Graduation FAQ's

Students may apply for graduation to confirm you have met all requirements for degrees on our graduation page..

Deadlines to apply for graduation can be found on our graduation page.

Students may register for the Commencement Ceremony on the Graduation website by clicking “Apply for Graduation” in the upper right-hand column. When applying for graduation you will be prompted to indicate if you wish to participate in the Commencement Ceremony.

No, there is only one Commencement Ceremony, which takes place in May at the end of the spring semester.

There is no official deadline for registration. However, if you want your name printed in the program, you have until mid-April to let us know that you plan to attend. After that date, you are still encouraged to attend but your name and degree/certificate will not be included in the PPSC Commencement program that will be distributed at Commencement. Deadlines are announced via email once you submit an application for graduation.

Yes, students who are within 9 credit hours of graduation may elect to participate. Your participation in Commencement does not guarantee award of degree or certificate. Degree/certificate will be awarded with confirmation of degree audit.

Yes, if you indicated that you plan to participate in Commencement as you applied for graduation, we will provide information concerning the Commencement Ceremony.

If you did not initially indicate that you wish to participate in the ceremony, please send an email to commencement@pikespeak.edu to change your status.

Yes, however your participation in the Commencement Ceremony does not guarantee award of degree or certificate. Degree/certificate will be awarded with confirmation of degree audit.

You must apply for graduation to initiate final awarding of degree. Apply for graduation on our graduation page. You may elect to participate in the Commencement Ceremony, though participation is not mandatory.

If you filled out the graduation application and marked that you were planning to attend the ceremony, your name has been added to our list of registered participants. You will begin receiving email confirmations, but please allow up to 10 business days for them to come through.

We are working on creating a better system for students to potentially check this list. Please check the FAQs periodically to see if updates have been made.

No, participation is not mandatory, but we encourage you to take part in this special day. You've earned it!

You can confirm that the Records office has received your application for graduation by emailing graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu.

For information pertaining to graduation/degree auditing, send an email to graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu.

If you wish to change your answer for attending the Commencement Ceremony, email commencement@pikespeak.edu.

You will receive periodic letters and emails that list how your degree/certificate will be printed on your diploma after the Records office has processed your graduation audit.

You can also send an email to graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu for more information.

Your degree/certificate will be posted to your transcript approximately 4 weeks after the end of the current semester.

· Diplomas are not issued at the Commencement Ceremony. Diplomas and certificates will be mailed to the address provided on your application for graduation approximately 8 weeks after your degree is posted to your transcript. It is your responsibility to make sure the address you provide will be valid at that time.

· If you have unmet requirements, we will keep your application on file for one semester and check your records during that time to determine if the degree/certification requirements have been met.

· After one semester has passed and degree requirements remain unmet, you must re-apply for graduation.

Contact the Records office by sending an email to graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu to update your address.

You can attend the Commencement Ceremony for a certificate, a degree, or any combination/number of the two. You must apply for graduation to initiate the awarding of a degree/certificate. Degree/certificate will be awarded with confirmation of degree audit. Contact graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu for more information.

Ceremony details can be found on our Graduation page.

Length of the ceremony varies depending on the number of students participating, but you should plan for it to last around two (2) hours once the ceremony begins. We individually call every participating student’s name to honor their work and effort.

Yes, no matter when your name is called, be prepared to stay until the ceremony has ended. This is a time for celebration of you and your peers’ accomplishments, so sit back and enjoy the festivities!

You can:

A. Mark your request for accommodations in the graduation application.

B. Reply to the Commencement emails as prompted if you require accessibility services or require more information about accommodations offered at the Commencement Ceremony.

C. Contact Accessibility Services via email: ppccaccess@pikespeak.edu, webpage, or call 719.502.3333.

Students who have submitted a graduation application will receive periodic email communications with information pertaining to Commencement. It is the student's responsibility to list an email address that is correct and that they check frequently on their graduation application. Information is also posted on the Graduation page on PPSC's website.

Please contact International@pikespeak.edu to receive communication confirming graduation.

There is no formal dress code for guests, however, business casual is recommended. Graduates should wear appropriate clothing and comfortable footwear, bearing in mind they will be walking throughout the ceremony.

Students must have and wear a cap, gown, and tassel. Cap and Gown information coming soon.

Be aware that financial holds stop the Records office from mailing diplomas. If you have questions about this, email graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu. Also, make sure your mailing address is up to date so that your diploma arrives at the correct address.

The only cost the student is responsible for is the one-time purchase of your cap, gown, and tassel, which can be purchased at the PPSC Bookstore soon. You may elect to also purchase invitations and other add-ons, but otherwise there are no other required costs associated with the ceremony.

Yes, parking for students and guests is available free of charge at the Commencement Ceremony venue.

PPSC does not provide transportation for students to the ceremony venue, however we encourage our students to look at public transport options using google maps.

Every effort has been made to comply with ADA accessibility guidelines to accommodate patrons with disabilities. In all ceremony venues it is advisable that you provide a wheelchair for your guest if they have any mobility issues due to health, age, or other.

Disabled parking is available at the Commencement site. A valid disabled parking sticker or hang tag is needed for disabled parking and these spaces are available on a limited basis. It is advisable that you provide a wheelchair for your guest(s) if they have any mobility issues and/or drop off your guest(s) with an escort prior to parking.

Tickets are not required for the Commencement Ceremony. You may invite as many of your friends and family as desired to celebrate with you.

No, family members are not allowed on the floor during the ceremony. However, once the ceremony ends, your family can join you for photos and celebration throughout the venue.

No, please make accommodations for your child(ren) elsewhere or be sure someone accompanies your child(ren) throughout the ceremony, as no family members are permitted on the graduation floor during the ceremony.

On the day of Commencement when you check-in, you will receive a card to fill out with your name and, if applicable, the phonetic spelling of your name. You will keep this card with you the entire time, and once you are prompted to line up to walk across the stage, you will hand this card to the announcer and they will read your name. Other details, such as the degree(s)/certificate(s) you are graduating with, will not be announced as you walk across the stage.

Please go to this link to order your cap and gown here after the bookstore will call when your order is ready for pick-up, or shipped.

There is an associated cost for your cap, gown, and tassel. Please go to this link to order your cap and gown here after the bookstore will call when your order is ready for pick-up, or shipped.

You may wear your own cap and gown only if they are black. They do not need to be approved beforehand. You may want to purchase your own tassel, however, which you can do here.

Yes - students can order their regalia here and pay for shipping to their home.

The general deadline is May 1st for shipping and May 12th for pick-up.

Alternate year number charms for your tassels may be available to order. Please contact the PPSC Bookstore to see if they can accommodate this request.

Yes! You may decorate your cap any way you like for this momentous occasion.

You can order announcements and much more here.

For student clubs, organizations, and programs, graduates should contact their club advisors for information about cords.

For Honor Cords, which are typically distributed as graduates check-in to the ceremony venue on the day of the Commencement Ceremony, students will want to verify their GPA to ensure they receive the correct cord for their academic achievement. Here is the breakdown for Honor Cords:

Graduating with highest honor, Summa Cum Laude = 4.0 cumulative GPA.

Graduating with great honor, Magna Cum Laude = 3.75 - 3.99 cumulative GPA.

Graduating with honor, Cum Laude = 3.5 - 3.749 cumulative GPA.

Yes, you will be given a few opportunities to "capture the graduation moment" in your official academic regalia. A photographer will be available during the Ceremony to take graduate portraits.

Students may take photos during the ceremony. Family members will not be allowed on the floor during the ceremony but will have access at its conclusion, at which time they may take photos with their graduate(s).

Yes, the Commencement Ceremony will be recorded and posted to the Graduation website within a month following the ceremony.

You may bring a cell phone into the venue as long as it remains on silent and on your person, but do not bring purses, cameras, etc., as there will be no place to store them. Please leave them with your friends or family, or in your car, as none of these items will be permitted on the ceremony floor. We will not be responsible for items left behind.

For directions to the Commencement venue, times, and other details, visit PPSC’s Graduation page for the latest info.

This is a time for celebration, and there will likely be high spirits and lots of action surrounding this event. Once you arrive at the ceremony venue, please pay attention to signage, helpers, and PPSC Faculty & Staff as they direct you through the ceremony. We are so proud of our graduates and look forward to sharing this special day with you.

For questions regarding the Commencement Ceremony, you can email commencement@pikespeak.edu for additional information.

For questions regarding graduation, your degree/certificate, or your degree audit, please contact the Recordsoffice at graduation.rec@pikespeak.edu

Typically 1-2 weeks, orders must be in ASAP, for more detailed information contact the PPSC Bookstore .

We will not be mailing out diploma covers, honor cords, or any other materials associated with Commencement this year.

Graduation FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions