Graduation Guide

May 8–9, 2025

Commencement Livestream

Thursday, May 8, 2025

Baccalaureate Ceremony
Location: Rubin Arena, Greene Complex
Time: 5–6 p.m.

All graduates and their guests are invited to PBA’s Baccalaureate Ceremony. The Baccalaureate is an event held on the eve of Commencement to celebrate and reflect upon the completion of a student’s academic journey. This ceremony is a time to observe the achievements of the 2025 graduating class through prayer, worship and reflection alongside peers, family, faculty and staff.

 

Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy Hooding Ceremony
Location: Rubin Arena, Greene Complex for Sports and Recreation
Time: 7 p.m.
Reception Location: Greene Portico
Parking Location:

  • IM Parking Lot
  • Memorial Presbyterian Church West Lot
  • Memorial Presbyterian Church North Lot
  • Chadbourne Parking Lot

See Parking Map

 

School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony
Location: DeSantis Family Chapel
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Reception Location: Outside DeSantis Family Chapel
Parking Location:

  • Dixie Parking Garage

See Parking Map

 

Catherine T. MacArthur School Commissioning
Location: Lassiter Rotunda, Warren Library
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Reception Location: Lassiter Rotunda
Parking Location:

  • Dixie Parking Garage

See Parking Map

 

School of Ministry Commissioning
Location: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Time: 7 p.m.
Reception Location: Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Parking Location:

  • Holy Trinity Church Parking Lot

See Parking Map

See Live Stream

 

School of Liberal Arts and Sciences Celebration
Location: Family Church Worship Center
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Reception Location: Tent on Rinker Green
Parking Location:

  • Family Church East Parking Lot
  • Chadbourne parking Lot

See Parking Map

 

Friday, May 9, 2025

College of the Arts Celebration
Location: DeSantis Family Chapel
Time: 9 a.m.
Reception Location: Outside DeSantis Family Chapel

 

Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business Celebration
Location: Family Church Worship Center
Time: 9 a.m.
Reception Location: Tent on Rinker Green

 

School of Education and Behavioral Studies Celebration
Location: Family Church Fellowship Hall
Time: 9 a.m.
Reception Location: Warren Library

 

11 a.m. Commencement Ceremony for graduates from:

  • Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy
  • School of Nursing
  • Catherine T. MacArthur School
  • School of Ministry

Graduates and Faculty should arrive between 9:30–10:30 a.m.

Location: Rubin Arena, Greene Complex
Doors open for guests at 10 a.m. and close again for the processional at 10:50 a.m. The doors reopen after the processional concludes.

 

2 p.m. Commencement Ceremony for graduates from:

  • School of Education and Behavioral Studies
  • School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Graduates and Faculty should arrive between 12:30–1:30 p.m.

Location: Rubin Arena, Greene Complex.
Doors open for guests at 1 p.m. and close again for the processional at 1:50 p.m. The doors reopen after the processional concludes.

 

5 p.m. Commencement Ceremony for graduates from:

  • College of the Arts
  • Marshall E. Rinker, Sr. School of Business

Graduates and Faculty should arrive between 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Location: Rubin Arena, Greene Complex.
Doors open for guests at 4 p.m. and close again for the processional at 4:50 p.m. The doors reopen after the processional concludes.

 

Open House for All Graduates
Location: Warren Library and Baxter Green
Time: 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

All graduates and their families are invited to the Warren Library and Baxter Green following their ceremony for refreshments, photo opportunities and a meet and greet with faculty and staff.

Thursday, May 8

The Baccalaureate Ceremony will take place on PBA’s campus in the Greene Complex for Sports and Recreation. Parking is available in the Family Church parking lots and Dixie Parking Garage. Carpooling and rideshare options are highly recommended due to traffic in the downtown area with multiple construction projects ongoing near campus.

Please see the Commencement Schedule above for details on the locations and parking for the school celebrations.

Friday, May 9

The Commencement ceremonies are located on PBA’s campus in the Greene Complex for Sports and Recreation. Please see the Commencement Schedule above for details on the locations for the school celebrations.

Carpooling and rideshare options are highly recommended due to traffic in the downtown area with multiple construction projects ongoing near campus.

In order to encourage rideshare, PBA is offering a $10 voucher per ride through Uber. The vouchers will be available between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on May 9 for Uber rides to campus. The rideshare drop-off location is in front of Watson Hall. Click HERE to access the Uber vouchers for PBA’s Commencement.

Please view the parking map HERE for details on parking.

Graduate and Employee Parking

All graduates, faculty and staff are required to park at the Palm Beach County Convention Center Garage.

Access to the Convention Center Garage must be made via Okeechobee Boulevard, turning onto Alabama Avenue, or via the west entrance accessible from L Street. Entry from Rosemary Avenue or use of the garage’s north entrance will not be permitted.

Floors 2-5 are available for graduates, faculty and staff. There will be no need for a parking ticket or payment as the garage gates will remain open during event hours.

After parking, elevators are available to take you to the first floor, where PBA shuttles will be stationed.

Shuttle service will operate continuously between the Convention Center and the Watson Parking Lot from 7 a.m.–8 p.m. on Friday, May 9. Please follow all posted signage and the instructions of greeters and Public Safety Officers to locate the shuttle pick-up areas.

Family and Guest Parking

Please view the parking map HERE for details on guest parking, entrances and exits.

Guest parking is available in Family Church parking lots and the Dixie Parking Garage. Please follow all posted signage and the instructions of greeters and Public Safety Officers to locate available parking spots in these locations.

Please note that Pembroke Pl. and Gruber Pl. will not have entrances from Dixie Hwy but will serve as exits only. To access these roads, guests must enter from Olive Ave.

Overflow parking, if needed, will be at Hibiscus Garage at Cityplace. Guests will take the Hibiscus Garage ticket and will also need to pick up a voucher at the PBA Guest Services station to validate their parking as complimentary upon exit. There are four Guest Services stations where these vouchers will be available: Warren Library, Greene Complex, Baxter Green South and Baxter Green North.

A livestream will be available for the Commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The Commencement ceremonies will be livestreamed at pba.edu/live. The livestream will begin 30 minutes before each ceremony.

The Campus Store will be selling gifts and branded items for purchase from 9 a.m.–7 p.m. at a pop-up on the Baxter Green and at the Campus Store in the Lassiter Student Center.

Make your graduation celebration even more special with pre-ordered flowers!

The PBA Bookstore has partnered with the Commencement Group, our trusted flower vendor for the past two years, to offer an easy and convenient way to purchase graduation gifts.

  • Pre-order online to guarantee availability.
  • Skip the lines and pick up your order onsite at Commencement.

Place your order today at The Commencement Group’s PBA page

 

Please Note: Balloons are not permitted inside any campus buildings. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and distraction-free environment for all graduates and guests.

PBA is committed to making Commencement accessible and welcoming for all graduates and guests. Designated parking, entrances and wheelchair-accessible seating will be available for those requiring physical accommodations. An ASL interpreter will be present during the ceremony, and assistive listening devices will be available upon request. To ensure we can best support your needs, please let us know about any accommodation requests by May 7. You can send your requests and questions to commencement@pba.edu.

Commencement ticket registration will be open February 1 through February 28. Graduates will use their PBA ID number to access registration. Each graduate is responsible for reserving tickets for their guests. Graduates may reserve up to five (5) complimentary tickets for their respective Commencement and School Celebration ceremonies.

After February 28, any tickets that were not reserved will be released to other graduates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Each graduate is responsible for distributing tickets to their guests by forwarding the digital ticket via email. Check-in for each Commencement ceremony will be outside the front doors of the Greene Complex and each guest must have a ticket in order to enter. Each guest will scan their digital ticket at a kiosk. Children who can sit on an adult’s lap do not need a ticket.

Complimentary beverage refreshments will be served at the Open House on the Baxter Green and Warren Library following each Commencement ceremony. Please see additional food and beverage options below:

Starbucks:
Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9: 6:30 a.m.–7 p.m.
Located in the first floor of the Warren Library

Fraser Dining Hall:
Thursday, May 8: 7 a.m.–10 p.m.
Friday, May 9: 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
Located on the first floor of the Lassiter Student Center
Entry to the Fraser Dining Hall is $10 per person.

Field of Greens:
Thursday, May 8: 8 a.m–6 p.m.
Friday, May 9: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Located in the first floor at the Lassiter Student Center

Jack’s Market:
Thursday, May 8: 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
Friday, May 9: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Located in the first floor at the Lassiter Student Center

Vending machines:
Friday, May 9: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Located in the lobby of the Greene Complex

 

The deadline to order regalia was March 21, 2025.

  • Bachelor gowns, Master gowns and Doctoral gowns are all different. Students should carefully order the correct gown for their degree.
  • Robes should be steamed or pressed prior to commencement.
  • No cap decorations may extend up or out from the cap. Any decoration must be in good taste and reflect a positive attitude. Doctoral tams may not be decorated. Students will be given a plain black cap in exchange for any cap not conforming to the regulations.
  • Master and Doctoral graduates may have a hood to wear over their gowns.
  • Only sashes and honor cords obtained through PBA may be worn over the gown. Students are limited to four (4) sashes or honor cords.
  • Learn more about how to wear your regalia here.

Appropriate Attire

Since Commencement is a formal and professional event, graduates should dress appropriately for this milestone life event.

Students should avoid attire that draws undue attention to themselves or embarrasses classmates or their guests. Wear shoes appropriate for walking up and down ramps.

Honors

Undergraduate Latin Honors are given for earning a cumulative Palm Beach Atlantic GPA of:

  • 3.75 to 3.81 – Cum Laude (bronze)
  • 3.82 to 3.89 – Magna Cum Laude (silver)
  • 3.90 or above – Summa Cum Laude (gold)

Undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 54 GPA credit hours at Palm Beach Atlantic to be eligible for honors.

Graduate Latin Honors are awarded only to graduates of the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy for earning a cumulative Palm Beach Atlantic GPA of:

  • 3.60 to 3.74 – Cum Laude(bronze)
  • 3.75 to 3.85 – Magna Cum Laude (silver)
  • 3.86 or above – Summa Cum Laude (gold)

Pharmacy students must complete a minimum of 60 GPA credit hours at Palm Beach Atlantic to be eligible for honors.

Students will be able to request transcripts directly from the Registrar Office’s page in MyPBA. Beginning this May, PBA graduates will receive not only a printed diploma but also a digital version through Parchment upon graduating. This secure PDF copy will be permanently accessible at no additional cost, allowing students to easily share their achievements. Students can order official transcripts through Parchment at https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/33976/institution. Students who need degree conferral information on their transcripts should select “After Degree Is Awarded” under the Processing Details section of the order form.

Grad Images will be the official photographer for Commencement. Three individual photos will be taken, and proofs will be sent to each graduate. Commencement participants will have the option of purchasing these photos directly from a link sent from Grad Images. Please specify the graduation year when placing your order.

April 24 | 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: Lassiter Student Center

May 2025 grads will gather to pick up their regalia, shop graduation products, fill out their Reader Card and more.

Residence Halls Close | Saturday, May 10, 5 p.m.
ResLife staff will facilitate 30-minute move-out slots based on RA availability listed below. Schedules will be posted in early April for move-out time sign-ups:

Monday–Wednesday 9 a.m.–10 p.m.

Thursday 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. and 8:30–10 p.m.*

Friday 6–8 a.m. and 7–10 p.m.*

Saturday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

*Move-out will be paused at specific times on May 8–9 to celebrate our graduates and facilitate the ceremonies on campus. Seniors are able to check out post-Commencement on Saturday, May 10 from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Please reach out to your RA with any questions.

In order to participate in our annual Commencement Ceremonies, students must file an Application for Graduation and complete all degree requirements by the conclusion of the academic year.

All Business Office accounts must be clear in order to walk in commencement. In addition, all Chapel and Workship requirements and any remaining holds or citation fees must be cleared before your diploma will be released.

Commencement is an occasion marking a special time in a student’s academic career. It is expected that all candidates for graduation will participate in Commencement ceremonies.

Commencement is a rite of passage that demands a sense of formality and dignity. Each graduate will be honored as his or her name is read, and he or she walks across the platform to receive recognition from the University president.

No graduate should act in such a manner that would detract from another student’s moment of honor. Graduates who choose to celebrate excessively through inappropriate behavior will be fined based on the severity of the offense, and the diploma will be held until the account is cleared.

To respect and honor all graduates, please stay seated until the ceremony ends.

Click here to review the Baccalaureate Graduation Requirements

Regardless of academic achievement, a student on disciplinary probation may not graduate from PBA until the probation has been removed.

Application for Graduation

Students should submit an Application for Graduation to the Office of the Registrar no later than the end of the add/drop period one semester prior to all degree requirements being completed. The application is available on myPBA, under the Students tab, on the Commencement page.

To locate the online application:

  1. Go to: https://my.pba.edu/ICS/Students/Commencement.jnz
  2. Log into myPBA.

The “Application for Graduation” is highlighted. Click the link in the window to get started.

Have questions about Commencement? Email commencement@pba.edu or text GRADINFO to 561.861.2750 for answers and updates.

Office of the Registrar

Registrar

Palm Beach Atlantic University
P.O. Box 24708
West Palm Beach, FL 33416-4708

Send Email
Phone: (561) 803-2072