Graduation Information

Three opportunities to practice will be available the week of commencement. Please ensure you attend one of those practices, if possible.  The PRACTICES WILL BE ON CAMPUS IN MABEE FIELDHOUSE. Dates and times will be emailed to you and will be posted on our website.

May 8, 2027

Hy-Vee Arena, Kansas City, MO

STUDENTS MUST ARRIVE AND CHECK IN AT HY-VEE ARENA @ 8:30AM

The ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. Guests should plan to arrive with enough time to get parked and seated.

No less than two semesters and no more than four semesters; you should log into MyAU and request an audit to be completed for your degree.

Once you have completed this through MyAU, please allow four to six weeks for the audit to be completed in the Registration & Student Records Office. You will receive a communication from the Registration Office indicating your requirements through your Avila e-mail. Your academic advisor/s will also receive a copy of your audit results.

After receiving your audit results, please make an appointment with your academic advisor/s to review and determine when you will be able to complete the requirements. This will determine your graduation conferred date.

If participating in commencement, the application is due:

For all degree completion dates – February 15.

If NOT participating in commencement, the application is due:

A one-time graduation fee of $250 will be charged to student accounts when the application is received. Late fees will be charged to students who apply after the above deadlines.

Graduation honors are awarded for baccalaureate degrees only. Honors for the first baccalaureate degree will be based on all work completed, including transfer work. Honors for the second baccalaureate degree will be based on Avila University’s work only. Students must have completed at least 60 hours of coursework at Avila after the completion of the first degree to be eligible for honors.

Graduation honors are based on the cumulative grade point average as follows:
Summa cum laude …………. 3.900 – 4.000
Magna cum laude…………… 3.700 – 3.899
Cum laude …………………….. 3.500 – 3.699

Honors announced at the graduation ceremony will be based on the work completed the fall semester prior to May graduation. If a student did not attend the fall semester, the announced honors will be based on the grade point average from the last semester of attendance prior to the fall semester.

Official honors will be recorded on the student’s diploma and transcript. Official honors are based on the final grade point average after the last semester of coursework is completed. Official honors may be different than those announced at the graduation ceremony if a student’s grade point average changes the status during the last semester of coursework.

When two majors are completed in different areas (e.g. B.S., B.A.), the student must designate which major is the first major, which will indicate which degree will be conferred.  In addition to meeting all requirements for the first major, the student must complete a minimum of fifteen (15) credits in the second major that are not already used to satisfy requirements for the first major requirements for the core.

Second Degree Requirements for earning two degrees to be awarded simultaneously:

• Completion of a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours at Avila University in addition to the minimum 128 hours required for the first baccalaureate degree for a total of 158 hours.
• Completion of both majors with at least 12 upper-division hours in each major taken at Avila University; a “C” grade is required in each upper-division course in the majors.

Requirements for earning a second degree after having been awarded a baccalaureate degree:

• Completion of a minimum of thirty (30) additional semester hours at Avila University after the awarding of the first baccalaureate degree.
• Completion of a major with at least 12 upper-division hours in the major taken at Avila University; a “C” grade is required in each upper-division course in the major.
• Completion of the core curriculum as stated in the academic catalog.

Candidates must order regalia (cap, gown, tassel, and hood) through our vendor Oak Hall. Only those candidates who have applied to walk in the May ceremony will receive a link and ordering instructions through their Avila email accounts. Please email graduation@avila.edu if you have questions.

Announcements and/or invitations can be purchased at the same time. If you prefer a more formal invitation, please use www.cbgrad.com .

VIDEOS:

How To Wear Your Bachelors Cap & Gown

How To Wear Your Masters Cap & Gown

INSTRUCTIONS:

Graduation Cap Decoration Guidelines

Once degree verifications have been completed, you will be notified via your Avila University email regarding your graduation status. Students who have completed all degree requirements will receive both a printed diploma and a digital diploma. If you would like to pick up your diploma in the Registration and Student Records Office, please click the link below. Put “Diploma Pick-up” in the subject line, and we will have your diploma mailed to our office for pick-up.

Pick Up My Diploma

Effective September 15, 2025, the graduation fee is $250.

You must have requested a Bachelor’s degree audit, received your results, and discussed with your academic advisor/s before applying to graduate.

Once you receive your graduation audit results and review with your advisor to determine your graduation conferred date, then you can submit your Graduation Application by logging into MyAU.  You will receive a confirmation email once you submit your Graduation Application in MyAU.

Please make sure to check out the Graduation Events section of this webpage for information regarding  Graduation Practice, Alumni at Last Bash, Sending Ceremony, and the Commencement Ceremony.

Effective September 15, 2025, the graduation fee is $250.

Notice: Master students are not required to submit a Graduation Audit Request form.

Please submit your Graduation Application by logging into MyAU. You will receive a confirmation email when submitted.  You will also receive a graduation snapshot of your degree requirements from the Registration and Student Records Office.  The graduation snapshot will be sent to your Avila email account.

Students and guests should park in the parking lots at Hy-Vee arena. Parking is free.

more information coming soon.

DO NOT approach the stage to take photos or video. Avila has hired professional photographers to capture the event.

All graduates will be photographed once they come off the stage and those images will be directly emailed to the student and/or  available through the Grad Images website.

Commencement is a formal academic ceremony.

We ask that all guests respect the ceremony, graduates, and other guests by behaving in a dignified manner that the occasion merits. In keeping with decorum and the Avila tradition, we ask that guests adhere to the following guidelines.

Key Points

1. Do not bring confetti, balloons, and/or noisemakers to campus.
2. Food, beverages, or rude and disruptive behavior will not be permitted. Security personnel will be onsite to enforce these restrictions and to prevent disruptive behavior.
3. Cellular phones should be put on silent mode to help ensure that all guests can hear and enjoy the graduation activities.
4. During the reading of the names of the graduates, we ask guests to be considerate in their applause so that all names are heard clearly and the ceremony is not disrupted. We ask that you express your excitement in ways that will not prevent others from hearing the speakers and enjoying the ceremony.
5. Please remain in your seats for the duration of the ceremony until after the recessional.
6. Please do not block the aisles or passageways by attempting to greet or take photos with graduates.