Graduation Information

Graduation Information for Florida State University Panama City

GENERAL INFORMATION

All students must apply online via Blackboard/Secure Applications for graduation by the end of the third week of classes. The first day to apply for graduation is the first day of classes for the semester a student intends to graduate. Check the Academic Calendar in the current Registration Guide for the exact dates and deadline.

Students must meet minimum University requirements as well as specific requirements for the major to graduate. The specific University requirements are listed in the Undergraduate University General Bulletin under the section Undergraduate Degree Requirements.   In order to have degrees posted on transcripts, students must apply to graduate.  Doing so does not obligate them to participate in the commencement ceremony; that is a separate action.

For more information about applying to graduate and be awarded a degree, please see Frequently Asked Questions.

FSU Panama City’s next annual commencement ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 29, 2012, at 1:30 p.m. in the Panama City Marina Civic Center. All guests must have a ticket to enter the Marina Civic Center.

Students who have graduated in preceding summer or fall semesters, as well as students who have applied for graduation for spring semester are invited to participate in the annual spring commencement ceremony.  FSU Panama City students may also participate in the main campus commencement ceremony, which is held each semester in Tallahassee.  E-mail graduation@admin.fsu.edu for more information about each semester’s ceremonies on main campus.

For complete information about the ceremony and other events, please read all of the information below. For additional information, please feel free to call the Panama City campus Office of Admissions & Records, (850) 770-2160.

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES

(Some dates are still being considered and will be announced at a later time. Please check back.)

January 20 – Deadline for spring semester students to apply for graduation.  Login to Blackboard, go to Secure Apps, and click Apply for Graduation.

January 30 – First day to order cap and gowns online at https://www.herffjones.com/college/graduation

TBA – Balfour ring representative in Holley Building

TBA – Balfour ring representative in Barron Building

March 2 – Deadline to petition to be a “Summer Walker” 

March 9 – Deadline to order cap and gown online.  After this date, late orders go must go through the campus bookstore who will charge a late fee

March 19 – First day to request extra ceremony tickets, e-mail bbarnes@pc.fsu.edu

April 16 through April 20 – Pick up cap and gown in the FSU Panama City bookstore, 10a – 7p Mon-Thu, 10a – 4p Fri

April 29 – FSU Panama City’s annual commencement at the Panama City Marina Civic Center, 1:30 p.m.

CAP AND GOWN ORDER DATES

Information about cap & gown rental and/or ordering announcements is available online at https://www.herffjones.com/college/graduation or through the FSU Panama City bookstore during normal business hours.  For information about ordering class rings, go online to http://products.balfour.com/College/CollegeHome.aspx?Collegeld=FL87358 .

Below are the prices for renting the regalia (cap and gown):

Bachelors = $38.00
Masters = $73.75
Doctorate/Faculty = $114.00

PLEASE NOTE: We use cap and gown orders as a way to know who plans to walk in the ceremony. If borrowing, buying, or renting caps and gowns from somewhere other than online or through the FSU Panama City bookstore, students MUST notify the Panama City campus Office of Admissions & Records by the deadline to order caps and gowns.  Seating is limited and we must have a good accounting of attendance in order to plan the ceremony appropriately.

PHOTOGRAPHS

A professional photographer will photograph graduates as they cross the stage, as well as at the bottom of the stage stairs posed with a backdrop. Graduates will receive information regarding their proofs within 24 hours via e-mail. There is no obligation to purchase the photos.

TICKETS AND GUEST INFORMATION

Tickets are required for guests attending the graduation ceremony. Each graduate will receive a minimum number of tickets from the FSU Panama City Office of Admissions & Records after he/she picks up the cap and gown from the bookstore.  This number is usually six (6) and will be finalized once all cap and gown orders have been received.

Two (2) additional tickets per graduate will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Requests for extra tickets must be submitted to bbarnes@pc.fsu.edu . The decision regarding availability of extra tickets will be made after March 30, 2012.  Requests for more than two (2) additional tickets will be considered after all other requests have been filled.  Approved additional tickets will be distributed by the FSU Panama City Office of Admissions & Records, not the bookstore.

For those who do not need all of their issued tickets, please turn in the extras to Admissions & Records so we may use the tickets to accommodate other graduates and their guests.

LOCATION OF CEREMONY

Commencement is held at the Panama City Marina Civic Center. Doors to the auditorium will be opened for guests at 12:30 p.m. The ceremony starts promptly at 1:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to arrive early and be seated prior to the start of the ceremony. Those with mobility or health issues are encouraged to arrive early to find appropriate seating. Once the graduation processional begins, FSU Police WILL NOT allow guests to enter the auditorium until all graduates have been seated. Guests are asked to please respect graduates by remaining in their seats until completion of the ceremony.

SECURITY

Florida State University Police will be on-site during graduation to ensure the safety and welfare of all graduates and their guests. Students are asked to refrain from leaving valuables in the undergraduate and graduate dressing rooms.

“SUMMER WALKERS”

Students who anticipate completing all degree requirements in summer semester immediately following spring commencement may submit written requests to the FSU Panama City Office of Admissions & Records. 

The deadline to request to be a "summer walker" in spring 2012 is March 2. 

The deadline to order cap and gowns online is March 9.  

To participate early in the FSU Panama City spring commencement (graduation) ceremony, a student must meet the following requirements:

1.  Have at least a 2.00 grade point average at the time of application.

2.  Be able to complete degree requirements in the major or electives by the end of the summer semester immediately following commencement.

3.  Have completed all liberal studies (general education) requirements.

4.  Will have completed the foreign language, if remaining, within the first six week summer session. 

Requests to be approved as a "summer walker" must be submitted to the FSU Panama City Office of Admissions & Records by e-mailing registrar@pc.fsu.edu using the student’s FSU student e-mail address.  The e-mail request must include the following information:

• Full Name
• FSU Student Number or FSU ID (Blackboard login username)
• Degree Level (bachelors, masters, doctoral)
• Major(s)
• List of remaining requirements as best as you believe them to be
• Name of your faculty advisor for each major listed

If approved to be a “summer walker,” the student will receive confirmation as such via the student e-mail address.  Once approved, each summer walker should immediately go online to reserve a cap and gown for the ceremony at http://www.herffjones/college/graduation .

Further, it is the student’s responsibility to apply for graduation online through Blackboard under Secure Apps by the end of the third week of the summer semester in order to receive a diploma and have the degree posted on the student’s transcript.

For more information about the commencement (graduation) ceremony, please see Frequently Asked Questions.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

For information regarding the Florida State University Alumni Association, contact Noelle Stevens at (850) 770-2152.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FAQs about applying to graduate and be awarded a degree:

Q: When should I apply for graduation checks?

A: FSU requires students to have two (2) graduation checks done through both the Office of Admissions & Records and their academic deans offices when they reach 100 hours. A stop will be placed on their future registrations and will only be cleared by applying for the graduation check at both offices. The following students are exempt from the requirement:  1) students who have already requested the graduation checks and 2) those students with prior bachelors, masters or doctoral degrees.

Q: Are there any fees associated with an application for graduation?

A: No, there aren't any fees associated with applying for graduation.

Q: When should I apply for graduation?

A: Students should apply the first week but no later than the end of the third week of classes for the semester in which they will graduate.  Specific dates are published in the Academic Calendar contained in the current Registration Guide.

Q: Does a University graduation check clear a student for graduation?

A: No. The student needs to schedule and complete a graduation check with his or her department and Academic Dean's office to ensure major requirements are met.

Q: What is the difference between a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree?

A: A BA degree requires 12 semester hours of a foreign language or coursework through the 2200 intermediate level and 9 additional semester hours after completion of Liberal Studies requirements in Art, Classical or Modern Languages and Literature, and Communication. Students should check with their school/college for specific requirements.

Q: I have missed the deadline to apply for graduation. What do I do?

A: You must go to your academic dean's office to notify them of your intent to graduate and to obtain permission to apply late for graduation for that semester.

FAQs about the participating in the commencement (graduation) ceremony:

Q:  What should I wear to the commencement ceremony?

A:  Graduates must order a cap and gown to participate in the ceremony. Only students who have ordered a cap and gown will have a NAME CARD to walk the stage. Clothing is worn underneath the cap and gown, and graduates are asked to dress appropriately. Women should wear dark dresses, dark shoes (high heels are not recommended!!!), skin-tone hose, no high collars or bows at the neck. Men should wear dark trousers, white shirts, dark shoes and socks, dark ties.

Q:  Is there a rehearsal?
A:  No. Information on what is expected during the ceremony will be provided with the cap and gown from the FSU Panama City bookstore. Graduation marshals will provide direction and guidance during the ceremony.

Q:  How long will the ceremony last?
A:  The ceremony lasts approximately 90 minutes.

Q:  What should I do indicate my intent to participate in the ceremony?
A:  Go online at https://www.herffjones.com/college/graduation.

Q:  How do I know if I graduate with distinction?
A:  The requirements for graduating with a degree of distinction are as follows:

Three degrees of distinction are granted to graduating students, based on ALL (including transfer credits) college-level work attempted (excluding physical education activity courses), including the term's work in which baccalaureate degree requirements are completed:

Cum Laude for an overall average of 3.500;

Magna Cum Laude for an overall average of 3.700; and

Summa Cum Laude for an overall average of 3.900.

The Panama City Office of Admissions & Records will provide the honor cords to students who have been determined eligible to wear them.

Q:  May I wear other adornments with my cap and gown?
A:  Only cords representing academic achievement may be worn with the gown during the ceremony. Students may not wear sashes, stoles, or other accouterments such as pins.

Q:  What if a candidate or guest needs special accommodation?
A:  Handicap parking, wheelchair space seating, elevator access to the second floor, and a sign-language interpreter are available for the ceremony. Once in the Panama City Civic Center, ushers from FSU and/or the Civic Center will direct guests to the appropriate seating area. Degree candidates who require special disability services should contact the Office of Student Affairs, (850) 770-2170, at least two weeks before the ceremony.

Q:  I will graduate in the summer semester immediately following the spring ceremony.  May I walk early in the spring ceremony?
A:  Students may be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony if planning to complete their degree requirements in the summer semester. Any student who wishes to be considered to walk in the spring ceremony must provide a written request to the Panama City Office of Admissions & Records. Please read the “SUMMER WALKERS” instructions (above) for submitting this request.  Please remember that the request to be a “summer walker” is not an application for graduation.  Students should submit the application for graduation by the end of the third week of classes in the semester they graduate (e.g., summer).

Q:  Will I receive my diploma during the ceremony?

A:  No.  Students will not receive diplomas at the graduation ceremony. Diplomas will be mailed to the address submitted on graduation applications approximately six (6) to eight (8) weeks after the semester for which graduation is applied. If diplomas are not received after that time frame, call the Panama City Office of Admissions & Records at (850) 770-2160.