Graduation Home
Important Dates
| Graduation Banquet | |
|---|---|
| Date & Time: | Friday, July 13, 2018, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Location: |
Christ Community Church Milpitas - Social Hall (Ministry Center) 1000 South Park Victoria Dr. Milpitas, CA 95035 |
| Notes: |
Each graduate is allowed to bring up to three guests. The cost of the graduate and first guest is covered by the seminary as our gift to you. Tickets for the second and third guest will be available for purchase. Student Services will send a link to the event site via e-mail. Registrations and ticketing begin on June 1, 2018. All graduates planning to attend the banquet are required to RSVP by June 30, 2018. |
| Commencement | |
|---|---|
| Date & Time: | Saturday, July 14, 2018, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. |
| Location: |
Christ Community Church Milpitas - Sanctuary (Worship Center) 1000 South Park Victoria Dr. Milpitas, CA 95035 |
| Notes: |
Graduates are required to arrive by 8:30 a.m. for rehearsal. Class photo will be taken at 9:00 a.m. Doors open for guests at 10:30 a.m. (no tickets needed). Refreshments/light snacks will be served following the ceremony. Balloons are strictly prohibited inside the sanctuary. |
| Commencement Day Timeline | |
|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | Graduates arrive for rehearsal. Please bring your graduation regalia. |
| 9:00 a.m. | Graduates will take class photo. |
| 10:30 a.m. | Doors open for guests to enter the sanctuary. |
| 11:00 a.m. | Commencement ceremony begins. |
| 12:15 p.m. | Commencement ceremony ends. Refreshments/light snacks will be provided in the lobby area as well as outside the worship center. |
Academic Regalia
We will order your cap, gown, hood, and tassel using the height and weight that you provide on your Application to Graduate. In order to minimize graduation costs for you, we order a nice quality, but not the finest available. The regalia is from an eco-friendly line of gowns, reusable, and yours to keep. There is no extra fee in addition to the application to graduate fee (see Graduation Requirements).
Your hood and tassel will be one of two colors:
- Red is for the master's level ministry degrees: MA(BTS), MAML, M.Div.
- White is for the master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.
Regalia Distribution
Graduation regalia is available for pickup between June 7, 2018, to June 29, 2018. If you have any questions, please contact Williana Purnama at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Morene Chow at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Regalia Care
Please plan on steaming your gown prior to commencement. Do not iron the velvet portion of the hood as it may cause damage to it.
Photography
A professional photographer will be taking pictures during the graduation banquet and commencement ceremony. A class photo (group picture of all the graduates) will be taken at the rehearsal. During the ceremony, each graduate will be photgraphed while being hooded by the faculty and shaking hands with Western Seminary President, Dr. Randy Roberts. Photos will be available for download and prints will be available for purchase about 2 weeks following graduation. Student Services will send the link via email.
Diploma
It usually takes the Registrar's Office about 6-9 weeks to confirm and ship diplomas post graduation. Graduates will receive diplomas by mail, provided that the following conditions have been met:
- All final grades have been submitted by faculty and the graduate's degree has been certified.
- All account balance has been cleared with the Finance Office.
- The Financial Aid Exit Interview has been completed (for graduates who received federal loans)
Legal Name
Like your transcript, your diploma will be an official document. Therefore, we will be using your full, legal name. If you have legally changed your name prior to graduating, you must submit a Name Change Form prior to the last week of the semester in which your degree will be certified.
Honors
Honors are determined by your final grade point average (GPA).
| Rank | Final GPA |
|---|---|
| Honors | 3.60 - 3.74 |
| High Honors | 3.75 - 3.89 |
| Highest Honors | 3.90 - 4.0 |