Graduation Guide 2024

The Rubin Arena is located inside the Greene Complex for Sports and Recreation at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The location address is 1100 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

Parking will be available to graduates and guests in the Dixie Parking Garage and the Family Church lots for ceremonies on both Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4.

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.

Each graduate can claim up to five (5) tickets for their respective Commencement ceremony. The deadline to claim tickets was April 2, 2024.

Additional tickets became available after April 2 on a first-come, first-served basis. You can join the waitlist for tickets HERE.

Each graduate is responsible for distributing tickets to their guests by forwarding the digital ticket via email. Check-in for each 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.

The deadline to order regalia was March 22, 2024.

• 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.

Graduates will be handed empty diploma cases during the commencement ceremony. No diplomas will be available at commencement.

Once all final grades are recorded and degree requirements have been verified, the diplomas will be mailed to the address submitted on the Application for Graduation. Copies of transcripts are not sent with diplomas.

Requests for expedited degree conferral must be emailed to Registrar_@pba.edu.

Official Transcripts

Students can order official transcripts through the National Student Clearinghouse portal at www.getmytranscript.com. 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 Grad Images. Please specify the graduation year when placing your order.

Other photos from Commencement will be available for download, free of charge, by May 10 and emailed to the graduates with the emails provided in the Application for Graduation.

Questions for guests about tickets, ceremony details, accommodations for guests, directions and parking:

Email here.

Call: 561.803.2021

Questions about graduate details including check-in, accommodations, diplomas, requirements to graduate:

Office of the Registrar

Email: registrar@pba.edu

Call: 561.803.2072 or 888.468.6722