Graduation: Convocation and Commencement
We are proud to celebrate the academic achievements of our students as they join a legacy of excellence, compassion and impact in healthcare. These milestones honor the hard work, dedication and excellence that define our Buckeye nurses.
Convocation 2027
Friday, May 7
Schottenstein Center
11 a.m. (registration and lineup begin at 10 a.m.)
Convocation is a formal ceremony presided over by the College of Nursing dean, celebrating our graduates' achievements and the presentation of awards. Students who graduate in summer* or autumn are invited to walk in the following spring ceremony. All students attending in person will have their names 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.
Family members and guests of graduates are invited to attend. Private photographers are permitted but may not enter the arena floor.
*Nurse midwifery and nurse anesthesia students graduating in the summer will be invited to participate in the spring ceremony prior to their graduation.
“Pomp and Circumstance” begins the ceremony as faculty process into the arena, followed by students. Once everyone is seated, the dean will welcome guests and deliver opening remarks. Faculty and special guests will present College of Nursing awards, followed by the announcement of graduates' names.
PhD, DNP and DNE candidates and their faculty advisors will be called to the stage to be hooded. Graduate students will cross next, followed by undergraduate students. Name announcements may not align exactly with when each student crosses the stage.
The dean will deliver closing remarks. Faculty will lead the recessional. Graduates may reunite with family members and guests outside the Schottenstein Center.
All students must wear official graduation regalia. Students who arrive without regalia will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony.
Your name will be printed in the convocation program based on your primary, legal name as it appears in your student record in Buckeye Link. Confirm that your name is correct; changes will not be made after Feb. 28.
To verify your name:
- Log in to Buckeye Link
- Select "Personal Information"
- Select "Names"
- Your legal name will be listed as the primary name.
If you attend convocation, you may request that your preferred name be announced. Indicate your preferred name on the registration card at check-in.
Updating your name in Buckeye Link will not update the convocation program. To change your name on your academic record, submit a Request for Change of Record form with documentation by Feb. 28.
Commencement is the university-wide graduation ceremony and what most people think of as “graduation.” The president of The Ohio State University presides over the ceremony, during which graduates officially receive their diplomas and a keynote speaker delivers remarks.
Per university policy, only PhD candidates are hooded and have their names announced at commencement. The university does not announce the names of graduates from the DNP, DNE, master’s or undergraduate programs at this ceremony. Direct all questions about commencement to the university.
Master’s and doctoral students technically graduate from the Graduate School rather than the College of Nursing. The Graduate School provides information about the ceremony, including lineup, rehearsal date and time, and regalia details such as gown, cap and hood colors and ordering instructions.
Eligible students typically receive this information from the Graduate School by email two to three months before the ceremony. If you do not receive the email or have questions, contact the Graduate School at Grad-SchoolGraduationServices@osu.edu.
Convocation and commencement are formal ceremonies. Wear graduation regalia to both. Regalia must be zipped before you walk 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 are available for purchase or rental online, at the Ohio State Bookstore or other campus bookstores. Find program-specific regalia information below.
- Black robe
- Gold-colored velvet stole with scarlet fabric underneath
- Mortarboard with a black tassel
- Scarlet robe with gray sleeve accents and a velvet front panel
- Hood: blue on top, scarlet underneath
- Black doctoral tam with a gray tassel
- Scarlet robe with gray sleeve accents and a velvet front panel
- Hood: apricot-colored velvet with a scarlet and gray interior
- Black doctoral tam with a gray tassel
- Black robe
- Black mortarboard
- Apricot-colored tassel
Event photos
View photos from the most recent convocation and pre-ceremony celebration.
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.