and under no circumstances will they be permitted on the floor of the hall.
We also suggest that family photographers take photos at home and at other locations on campus prior to or after the ceremony.
A professional photographer from Flash Photography will be on hand taking individual photos during the ceremony. Flash Photography will send the proofs via email to the graduation candidate so that prints can be ordered. The photographer will have the email address approved by the student on the name card used during the ceremony.
If you do not receive the proofs within 30 days of your Commencement program please contact Flash Photography at 800-410-8070.
Graduation Candidates
Applying to Graduate
Students must apply for graduation through their student account to be considered for their degree. Students should adhere to the academic calendar and apply for graduation by the published deadlines*. Applying for graduation and/or participating in Commencement does not guarantee the degree will be approved. Conferral of degree is contingent upon successful completion of all coursework and degree requirements, regardless of attendance at graduation events. Students are assessed the application fee(s) for each application they submit and for each degree they are seeking.
Notes:
*Students who apply AFTER the late graduation application deadline will NOT be permitted to participate in Commencement.
**All Summer College of the Arts graduates will participate in the Fall Commencement ceremony in December.
Printed University Commencement Program
We make every effort to ensure that all graduating students who applied on time are listed in the Commencement program.
If you apply for graduation during the LATE application period your name WILL NOT be listed in the Commencement program.
Please also be aware of the following information:
- If at any time you have requested privacy protection for your academic records, your name cannot be published in the program by law unless you have indicated on your application for graduation that you desire your name be included in the program.
- Although your name might not be included in the printed program, you will still be individually recognized by name as you cross the stage.
Invitations
Students can order personalized invitations and announcements from Herff-Jones Company, the authorized vendor for the University of Houston.
Cougar Spirit Cord
Don’t be left out at graduation! Give to the University of Houston and get your Cougar Spirit Cord today!
The Cougar Spirit Cord is a symbol of your pride and a way to help make more scholarships available to next year’s students or show support for a program that’s made a difference in your UH experience.
Make a minimum donation of $15 or in the amount of your graduation year ($20.24) to any Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts department or program of your choice and wear the cord at Commencement to show your Cougar Pride!
What to Expect on Commencement Day
University Commencement for the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Ceremony
- The ceremony starts at 7:00 p.m.
- Check-in and Processional line-up of graduates starts at 6:00 p.m.
The closer it is to the starting time of the ceremony, parking becomes more challenging and will take more time to go through the process to get in line. Please plan for enough time to travel and arrive safely.
DO NOT BRING any purses, bags, umbrellas, etc. There is no storage space (secure or otherwise) for you to leave your personal belongings.
Where to Check-in: Students should come directly to the E. Cullen Building lobby (Enter through the doors adjacent to the Cullen Family Fountain and cougar statues.) Family and guests should not arrive to the graduates check-in area. They should go directly to the Cullen Performance Hall entrance.
Name Cards: Upon entering the check-in area, report to the table identified with your major/department to pick up your graduation name card. Do not lose this card — You will need to present it during the ceremony before processing across the stage!
Recognition of Graduates and Candidates: Recognition will proceed in department alphabetical order. Each graduate will be announced starting with doctoral, then master’s, then bachelor’s candidates.
As you approach the edge of the stage:
- Give your name card to the person collecting the cards.
- Process across the stage to shake hands with the Dean of Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts Commencement and chairperson of your department.
- Continue to behind stage where you will have your picture taken by a professional photographer.
- Go back to be seated. Please note, this will probably not be the same seat you had before crossing the stage. Do not bring/leave any valuables at your seat.
- Remain seated until all students have been recognized. (You will not be allowed to leave the ceremony early. Please be respectful of all participants in the ceremony.)
- Follow the person in front of you when the recessional begins.
The line should be continuous. Staff will direct candidates to the stage, a few rows at a time. Many people have volunteered to help direct this special event. Just follow their instructions, watch the person in front of you and enjoy family members, friends, cheering, clapping and flashing cameras. Have a great time!
If you are a graduate with accessibility needs, please email the kgmgrad@central.uh.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of the ceremony should you need assistance with the processional or the graduate recognition.
Academic Regalia
Academic regalia (the traditional black mortarboard cap and black gown) are required for all graduates participating in university Commencement ceremonies. The University of Houston has selected Official UH Regalia for undergraduates and master’s degrees candidates. We strongly encourage you to pre-order your regalia in advance through the following website: Herff Jones Company. Students are encouraged to pre-order regalia through the website by November 18, 2024. Students not attired in appropriate regalia will not be allowed to participate in Commencement. Students will only be able to obtain regalia through the UH Campus Bookstore after the online pre-order period has ended.
Bachelor graduates and candidates:
- Must wear the appropriate black Commencement gown and black mortarboard cap with approved UH tassel.
- Must wear tassel on the right side of the mortarboard.
- Must wear the appropriate black Commencement gown and black mortarboard cap with approved UH tassel.
- Must also rent and wear the appropriate hood.
- Must wear tassel on the left side of the mortarboard.
- Must bring the appropriate black Commencement gown and
black tam with approved UH tassel. - Must bring the appropriate hood with you.
- Hooding will take place during the Commencement ceremony. Students will line-up with their faculty advisor and will be able to rehearse hooding during check-in and line-up. Please make sure to notify your faculty advisor about the ceremony to ensure they are able to attend.
| Hoods | |
|---|---|
| Baccalaureate | None |
| Master (Art, Arts Leadership, Theatre & Dance) | Brown |
| Master (Music) | Pink |
| Doctoral | Pink |
Baccalaureate Candidates Graduating with Honors
Once the current semester has officially closed and all grades have been posted, your honors status will be updated accordingly and will be engraved upon your diploma.
Undergraduate students who have completed the graduation requirements of the Honors College Commencement may graduate with special honors designations. Please see your advisor in the Honors College for more information.Undergraduate students who successfully complete a senior honors thesis/project and who are not members of the Honors College Commencement graduate with ”Honors in Major.”
Undergraduate students who complete their degree requirements will graduate with the stated academic honors if they achieve the following grade point averages earned in the last fifty-four (54) hours (all of which must be A, B, C, letter grade courses) completed at the University of Houston. Grades of S, U, I and W are not assigned grade point values and are not used in the computation of the grade point average.
|
GPA Range |
Honors Designation |
|
3.90 to 4.0 GPA |
Summa Cum Laude (with highest honors) |
|
3.70 to 3.89 GPA |
Magna Cum Laude (with high honors) |
|
3.50 to 3.69 GPA |
Cum Laude (with honors) |
Further, the honors calculation will include all hours completed in the semester in which the first of those final fifty-four (54) hours was completed.
Students who qualify for graduation with honors are responsible for purchasing gold Honor Cords from the UH Campus Bookstore to wear at Commencement.
See the Academic Catalog archives for honors policy for students beginning under catalogs prior to Fall 2010.
Where is my diploma?
Certification for Graduation is performed by the dean’s office and a decision of approved or disapproved is rendered within 6-8 weeks after the close of the term. Diplomas are typically mailed within 1-2 weeks from the time the approved certifications for graduation are processed. Diplomas will not be mailed to students who have an overdue financial balance on their UH account. All balances must be paid in full before the diploma will be mailed to the student. If you do not receive your diploma, call the Office of University Registrar at 713-743-1010.
Do you need documentation of your degree for a job or grad school?
- If you are applying to graduate programs or if you have a job offer for which your degree posting is required, you may request that your degree processing be expedited.
- To do so, you must supply documentation of urgent need to your major department advisor. The documentation should be addressed to you and should include a deadline.
- No reviews can post prior to the close of the term.
Diplomas are mailed directly to students at the most current address provided through their myUHstudent account. The diploma printing company also will send email notifications to diploma recipients indicating when diplomas have been mailed. It’s important to keep contact information updated in myUH to avoid shipment delays.
Please note: Effective Sept. 1, 2009, there is a $25 fee for each additional diploma ordered (postmarked by or after this date). This fee does not apply to the initial diploma mailed upon graduation, but will apply to additional quantities as requested via the diploma order form.*
*The fee is applicable to
Additional Questions?
For questions related to the completion of your degree, please contact your major advisor. Note: Your graduation application status will not change until after all grades for the term have been posted.
Jason Barkemeyer
School of Art (Photography/Digital Media)
Kara Ellis
School of Art (Art BA and Painting)
Allison Watson
School of Art (Graphic Design and Sculpture)
Kimberly Gray
School of Art (Art and Design Graduate Students) and Arts Leadership
Stacia Morgan Dunn
Moores School of Music (Undergraduate Performance Majors and Graduate Music Students)
Katherine Urias
Moores School of Music (Undergraduate Composition, Music Education, Music Marketing, Nonprofit Leadership, Music Theory, and Music BA Students)
Erika Jimenez
School of Art (Art History) and School of Theatre & Dance
For questions related to the University Commencement for the Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts, please contact: KGMCA Commencement Staff