Graduation

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requirements, including the number of credits required for associate degrees and certificates, are detailed in the current PVCC Catalog.

In order to be awarded a degree or certificate, you must:

Be officially enrolled in a program of study (curriculum).
Apply to graduate. Please apply for the semester in which you will finish all of your plan requirements.
- Deadline for fall graduation is October 1.
- Deadline for spring graduation is February 1.
- Deadline for summer graduation is June 1.
Complete all course requirements for your program of study.
Resolve all financial obligations to the College.

Apply for Fall 2026 Graduation - Degree conferral will be in December.

Commencement Ceremony

The college holds one commencement ceremony each year in May. The 2026 commencement ceremony was held Monday, May 11, 2026, at John Paul Jones Arena located at 295 Massie Road in Charlottesville, Virginia 22903.

The next commencement ceremony will be in May 2027. Students eligible to participate in the ceremony include those who graduate in Summer 2026 (August), Fall 2026 (December) and those who plan to graduate in May 2027.

Students are not limited to a specific number of guests and there are no tickets required for entry. All attendees are subject to the rules and regulations of John Paul Jones Arena, including the clear bag policy; therefore, please familiarize yourself with these regulations prior to your arrival.

Participation in PVCC's commencement ceremony does not denote official certification of any credential. Your graduation is official only after all program requirements have been met and documented by the Registrar's Office.

Arrival Time for Graduates

Graduates need to arrive at John Paul Jones Arena at 5:00 p.m. Once there, please follow signage to complete the check-in process in preparation for the ceremony. Please do not bring personal belongings with you as there is no secure storage space available to leave them. Cell phones must be turned off during this process and during the commencement ceremony.

Caps and Gowns

Caps and gowns may be picked up from the PVCC Bookstore a month before the ceremony during their regular scheduled operating hours. There is no charge to students, and it is not necessary to order these beforehand as various sizes will be available. You will need to have your PVCC student ID to pick up your regalia; therefore, please come prepared. Dual-enrolled students will have their regalia delivered to their respective high schools.

Honor Cords and Stoles

Gold honor cords are awarded to all students who have earned the Cum Laude (3.2 GPA), Magna Cum Laude (3.5 GPA) or Summa Cum Laude (3.8 GPA) distinction. Due to time constraints with final grades for the spring semester, the honor distinction for spring graduates is based on the previous fall semester's cumulative GPA for the purpose of the ceremony and program booklet. However, diplomas will be ordered using the final cumulative GPA after all grades for the spring semester have been posted. The honor cords will be distributed to those students being honored on graduation night prior to the start of the ceremony. Honor cords are awarded to those who meet the GPA requirements for an Associate degree or Certificate. Career Studies Certificates are not eligible for honor cords.

The college does not provide stoles for those students who belong to the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) honor society. Students wishing to display their academic achievements with a stole may purchase one individually and wear it for the commencement ceremony.

Diplomas

Diplomas will be ordered approximately one month after the commencement ceremony. Once ordered, Parchment will be contacting you via your PVCC student email address to verify your mailing address as they will be shipping your diploma directly to you once printed. Diplomas will be mailed to the address we have on file in SIS, so please ensure your address information is up to date. In addition, you need to contact Jeannie Prewer in the Registrar's Office so she can update their graduation files. If you have questions regarding your diploma, or anything graduation-related, please contact Jeannie Prewer at Jprewer@pvcc.edu.

Proof of Graduation

If you need proof of graduation, please request an official transcript through our partnership with Parchment. Allow up to two weeks after your graduation date for your transcript to reflect any earned credentials. We also encourage you to review your unofficial transcript in SIS to verify all grades and credential information is listed correctly prior to requesting an official transcript.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is required for me to graduate with a degree or certificate?

In order to be awarded a PVCC credential, you must:

Be officially enrolled in that particular program of study.
Complete all course requirements for your program of study.
Submit a graduation application for the semester in which you will complete all degree requirements; this includes an attached Graduate Exit Survey questionnaire.
Resolve all financial obligations to the College.

Am I ready to apply for graduation?

You can apply for graduation if you have done the following:

Met with your academic advisor and determined that you will complete all the coursework required for your credential this semester. Please apply for the semester you will actually graduate, not when you plan to walk or participate in the graduation ceremony.
Submitted any applicable official transcripts, test scores, and the Transcript Evaluation Request Form to the Registrar’s Office. This includes completing and submitting the Transcript Evaluation Request Form for credits taken at other VCCS schools; no official transcript required.
Verified through the appropriate Dean’s Office that all approved waivers, course substitutions, licensures and life experience/prior learning credits have been submitted to the Registrar’s Office before you apply for graduation.

How do I apply for graduation and what happens after I apply?

Submit a completed Graduation Application online by the deadline posted for each semester.

Your official request to graduate is submitted to the Registrar's Office. Upon completion of a degree audit, the Registrar will communicate with you by mail regarding your graduation status. The name and address you provide on the graduation application will be used to communicate with you about any requirements you still need to complete and will be the name used for your credential; therefore, it is extremely important to ensure you enter the name exactly as you wish it to appear on your diploma and that you enter the full mailing address for where you want your mail and the credential to be received. Please note the name used must match what we have on file in SIS and must be your current legal name.
At the end of the semester, the Registrar’s Office will send out another communication to you with an update on your graduation status. If you completed all of the requirements for your credential, the credential will be ordered and mailed to you at a later time. If you still have outstanding requirements to complete, the letter will inform you of what those are and ask you how you plan to complete the remaining requirements. The letter will give you additional details about both of these scenarios along with any next steps you need to take.
Please note that participation in PVCC's commencement ceremony does not denote official certification of a degree or certificate. Your graduation is official only after all curriculum requirements have been met and documented by the Registrar’s Office.