Event
Winter 2025 Commencement
DATE
January 24-25, 2025.
LOCATION
Charlotte, North Carolina
Walden University will host its winter commencement ceremonies in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 24-25, 2025.
Watch the Winter 2025 Ceremonies now!
Event Overview
Walden’s winter commencement will celebrate the winter class of 2024 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Graduates will choose which day they want to participate during the commencement registration process based on their eligibility and available space. More specific details about registration, tickets, regalia and more can be found in the Graduation Information section of this page.
For graduates unable to join us in person, a virtual commencement will also be offered on Saturday, February 8, 2025.
For additional engagement opportunities and information, follow us on Facebook and keep an eye out for the official Facebook Event, the Commencement Showroom page, and more. As you share on social media, be sure to use #WaldenUGrad on your posts!
Location and Travel
Walden's winter commencement will be held at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S College St, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202.
Access these resources for getting to Charlotte.
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is closest to the Charlotte Convention Center.
Walden has secured discounted rooms at various hotels near the Charlotte Convention Center. Please visit the exclusive link to view the available hotels and their rates. Book your reservation by January 1, 2025, to secure the discounted pricing. Availability is limited, and rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Visit the Destination Experience page for everything you need about visiting Charlotte. For area discounts, please explore the Savings Pass program.
Graduate Information
Graduating students are invited to register for commencement if their degree conferral is anticipated on or before the conferral deadline of December 10, 2024. If a graduating student does not receive their conferral confirmation by the deadline, the graduation team will evaluate the student's eligibility and determine if they can participate as a special consideration or if they will be removed from the event.
Special Consideration Registrants
Special consideration registrants will be subject to the following:
- Only the names of graduates who have received confirmation of their degree conferral between June 4 and December 10, 2024, will appear in the electronic commencement book.
- They will not be eligible to receive honors cords or medallions.
Late Registrants
Late registrants will be subject to the following:
- Only the names of graduates who have received confirmation of their degree conferral between June 4 and December 10, 2024 will appear in the electronic commencement book.
- They will not receive honors cords if they are eligible.
- Discounted room rates, regalia, and other resources may not be available.
The $300 commencement fee is non-transferable. Graduates must successfully pay the fee and complete their commencement registration, marked by receipt of a confirmation email, to be included in the event.
After December 16, 2024, no refunds will be issued if you cancel your registration or do not attend your ceremony (no-show). Cancellations due to COVID-19, other illness, or emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Graduates who cancel their registration are also responsible for the cancellation of their own airfare, hotel, regalia, etc.
The Winter 2025 ceremonies recognize all degree levels and all programs at all ceremonies. During registration, graduates choose which date they want to participate in commencement based on available seating. At each ceremony, graduates will be seated by college and degree level.
To provide a safe environment and a comfortable experience for all graduates, Walden has determined an equal number of guest tickets for each graduate.
The number of guest tickets for each graduate is determined by the number of anticipated graduates and available seating at the commencement venue.
The number of guest tickets for each graduate may vary by event location. For 2025, the maximum is four tickets per graduate.
- Tickets are included in the commencement fee.
- Tickets have no cash value.
- The same number of tickets are assigned to each graduate.
- Tickets are non-transferable.
- Walden does not endorse the sale of commencement tickets.
- Each ticket denotes a single seat in the commencement hall.
- Children ages 3 and under do not need a ticket to attend.
- Requests for additional tickets are not permitted.
- If you have more guests than the designated number of your assigned tickets, there will be a livestream option for non-ticketed guests to view each ceremony. Livestream details for the ceremonies will be available on the ceremony-specific web page when they are available to share.
Commencement is a special and memorable experience for graduates to celebrate their achievements with their families. To facilitate an enjoyable ceremony, we ask that all attendees participate in a positive and respectful manner. To that end, please:
- Remain in your designated seat for the duration of the ceremony.
- Silence cellphones and other devices.
- Avoid extended cheering so all graduates’ names can be heard as they cross the stage.
- Request that guests remain seated during the recessional until all graduates and faculty members have exited.
- Respect commencement speakers, event staff, faculty, fellow graduates, and their guests.
Graduates are asked to cross the stage in a respectful and professional manner, refraining from large outbursts, taking selfies, dancing, or other actions that may disrupt the ceremony. Registered graduates are the only people permitted to cross the commencement stage. If you need an accommodation, please email [email protected].
Additional health and safety protocols, which will be communicated to registered graduates, may be instituted on- site to ensure a safe and successful ceremony.
To facilitate an enjoyable ceremony, noise-makers, balloons, confetti, oversized signs or banners, alcohol, and weapons are not permitted in the exhibit hall where the ceremonies will be held.
For the safety of all attendees and in the spirit of celebration, masks that cover the face or around the eyes are not permitted.
Inclusion in the Book
Inclusion in the commencement program book is determined by academic completion date and is independent of commencement attendance–this is because commencement attendance is optional and degree conferral is the official and final mark of the completion of a student’s academic requirements. Everyone must receive confirmation of their degree conferral to complete their program, but graduates are not required to attend commencement.
Therefore, if your degree is conferred (or is set to be conferred) between June 4 and December 10, 2024, then your name will be included in the final commencement program that is published electronically six to eight weeks after commencement. It will be posted to the commencement website and distributed via email by the Alumni Association. To be excluded from the commencement book, please send an email to [email protected] before December 2, 2024.
Printed Book vs. Final Electronic Book
The commencement program book that will be distributed on-site contains information about Walden’s history, university leadership, the academic ceremony, and additional information about the university organizations and initiatives. It does not include the names of graduates first eligible to participate in this commencement.
After the ceremonies, a final, electronic version of the commencement program book will be published with the names of graduates from the winter class of 2024. This class comprises all graduates, regardless of their commencement attendance, who received confirmation of their degree conferral between June 4 and December 10, 2024.
All registered graduates will have their names called as they cross the stage during their ceremony. Registered graduates will receive instructions on how to access MarchingOrder to confirm name spelling/accuracy and phonetic pronunciation by early December.
An academic title will only be read alongside a name if it corresponds to the degree for which the graduate is being recognized. For example, if John Smith is being recognized for his master’s degree during this ceremony, but holds a separate doctoral degree, their doctoral title will not be read. If they are being recognized for their doctoral degree, their doctoral title will be read.
Undergraduate honors, accolades, and honor society information (e.g., magna cum laude or National Society of Leadership and Success) will not be read during the individual recognition of each graduate.
Graduates who have earned an embedded graduate credential within their higher-level degree are only eligible to participate in commencement for their higher-level degree. Embedded graduate credentials will not be recognized during the commencement ceremony.
Graduates are required to wear regalia (a cap and gown) to walk in the ceremony. Walden does not provide rental gowns or gowns to keep. Graduates can purchase regalia through Herff Jones to be shipped to their home prior to the ceremony. The deadline to purchase regalia to have it in time for the ceremony is December 29, 2024.
Note: Most graduates purchase keepsake regalia. Doctoral graduates have the opportunity to purchase fine-quality regalia depending upon their future needs. More information about the regalia and their differences are explained in this video.
Walden awards Latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) and the Presidential Commendation for Academic Achievement (cumulative GPA of 4.0) at the bachelor’s level only.
Only honors-eligible graduates who register to attend in-person commencement will receive their Latin honors cord. Graduates attending an in-person ceremony will receive instructions on where to pick up their honors items on site.
Walden allows honors society graduates to wear all honors regalia (such as cords, sashes, and stoles) during the ceremony. Each honor society is responsible for the sale and distribution of these items, so we suggest that you contact the honors society or student organization for more details. Please view the honor societies/student organizations’ contact information on the Student Organizations website.
Graduates are responsible for identifying and contacting their respective honor societies for any event information, honor cords/commencement attire, or membership status.
GradImages will be on site to capture your big day! Photographers will be stationed to capture images of you before, during, and after crossing the stage. Stations will also be available to take additional photos or headshots. Pre-register with GradImages.
Do you plan on taking photos to celebrate this momentous occasion? Whether you are taking them at home or working with a photographer, use these tips to capture the perfect moment. Once you have these photos of you in your regalia, we encourage you to share your photos with us and post them on social media using #WaldenUGrad.
Walden University may film or photograph commencement and its associated activities for marketing and publicity purposes. By participating in these events, graduates and their guests may be photographed or filmed. These images belong to Walden University, and graduates are not entitled to compensation or fees for use of their image or likeness. If you have questions or concerns about this, please email [email protected] by December 10, 2024.
Walden has taken measures to ensure that our commencement venues are accessible and ADA compliant. All commencement ceremonies will be captioned live and held on a wheelchair accessible stage.
To help us better plan and accommodate, the commencement registration form provides graduates the option to let us know if they will be using the assistance of a mobility device (walker, wheelchair, scooter, etc.) when crossing the stage.
Once your degree is conferred, you receive automatic lifetime membership to the Walden University Alumni Association. You will receive an email welcoming you into the alumni association.
Alumni Association Benefits The Walden University Alumni Association offers a variety of opportunities for our alumni to connect with each other and the University.
- Walden Alumni Advantage – exclusive discounts at more than 300,000 retailers, including many of the national and local brands you know and love.
- Walden Connect – Our global alumni community. Engage with other Walden alumni and help leverage the collective power of our shared alumni network.
- Walden Alumni Library – Walden graduates receive online access to a wide variety of research data bases and resources.
- Career Services – As a Walden graduate, you have access to Career Services for life.
To learn more about our amazing Alumni Association, visit: https://www.waldenu.edu/alumni