Graduation - Convocation and Commencement
We are proud to celebrate the graduation of our Buckeye nurses as they join a legacy of excellence, compassion and impact in health care.
Convocation and commencement celebrate the academic achievements of our students and mark their transition into the next stage of their professional journey. These milestones honor the hard work, dedication and excellence that define our Buckeye nurses.
Presided over by the dean of the College of Nursing, convocation is a formal ceremony that celebrates the achievements of our graduates. All students attending in person will have their name announced. Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Nursing Education (DNE) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students will be called to the stage and hooded, while master’s and undergraduate students will have their names announced as they cross the stage. Convocation also includes the presentation of College of Nursing awards. Family and guests of graduates are welcome to attend.
Convocation 2026
Friday, May 8
Schottenstein Center
11 a.m. (registration and lineup start at 10 a.m.)
Photos from the most recent pre-ceremony celebration and convocation ceremony.
“Pomp and Circumstance” will begin the ceremony as faculty process into the arena, followed by students. Once all are seated, Dean Rose will welcome guests and share opening remarks. Special guests and faculty will then present College of Nursing awards, after which the names of attending graduates will be announced.
PhD, DNP and DNE candidates will be called to the stage with their faculty advisors and hooded during the ceremony. Graduate students will cross the stage next, followed by undergraduates. Name announcements may not align with the exact moment a student walks. All students must wear official graduation regalia. Students who arrive without regalia will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony.
The ceremony concludes with closing remarks from Dean Rose. Faculty will lead the recessional, and graduates may reunite with their families and guests outside of the Schottenstein Center.
Your name will be printed in the convocation program based on your primary, legal name as it appears in your student record through Buckeye Link. Confirm your name is correct, as changes will not be made after Feb. 28. To verify, log in to Buckeye Link and select the “names” link under “personal information.” Your legal name will be listed as the primary name type.
Although the program will list your primary, legal name, students in attendance may request to have their preferred name announced during the ceremony. Preferred names can be indicated on the registration card provided at check-in on the day of the event.
Updating your name in the Student Center of Buckeye Link will not update the convocation program. To officially change your name on your academic record, you must submit a request for change of record form along with appropriate documentation by the Feb. 28 deadline.
Commencement is the university-wide graduation ceremony and what most people think of as “graduation.” Presided over by the president of The Ohio State University, this ceremony is when diplomas are officially distributed to graduates and features a keynote speaker.
Per university policy, only PhD candidates are hooded and have their names announced during commencement. The university does not announce the names of graduates from the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Doctor of Nursing Education (DNE), master’s or undergraduate programs at this event. All questions related to commencement must be directed to the university.
Master's and doctoral level students technically graduate from the Graduate School, as opposed to the College of Nursing. The Graduate School, therefore, communicates information related to the graduation ceremony (including line-up), graduation rehearsal date and time, and regalia information that includes the color of the gown, cap and hood and the ordering process. An email containing this information is typically sent to eligible students by the Graduate School 2-3 months prior to the Commencement ceremony. You can reach out directly to the Graduate School with any questions you may have or if you did not receive the email notification at Grad-SchoolGraduationServices@osu.edu.
Convocation and commencement are formal ceremonies and graduation regalia should be worn to both. Regalia must be zipped before walking across the stage. Students who arrive at convocation without regalia will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony.
Undergraduate, master’s and PhD caps and gowns may be purchased or rented online, from the Ohio State Bookstore or other campus area bookstores. Information about regalia specific to each program can be found below.
Wear a black robe with a gold-colored velvet stole highlighted with scarlet fabric underneath and a mortarboard with a black tassel.
Wear a scarlet robe with gray accents on the sleeves and a velvet panel down the front. The hood PhD graduates receive is blue on one side and red/scarlet underneath and a doctoral tam with a gray tassel.
Wear a scarlet robe with gray accents on the sleeves and a velvet panel down the front. The hood is an apricot-colored velvet with a scarlet and gray interior and a black doctoral tam with a gray tassel.
Wear a scarlet robe with gray accents on the sleeves and a velvet panel down the front. The hood is an apricot-colored velvet with a scarlet and gray interior and a black doctoral tam with a gray tassel.
Wear a black robe with a black mortarboard and an apricot-colored tassel.
FAQ
Undergraduate students
- Latin Honors: scarlet and gray
- Banding Together for Wellness: white
- Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI): purple
- BSN with Honors Research Distinction: powder blue
Cords can be picked up at the Heminger Hall welcome desk starting mid-April. There is no charge for students.
No, minors and certificates are designated on transcripts but are not listed on diplomas.
No, Latin honors are assigned after Autumn term of a student’s final year. Spring term grades do allow a student to rise up to the next highest honor level but a student will not lose Latin honors or move down an honor level due to final term GPA. Latin honors status will not be printed in the convocation program. Latin honors status is not finalized until the end of the semester and programs must be sent to print by mid-Spring semester.
No, all students receiving any level of Latin honors receive the same scarlet and gray cord.
The Latin honors GPA requirements are below and there is no rounding.
- cum laude: (3.5-3.69)
- magna cum laude: (3.70-3.89)
- summa cum laude: (3.90+)
In addition to the GPA requirement, students are only eligible for Latin honors if they have completed 60 or more credits at The Ohio State University.
Students who wish to complete undergraduate research may participate in the Research Distinction option. The Research Distinction option recognizes students who complete a minimum of six credits hours in Nursing 4999 and an independent research project culminating in a thesis. Students completing the Research Distinction option will graduate with “Research Distinction.” These students did not complete the BSN Honors Research Program.
The Honors Research Distinction is specific to students in the BSN Honors Research Program. Students in the Honors Program who complete their projects and thesis will graduate with “Honors Research Distinction in Nursing” from the College of Nursing, the highest distinction an undergraduate student can attain at The Ohio State University.
You can apply for graduation as soon as you receive an email from your advisor with the information to do so. The deadline to apply for graduation is the 10th Friday of your final semester. This is a firm university deadline and there are no exceptions. Visit this link to apply once you have received the necessary information via email.
If you aren’t sure if you are on track to graduate you should make an appointment to speak with your academic advisor. If enrolled in your final semester of courses, you can confirm progress using your degree audit. You should see “All requirements complete, some courses in progress” at the top of the audit. You will need to meet the 120-credit hour requirement and fulfill all parts of your degree audit.
If you’re unable to attend commencement you will need to complete a Commencement Excused Form and return it to the College of Nursing. The deadline to submit this form is the 10th Friday of the semester.
Run your degree audit to make sure you are completing all requirements. Questions about items on the degree audit can be directed to your academic advisor.
Apply to graduate, verify your name and degree as it is on file with the College of Nursing and update your permanent address in Buckeye Link.
Check your Ohio State email regularly and monitor your spam folder. Even if you forward your email messages, make sure you are checking your @osu.edu email directly to ensure you are not missing important information due to forwarding issues. In your final semester, rent or purchase the proper graduation regalia.
Graduate students
No, this honor is given only to undergraduate students.
No, specializations are designated on transcripts.
If the designation/status = Pending, it is awaiting action by someone in the College of Nursing (usually an advisor). Once the designation/status = PendingGS, it is awaiting final processing by the Graduate School and all College of Nursing approvals have been completed. This may not happen until much later in the term.