Commencement
Commencement Weekend Celebrating the Classes of 2020 and 2021
Commencement weekend festivities will begin on Thursday, May 6, as we honor the late Dr. John Starkey. Join us from 1 to 2 p.m. for an interfaith tree and bench dedication ceremony, north of the Bishop Angie W. Smith Chapel.
NOTE: Children age 2 and younger are permitted to be treated as lap children, and will not count toward a graduate’s four-person guest limit.
Class of 2020 | Friday, May 7th
The Class of 2020 will be celebrated from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 7, at the Freede Center. Class of 2020 graduates are asked to arrive outside the north doors of the Freede Center. Class of 2020 alumni are requested to RSVP by April 9, 2021. Alumni will each be allowed to bring up to four guests; additional guests are invited to watch graduates walk across the stage via a live-stream on the OCU website. Festivities for the Class of 2020 will include virtual baccalaureate (prior to Friday), walking across a stage in the Freede Center in traditional cap and gown for a photo opportunity with President Burger, the inauguration of the first ever “Sign the Gold Star” graduation event, and photo opportunities with iconic OCU backdrops. An outdoor space will be provided for the Class of 2020 to gather to see friends, classmates and faculty as OCU celebrates their unique achievements.
Class of 2021 | Saturday, May 8th
The Class of 2021 commencement ceremonies will occur on Saturday, May 8, at the Freede Center. Graduates will each be allowed to bring up to four guests; additional guests are invited to watch graduates walk across the stage via a live-stream on the OCU website. Commencement for the Class of 2021 will be spread out over the course of the day by school to account for social distancing (see timeline below). Celebrations will be accomplished in manners unique to OCU, complete with prerecorded videos, virtual baccalaureate (Saturday morning), walking across a stage in the Freede Center in cap and gown to be recognized for the achievement of their OCU degree by President Burger, participation in the newly inaugurated “Sign the Gold Star” graduation event, and photo opportunities with iconic OCU backdrops. Outdoor spaces will be provided for the Class of 2021 to gather to conclude their student experience and be formally welcomed as new Star alumni. The class of 2021 schedule is as follows:
(Graduates are asked to congregate, socially distanced, at the Freede Center north doors at least 15 minutes prior to their assigned graduation time)
POD 1 | 9 to 11 a.m.
(8:45 a.m. arrival time)
Dance and Theatre degrees
POD 2 | 10 a.m. to noon
(9:45 arrival time)
Music degrees
POD 3 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
(10:45 a.m. arrival time)
Petree Undergraduate degrees
POD 4 | 1:30 to 2:45 p.m.
(1:15 p.m. arrival time)
PA degrees & Petree Graduate degrees
POD 5 | 2:45 to 4:45 p.m.
(2:30 p.m. arrival time)
Business degrees
POD 6 | 3:45 to 5:45 p.m.
(3:30 p.m. arrival time)
Nursing degrees
Application for Graduation
The deadline date to apply for your diploma and graduation is February 12, 2021.
Undergraduate Application for Graduation
Graduate Application for Graduation
Oklahoma City University School of Law Graduation Date: TBD
Special Needs
Class of 2020 alumni and Class of 2021 graduates will be allowed to bring four guests to campus. The events on May 7th and May 8th will be indoor/outdoor and will utilize various locations across the University. Graduates, alumni and/or guests with special needs or accommodation requests are asked to contact Academic Affairs at (405) 208-5287.
Tickets
Q: How will tickets be distributed?
A: Tickets will be sent out electronically via Full Measure. Full Measure is a mobile-first platform that will allow us to communicate via text message with our class of 2020 alumni and class of 2021 graduates before and during this year’s events. We will be able to bring our grads together using filters, hashtags, banners and more!
Be on the lookout via email and text in the very near future for information about how to sign up to claim your tickets via Full Measure. This platform is free to you, and you will not have to download an app. Texting rates may apply.
Q: Do guests have to be registered ahead of time to attend?
A: Each graduate will receive four (4) tickets to share with guests. Guests do not have to be registered in advance.
Q: What if my guests don’t have a cell phone?
A: No worries! Guests can either use their ticket on someone else’s phone, or their ticket can be printed in advance.
Q: What if someone is not using all their tickets, can they give those to another graduate?
A: Tickets can be shared with any guest you’d like to invite. A graduate does not have to be present for the guest they shared the ticket with to attend. Please note, tickets can only be scanned one time at the entrance. If you share your ticket more than once, it will only be successfully scanned for the first guest who uses it. Additionally, tickets cannot be shared outside of the pod time in which they were originally assigned. For example, a Pod 2 ticket will not scan for Pod 5’s ceremony.
For the full school pod schedule and other graduation details, please visit www.okcu.edu/commencement.
And if you haven’t already, please take a moment to register on the Candid Color site so that you can receive photos after the event. This is the last call for registration for Class of 2020’s May 7 event registration: RSVP here!
Senior Class Gift
Each year, graduating students give back through a contribution to the Senior Class Gift. Learn more at www.okcu.edu/classgift.
Parking
Use the map on this page to find parking for your event.
Purchase Regalia
To purchase a cap and gown, please visit the Jostens website.