This event is come and go as you please and financial aid counselors will be present to answer any last-minute questions. Refer to the Senior Symposium website for event times and details. Students not able to attend the event should complete "Exit Counseling" at the Federal Student Aid website. Students who have a Perkin’s Loan will need to complete additional exit counseling through Financial Services.
Complete the Undergraduate Outcomes SurveyUndergraduates: You will be notified when the survey is available through Handshake, the Career Center’s online career management system for students and alumni of Missouri State University. Login to Handshake to take the survey and to connect with employers. The Career Center is available to assist you with job and graduate school search and preparation.
The University hosts commencement ceremonies at the end of the spring and fall semester. Students who will have graduation requirements in-progress during their intended semester of graduation (includes transfer work from other institutions) are eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony. Per university intersession policy, fall intersession (August) is part of the following fall semester, winter intersession (January) is part of the following spring semester, and summer intersession (late May/early June) is part of the following summer session.
Students completing degree in the summer have the option of participating in the commencement ceremony the spring preceding or fall following the semester of their graduation. Students will mark their choice on their summer application to graduate. These students will have their names included in the corresponding commencement program if they apply by the published deadline. Scholastic honors will be calculated based on the scholastic honors policy.
Students who wish to participate in a ceremony prior to their semester of graduation (except summer graduates who wish to participate in the preceding spring) may appeal to the Chief Academic Strategy Officer (undergraduate students) or the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate College (graduate students). If approved, the listing of their names in the commencement program will remain in the semester of graduation.
If you are requesting to walk early, you should be registered for all remaining coursework to complete your degree requirements.
Early Walk GuidelinesStudents are expected to participate in the commencement ceremony at the end of their intended semester of graduation (except summer graduates who are allowed to participate in the preceding spring or following fall). Students who wish to participate in a ceremony for a later semester may be given a one-time exception to participate in the ceremony for the semester immediately following their semester of graduation. Students should contact the Office of the Registrar to request to walk in a later ceremony.
Students who participate in Missouri S&T's cooperative engineering program are eligible to participate in Missouri State's commencement ceremony. They do not need to submit a Missouri State Application to Graduate. Scholastic honors (based on Missouri S&T scholastic honors requirements, which are different from Missouri State) are listed in Missouri State's printed commencement program and are included in the announcement of the graduate's name during the ceremony.
Students completing a MSU degree at the West Plains Campus may participate in the West Plains Campus commencement ceremony instead of, or in addition to, the Springfield campus ceremony. Refer to the MSU-West Plains Graduation Procedures website for more information.
Each semester, the Office of Strategic Communication sends the names of graduation candidates to their hometown newspaper. Visit the Office of Strategic Communication website or call 417-836-6397 for more information about how and when this list is distributed.
Commencement events are the congratulatory ceremonies hosted by university officials in which students are publicly and formally recognized.
Graduation is the process of being awarded a degree after successfully completing credit hours and other degree requirements. Actual diplomas are not awarded at the commencement ceremony and participation in the ceremonies is not a guarantee of degree completion. To officially graduate from Missouri State, a student must apply for graduation. A degree becomes official when it is posted to a student's transcript - not by their participation in commencement ceremony. A student does not have to be present at a commencement ceremony to receive their degree.