Graduation

 

Graduation Guide 2022

 

Regalia Pickup

Regalia has arrived at the PBA Campus Bookstore, located along Dixie Highway, and will be available for pickup today until 6 p.m.
 
Campus Store hours for this week:
-Thursday, May 5th: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
-Friday, May 6th: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
-Saturday, May 7th: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
 
Regalia not picked up prior to the Commencement Ceremony will be available from the Campus Bookstore table at the Fairgrounds. If you have questions or concerns, please email the bookstore.”

 

 

Rehearsal

All graduates should plan to watch a rehearsal video. This video will present important graduation details and may be watched as many times as necessary to get all the necessary information.

Additional Information:

  • Bring a small snack if you need it. Bottled water will be provided for graduates and faculty before the ceremony; water fountains will be available for guests.
  • Balloons are not permitted inside Fairgrounds buildings and should not be brought to the ceremony.
  • If needed, 2021 and 2022 tassels will be available at the regalia table in the student line up area.  
  • If you do not pick up your tickets from the Registrar’s Office prior to end of day on May 5, reserved tickets will be available at a will call table outside the entrance to Expo Hall West beginning at 12:30 p.m. on May 9.
  • For the processional, graduate students will line up behind undergraduates by degree, then alphabetically by last name. All graduates from each College/School will process in line together.

 

 

Commencement Participation

In order to participate in Commencement students must file an Application for Graduation and complete all degree requirements. Students finishing in December 2021, May 2022, and August 2022 are eligible to participate. All Business Office accounts must be clear in order to walk in commencement. All Chapel and Workship requirements and any remaining holds must be clear before diplomas will be released. 

 

 

Spring 2022 Schedule of Events 

       
Thursday, May 5 9 AM – 6PM Cap & Gown Pick Up Campus Store
Friday, May 6 9 AM – 5 PM Cap & Gown Pick Up Campus Store
Saturday, May 7 9 AM – 12 PM Cap & Gown Pick Up Campus Store
April 6 — May 5 8 AM - 5 PM Ticket Pick Up
M-F (Excluding Holidays)		 Registrar’s Office
May 6 — May 9   Closure of Registrar’s Office  
Monday
May 9 		12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Graduate Check in and Line up
Ticket pick up at will call 		South Florida Fairgrounds, Expo Hall West
  1 PM – 1:50 PM Guest Arrival and Seating South Florida Fairgrounds, Expo Hall East
  2 PM Ceremony begins  
Begining Monday
June 15 		  Diploma Mailing  

 

 

Graduation Honors

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

3.75 to 3.81 -- Cum Laude                    3.82 to 3.89 -- Magna Cum Laude                      3.90 or above -- Summa Cum Laude

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

 

 

Guests – Tickets and Parking

Graduates may reserve up to ten complimentary general admission guest tickets. Tickets are available for pick up from the Registrar’s Office. If you are unable to come to campus before the deadline, please email the Office of the Registrar or call (561) 803-2072.

Tickets are required for all guests.  Doors to the event will open one hour prior to the ceremony and will close 10 minutes prior to the ceremony to allow for the procession. No guests will be allowed to enter during the processional. Doors will reopen following the procession.

Parking is free and available through gate 12 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Graduates whose guests require special seating options (e.g., wheelchairs) must contact the Office of the Registrar ahead of time to make these arrangements. There is also a handicapped drop-off area near the ticket booths.

 

 

Commencement Participation  

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.

 

 

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

 

It is the student’s responsibility to see that all graduation requirements are met. To receive the Baccalaureate degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University, a student must meet the following requirements:

  1. Completion of the General Education Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or the Bachelor of Music degrees or the General Education Area Requirements for the Bachelor of General Studies Degree.
  2. Completion of a minimum of 120 hours, including all major and minor/concentration (as applicable) requirements or the professional studies area concentration for the Bachelor of General Studies Degree. Majors and minors/concentrations vary with respect to requirements of specific courses and total hours.
  3. Completion of the last 32 credit hours at PBA.
  4. Completion of an approved program of study.
  5. Completion of at least one-third of the program of study requirements at PBA.
  6. Rinker School of Business students must complete at least 50% of all program of study requirements (major and concentration) at PBA.
  7. At least 42 semester hours must be in courses numbered 3000 or above. (Note: Bachelor of Music students, 33 semester hours.) 
  8. At least 21 of the 42 required upper level credit hours numbered 3000 or above completed in major of study coursework.
  9. Maintenance of a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all college coursework and a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all coursework in the approved program(s) of study. A “C-” or above must be earned on all courses in the approved program of study, inclusive of all major, minor, and concentration requirements. Note: Refer to the Departments of English and School of Education, as they require higher GPAs.
  10. Completion of Chapel and Workship requirements, as applicable. 
  11. Submission of 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. Approval by the faculty for graduation.
  12. Discharge of all financial obligations to the university. 
  13. Applicants who apply for graduation and fail to meet the above requirements by the specified projected graduation date will be deferred to a later semester.

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

Commencement will be held once a year at the conclusion of the spring semester. All students completing their degree requirements in any given academic year will be eligible to participate in the annual spring commencement ceremony for that academic year. Students whose degrees are conferred at the conclusion of the fall semester will be eligible to participate in the following spring commencement ceremony. Students who are projected to finish all degree requirements in the summer semester will be eligible to participate in the prior spring commencement.

Commencement ceremonies for Palm Beach Atlantic University are typically held on the weekend immediately following final examinations of the spring semester. It is expected that all candidates for graduation will participate in commencement ceremonies.

 

 

Regalia (cap and gown)

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. Only sashes and honor cords obtained through PBA may be worn over the gown. Students are limited to four (4) sashes or honor cords. Students who qualify for Undergraduate Latin Honors will be able to pick up a single set of corresponding honor cords from the Registrar’s Office when they pick up their commencement tickets.

Order Regalia Here

 

 

Appropriate Attire

Since Commencement demands a sense of formality and dignity, graduates should dress appropriately for this once-in-a-lifetime event. Men should wear a shirt, tie, dark pants, and dark dress shoes. Women should dress suitably for a special occasion. Students should avoid anything that would draw attention to themselves or embarrass classmates or their guests. Wear shoes appropriate for walking distances and up and down ramps.

 

 

Diplomas

Graduates will be handed an empty diploma case during the commencement ceremony. No diplomas will be available at commencement. Once all final grades are in and degree requirements have been verified the diplomas will be mailed to the address submitted on the Application for Graduation.

 

 

Graduation Photos

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

 

 

Sailfish Safe

Commencement Protocols
Masks are not required at graduation. If you choose to wear one, we recommend a KN95/N95 mask.

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 on or after May 3, 2022, please contact the Health Alert Team at (561) 803-2537 to find out if you are cleared to attend graduation.

Do not attend graduation if you are experiencing any COVID- like symptoms that are not associated with a pre-existing medical diagnosis, such as allergies, migraines, etc.

 

 

Office of the Registrar

Palm Beach Atlantic University
P.O. Box 24708
West Palm Beach, FL33416-4708
561-803-2072 or 888-468-6722 • www.pba.edu