COVID-19 Considerations

Commencement will be held in person at the Superior Dome. The Superior Dome is a large capacity arena with permanent seating for up to 8,000.  Students and faculty will have assigned seating on the arena floor while friends and families will be able to choose a seat among the bleacher seating*.

There is no vaccination requirement. At this time, masks will not be required at Commencement, but that is subject to change if COVID cases rise measurably in Marquette County.

For those more comfortable viewing from the comfort of home, commencement will be aired live on WNMU-TV or available on demand.

*There will be some floor seating for those with mobility difficulties.

The commencement rehearsal will be held on the Friday before the ceremony at 2:15 p.m. in the Superior Dome.  Students will sit in their assigned commencement seat.  

Tickets are not required for anyone attending the commencement ceremony.

Seat assignments for the commencement ceremony are email to students on the Monday of finals week.  Please bring your email with your seat assignment to the rehearsal on Friday afternoon.

Students should arrive at the Practice Gyms in the Physical Education Instructional Facility (PEIF) by 9:30 a.m. on the morning of commencement.  Students will line up before marching to the Superior Dome for the processional.

Graduation is the actual posting of your degree.  The graduation date is Tuesday after commencement, the date final grades are due from faculty.

Commencement is the ceremony.  Commencement is held on the Saturday following finals week.  Walking in the commencement ceremony does not imply that you are officially graduated. 

Diplomas will be mailed to all students that successfully complete all requirements and do not have any holds six to eight weeks after final grades are recorded.  No one receives their diploma at the commencement ceremony.

Holds that can prevent mailing of diploma include, Perkins Loan exit counseling, balance due on eBill, not returned or not purchased laptop, etc.  Please check MyNMU for any holds on your record.

Students that will be graduating can order a transcript at any time, but need to mark the box 'Wait for Degree to be Posted'.  Instructions to order an official transcripts can be found on the Registrar's homepage, https://nmu.edu/registrar/transcriptrequest.

Academic honors for commencement are based on the last completed/graded semester and are available to undergraduate students in a bachelor or associate degree with a GPA 3.50 or above.  It does not include the current semester, because final grades have not been submitted.  The NMU Bookstore receives a list of students that will be participating in the commencement ceremony and which are eligible to purchase the yellow honors cord.

 

There is no charge to participate in the commencement ceremony, except the cost of the cap and gown. 

The $40 graduation fee is charged to anyone that has registered for graduation, with ceremony or no ceremony.  It covers a variety of costs, assessment of program completion, evaluation of credentials, posting of degrees, and diploma production and mailing.