Graduation and Commencement
WCU in Philadelphia Commencement Ceremony | 5/11/2024 | Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing
Commencement ceremonies will be held for May and August 2024 graduates on Saturday, May 11th at Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing. The undergraduate ceremony will begin at 9:30 AM, and the graduate ceremony will begin at 12 PM. Each ceremony will last approximately 1 hour. Graduates, please arrive sixty (60) minutes before the start of your ceremony. The procession begins fifteen (15) minutes prior to the ceremony start time. Contact Evelyn Anderson with questions about Philadelphia commencement.
If you or your supporters would like to book a room at the Hilton at Penn’s landing, please click here to book your room and reserve a room at the discounted rate.
Tickets
Graduates may request 8 tickets for friends and family. Undergraduates may request 10 tickets. Tickets will be required for guests three years of age and older. Tickets for the 2024 ceremony are available here.
9:30 a.m. | Undergraduate Ceremony | Request Tickets (Coming soon)
12:00 p.m. | Graduate Ceremony | Request Tickets (Coming Soon)
Parking
Parking at Hilton Penn's Landing will be available for $20.
Student Speakers
One undergraduate and one graduate speaker will be selected for commencement.
Cap and Gown Ordering
Students who take classes at the Philadelphia location exclusively have the additional option to ship their cap and gown order to the Philadelphia location for pickup. All students, regardless of campus affiliation, may ship directly to home.
Undergraduate Students
Please click here to order your cap and gown.
Order deadline for pickup at the Philadelphia location: Friday, March 24, 2024.
There is no additional charge for this service.
Order deadline for ship-to-home: Monday, April 14, 2024.
There is an additional fee for this service, which must be paid by credit card when you order.
Graduate Students
Please click here to order your cap and gown.
Order deadline for pickup at the Philadelphia location: Friday, March 24, 2024.
There is no additional charge for this service.
Order deadline for ship-to-home: Monday, April 24, 2024.
There is an additional fee for this service, which must be paid by credit card when
you order.
Diplomas
Paper diplomas will be mailed to your home address approximately 6-8 weeks after final grades post, after the Registrar's Office has verified the completion of all degree requirements.
If there are any outstanding issues that will prevent you from graduating, the Registrar's Office will notify you by mail and email. Visit the Registrar's page on Diplomas.
Honor Cords (Undergraduates Only) and Other Special Regalia
Honors cords will be available free of charge for all qualifying undergraduate students. Honor cords are available for all undergraduate students earning graduation honors (3.25 GPA or higher, based on cumulative GPA from next-to-last semester before a student graduates).
Honor cords will be available for pickup at the Philadelphia location beginning Monday, March 27th. Additionally, cords will be available at commencement for those who do not pick up the cords prior to the ceremony.
In addition to honors cords, a number of University colleges, academic programs, honor societies, organizations, and clubs award special cords, stoles, pendants, and tassels to recognize their graduates. Please view Cords, Stoles, and Regalia for a list of those regalia. Please note that these regalia are not designed or distributed by the University, but by the organizations that sponsor them.