Graduation
Congratulations to all of our graduates! This is your time to celebrate. Graduation Day is your day. You have worked hard for it, so enjoy it to the fullest.
This website is designed to provide you with all the information you will need regarding graduation and convocation. I trust you will find it informative. If you still have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Service Centre.
Dr. Paul S. Dixon
Associate Vice President (Enrolment Management) and Registrar
General Information
General information for graduation will be found in this first section, with specific Convocation information identified by section.
Deadlines for Applying to Graduate
- Fall Graduation - June 1st
- January Graduation - September 1st
- Spring Graduation - October 1st
Applying for Graduation
In order to graduate you must first apply for graduation. Please fill out the graduation application and submit to the Service Centre by the appropriate deadline.
A graduation audit will be conducted by Enrolment Services and you will be advised whether or not you meet requirements for graduation.
It is recommended that you seek advising from your Academic Advisor if you are unsure about your degree requirements.
Withdrawing from Graduation
If you wish to withdraw your application for graduation, you must submit a "Withdrawal of Application to Graduate" application to the Service Centre.
Graduating in Absentia
If you do not plan to attend your Convocation ceremony you must apply to Graduate in Absentia. Please return completed form to the Service Centre.
Convocation Information
Convocation is a joyous yet solemn event, bound by traditions which have evolved over centuries. It is a continuum with a formal beginning and an end. By attending the ceremony, you indicate your interest in being part of this academic tradition. Graduating students and their guests are therefore expected to remain in their seats until the formal ceremony has been completed in its entirety; the Chancellor of the University has officially closed Convocation; and members of Convocation, including the graduates, have left Convocation.
Two convocations are held each year. Fall Convocation takes place in October at the World Trade and Convention Centre and Spring Convocation is held in May at the Metro Centre. These off campus locations were chosen to accommodate the growing numbers of graduates while maintaining as much Santamarian flavor as possible.
President's Hall of Academic Excellence
Opened in May 2002, the President's Hall of Academic Excellence is a permanent and public listing of those undergraduates who earned an academic distinction in their degree and diploma programs. The Hall also includes the names of those students who were awarded Governor General's Gold and Silver Medals as well as the students who were presented with University Gold Medals. For more information, please click here.
Posting of Graduation List
Potential graduating lists are posted throughout the year on the bulletin board outside of the Service Centre. It is important for graduating students to check this list periodically to ensure their name and hometown designation are correct.
The final graduation list is posted immediately after the Senate meeting that approves the final list shortly before graduation.
Invitations to Convocation
These may be obtained when academic regalia is signed out. Each graduate is entitled to receive a reasonable number of invitations to Spring Convocation. These are basically souvenirs and will not be collected at the door of the Halifax Metro Centre as there is plenty of seating available for all who wish to attend either or both of the two Convocation ceremonies.
Invitations to Fall Convocation are limited to four per student as the venue at the Trade Centre location has limited seating capacity.
Alumni Pins
The Alumni Association presents Alumni Pins to each member of the graduating classes at Fall and Spring Convocations. These will be presented to students as they exit the Convocation Stage.
Convocation Program
In the Convocation Program any names added and/or other revisions made to the Graduation List after the Senate meeting are not reflected because information is sent to the off-campus printer as soon as the Senate meeting concludes.
The information in the Convocation Program is drawn from the Application for Graduation filed by potential graduates. The graduation list is posted and updated periodically. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that their name is on the list; that the spellings are correct; and that the home town is that which the student wishes to have listed in the Convocation Program.
Yearbook
As a result of a successful “Santamarian Yearbook Referendum” in March, 1994, each student makes an annual contribution of $7.00 if full-time, or $3.50 if part-time, to SMUSA, which entitles each graduate to receive a yearbook in their graduation year at no additional cost. Your yearbook will be mailed to the permanent address on file at the Service Centre directly from the plant.
Please make sure to update your mailing address at the Service Centre. Please be advised you will not receive your yearbook until the following February or later as the book includes both spring and fall graduates in a calendar year.
For further information, please contact Karla Hodge, the Administrative Assistant of SMUSA, Inc., 5 th Floor, Student Centre (tel. 902-496-8700; fax 902-425-4636).
This page last modified Wednesday, 31-Aug-2011 16:11:21 ADT