Congratulations on nearing the completion of your degree. Once you graduate, you will join an elite group of more than 360,000 Florida State alumni. Even though you will have completed your coursework, you will be a Seminole for life, and we promise FSU will always be your home.
Students must meet minimum University requirements as well as the specific requirements for their major/minor to graduate. The specific University requirements are listed in the Undergraduate University General Bulletin under the sections Undergraduate Degree Requirements and in the Graduate University General Bulletin under Graduate Degree and Certificate Requirements. To inquire about remaining major/minor requirements needed, to graduate students will need to make an appointment to meet with their academic advisor.
After you apply for graduation, a stop will be placed on any future registrations unless you have been readmitted to the university or your name has been removed from the graduation list.
When you receive a degree from the University, you are “discharged” as a student. If you wish to continue as a doctoral student, special (non-degree seeking) student, or to work on a second bachelor’s degree, you must apply for readmission to the University through the appropriate section of the Admission’s Office.
Master’s degree-seeking students must be readmitted through the Graduate Admissions Office.
FSU Panama City Commencement Ceremonies
FSU Panama City hosts a commencement ceremony at the end of each spring semester and welcomes all PC campus graduates (undergraduate & graduate level degree seeking students) that graduated in the previous summer and fall semesters to also participate alongside spring graduates.
THE SPRING 2025 FSU PANAMA CITY GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY WILL BE HELD ON SUNDAY, MAY 4th, AT TBD (CST) at TBD, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA.
The spring 2025 graduation commencement ceremony will be an in-person ceremony.
At this time, if a Panama City campus student wishes to participate in a spring, summer or fall commencement ceremony, they may participate in one of the FSU Tallahassee campus ceremonies by contacting the Tallahassee campus graduation staff at graduation@fsu.edu – be sure and specify that your campus location is FSU Panama City.
In the event of inclement weather, we will reschedule the event for a later date. Rescheduling the event will not delay awarding of your degree! See Diploma Information below for additional information. FSU Panama City will send official updates to students if inclement weather forces us to cancel/reschedule, so be sure to monitor your FSU email closely.
Please continue to monitor this webpage for additional information regarding the FSU Panama City campus spring 2025 commencement ceremony date/time and other details. Contact us at registrar@pc.fsu.edu or call (850) 770-2311 if you have any questions.
Graduation checklist
- Apply online for graduation: To earn your degree, you must apply for graduation through myFSU before the third week of the semester you wish to graduate. This is required to enable your academic deans' staff to review your academic records for degree completion. Applying online to graduate DOES NOT obligate you to participate in a commencement ceremony.
- Login at myFSU.
- Under myFSU Links on the left-hand side of the screen, click the SC icon.
- Under the Academics area, click the drop down box arrow and select Apply for Graduation.
- For further instructions, visit Apply to Graduate.
- Confirm intent to participate in the ceremony: After you have applied for graduation (see above), students will receive an email in early February 2025 with a link to a separate form to sign up/RSVP for the FSU PC graduation commencement ceremony and instructions for ordering your ceremony cap/gowns and formal graduation announcements. There will be a section in that online form for you to provide us with the pronunciation of your name which is announced as you cross the stage. Although the pronunciation of many names is obvious, some require special attention. If your name is one that is pronounced in a special way, please advise us how your name should be pronounced using the Phonetic Spelling Instructions key.
- Caps & Gowns and formal announcements: Information on how to order ceremony caps/gowns & announcements from our vendor Herff-Jones will be emailed to you AFTER you have signed up/RSVP’d using the form referenced above. Cap and gown orders must be made through our vendor Herff-Jones no later than (date TBD) in order for the regalia to reach your home address in time for the ceremony on Sunday May 4th. Orders will only be shipped by Herff-Jones to your home address and students will be responsible for returning them using a mailing label provided by the vendor. Announcement orders typically take about 3 weeks to deliver to the student, but etiquette states that you can mail announcements out to family and loved ones up to a month after the event.
- Guest tickets: Guest tickets will not be required for this event and graduates may invite as many guests as they like. The ceremony will be live streamed through our campus social media for those guests that are unable to attend in person.
- ADA accommodations/disability seating: If you or your guest requires special accommodations for seating and/or ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation during the ceremony, please contact us at (850) 770-2311 PRIOR to the ceremony so that we can arrange those needs ahead of time.
- Complete the Graduating Senior Survey requirement: Students must complete the Graduating Senior Survey to be cleared for graduation, which will be emailed to you two weeks prior to the last day of classes.
- Reminders and information: Be sure and monitor your FSU email often for updates, reminders and important information. Read and review the details provided in this correspondence carefully and in their entirety. If you have additional questions or need further assistance you may call the FSU Panama City registrars staff at (850) 770-2311 or email registrar@pc.fsu.edu. Please also note that we partner with two 3rd party vendors - Marching Order for ceremony sign-up and Herff-Jones for graduation regalia (caps/gowns, formal announcements, etc.).
- Receive your diploma: After you’re cleared by both your academic dean and the University Registrar’s Office, your diploma will be mailed to you. Please allow six to eight weeks after the semester ends for your diploma to arrive.
The Commencement Ceremony
FSU Panama City hosts a graduation commencement ceremony at the end of each spring semester and welcomes all PC campus graduates that graduated in the previous summer and fall semesters to also participate alongside spring graduates.
At this time, if a Panama City campus student wishes to participate in a summer or fall graduation commencement ceremony, they may participate in one of the FSU Tallahassee campus ceremonies by contacting the Tallahassee campus graduation staff at graduation@fsu.edu – be sure and specify that your campus location is FSU Panama City.
Please continue to monitor this webpage for additional information regarding the FSU Panama City campus spring 2024 graduation commencement ceremony date/time and other details. Contact us at registrar@pc.fsu.edu or call (850) 770-2311 if you have any questions.
The Grad Gala 2025
The FSU Panama City Student Government Council invites all Panama City campus students graduating in spring 2025 to the annual Grad Gala on TBD in the Holley Lecture Hall, (time TBD). The Grad Gala is a student-led celebration event that will include awards and recognition for registered student organizations, Deans recognitions, individual student awards and graduating student veteran coin/cord presentations. The Dean will also be providing a celebratory toast to all graduates!
Light refreshments will be provided. Business casual attire is recommended, but not required. Please RSVP/confirm your intent to attend by filling out this form, no later than TBD. 1-3 additional guests are allowed. Contact TBD if you have any questions.
Wearing regalia/tassels during the ceremony
Bachelor's Candidate Tassel:
Wear the tassel on right side of the cap until degrees are conferred. Move the tassel to left when the Dean/Provost directs you to do so during the ceremony.
Master's and Specialist's Candidate Tassel:
Gowns fasten at the neck, and hoods drape down the back. Wear your tassel on the left. For instructions on how to wear your hood, please visit https://herff.ly/HowToWearMasters.
Doctoral Candidate Tassel: Gowns fasten at the neck, and hoods drape down the back. Wear your tassel on the left. For instructions on how to wear your hood, please visit https://herff.ly/HowToWearMasters.
Degrees of distinction (honor cords)
Only undergraduate students are eligible for degrees of distinction. Every level of degree distinction (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude) requires you to meet the qualifications for both Cum GPA AND Combined Cum. Both GPA calculations have the same qualifying value range into which your average must fall to earn the specified degree of distinction.
| Range for Cum GPA | Range for Combined Cum | Degree of Distinction Earned | |
| 3.500 - 3.699 | & | 3.500 - 3.699 | = CUM LAUDE |
| 3.700 - 3.899 | & | 3.700 - 3.899 | = MAGNA CUM LAUDE |
| 3.900 or higher | & | 3.900 or higher | = SUMMA CUM LAUDE |
- Levels of degree distinction are calculated based on all attempted college-level work, regardless of how many years have elapsed since the hours were earned.
- IMPORTANT: All attempted college-level work comprises transfer credit, high school dual enrollment credit, and all credit earned at FSU.
- Remedial and vocational hours do not factor into the calculation.
- At least 40 letter-graded hours, including the final term's hours, must be taken at FSU.
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If both of the graduate’s GPA calculations fall within different ranges of distinction, then the distinction for the lower range will be the distinction awarded.
Cum GPA = the average of the hours you've taken ONLY at FSU. No transfer hours alter this average.
Combined Cum = the average of BOTH the Cum GPA AND the Transfer Cum GPA
Transfer Cum GPA = the average of your transfer hours, high school-dual enrollment hours, and the current term's completed, degree-required hours
You may review your Cum GPA, Transfer Cum GPA, and Combined Cum by accessing your unofficial transcript, or by going to Student Center and viewing your Student Services Center page.
Please note: Your anticipated level of degree distinction may vary after your final graduation clearance is completed. Due to official grades/GPAs not posting until after each semester’s graduation ceremony, all graduate’s GPA calculations for degrees of distinction honor cords will be based on the student’s previous semester GPA calculations. Actual distinctions earned upon graduation will be accurately reflected on final official transcripts.
For current/past graduates, university staff will determine each graduating student’s eligibility for the degree of distinction they earned. The appropriate degree of distinction honor cord will be provided to eligible students at the ceremony after they have checked in. Please contact the PC campus registrars office at (850) 770-2311 or email registrar@pc.fsu.edu if you have any further questions.
Student Veteran honor cords and Challenge Coins
In recognition of their outstanding service and achievements, all eligible student veterans, active duty/reservist/National Guard graduating students are provided with the Red, White, and Blue honor cord to be worn during your graduation commencement ceremony. These cords also represent FSU’s gratitude for our military service member’s service and sacrifice to our country.
Additionally, all graduating student veterans and active duty/reservist/National Guard members are presented with FSU’s own Military Veteran Challenge Coin during the spring semester’s Grad Gala event the week of the spring graduation ceremony (date/time TBD). Graduating student veterans/military members will be notified via their FSU email during the spring 2025 semester of the date/time and are invited to attend the Grad Gala for this presentation.
Please note: If you are not using VA benefits for educational purposes, but have served or are currently serving in a branch of the U.S. military, you must complete/submit the Self-Identified Veterans form so that we are able to identify you for eligibility for the military honor cord/coin. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact Jim Allen at jwallen@fsu.edu.
Walking/Participating EARLY in the Commencement Ceremony
Walking/Participating EARLY in the Commencement Ceremony
Participation as an Early Walker does not equate to graduating, as that is separate clearance process that requires completion of all degree requirements and a separate application submitted during the student’s final semester graduation application window. Panama City students requesting to walk/participate early in the Panama City campus spring Commencement Ceremony will only be considered for approval if the student will complete all degree/graduation requirements no later than the fall semester immediately following the term they participate in commencement.
Students wishing to walk/participate early in a Tallahassee campus ceremony must contact the Tallahassee campus registrar’s graduation office at graduation@fsu.edu or call (850) 644-1050 for consideration.
Panama City campus students must consult with their academic advisor to ensure all degree requirements will be completed no later than the fall semester immediately following the term they participate in Panama City campus commencement. The EARLY WALKER request form must be completed and submitted by the student’s academic advisor to 108 Barron or via email to registrar@pc.fsu.edu no later than MARCH 21, 2025 . The form must also be signed/acknowledged by the student.
*Early WALKERs are not eligible to be recognized during the commencement ceremony as having earned a Degree of Distinction (ex. cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude), as that honor is reserved for graduating students only.*
Students should NOT apply to graduate in the same semester they are requesting to walk/participate early in a commencement ceremony.
The EARLY WALKER request form must be submitted by an academic advisor on behalf of the student to the FSU Panama City campus Registrar at registrar@pc.fsu.edu or in the Barron Building rm 108 no later than March 21, 2025. Questions may also be directed to (850) 770-2311.
Diploma information
After you’re cleared by both your academic dean and the University Registrar’s Office, your diploma will be mailed to you. Please allow six to eight weeks after the semester ends for your diploma to arrive. Once shipped, you will receive an email with a tracking number. You will also receive info on how to order a CeDiploma (electronic version) in the meantime while the printed copy is on the way. If you have additional questions, please call (850) 644-1050.
Ordering a Replacement Diploma
We order diplomas weekly, and they are typically received within two to three weeks of the date on which we place the order.
To order a replacement diploma (size 11”x14”), you must send a written request with your signature and the information noted below. The Diploma Request Form is available as a PDF.
- Your name exactly as it should appear on the diploma (If your name changes, include a copy of your driver’s license or marriage license to have your new name printed on the diploma.)
- The semester and year of graduation
- Your major and degree
- Your mailing address
- A $10.00 check or money order (per diploma) payable to Florida State University
Replacement diplomas will be issued using the current diploma format; therefore, they may not be an exact replica of your original diploma. Replacement diplomas will include a “Replacement Diploma issued on [date]” statement in the lower left corner. This statement is generally hidden depending on the type of frame and matting used.
Transcripts
Visit the Transcripts page for instructions.
Diplomas and transcripts will not be released until the student has cleared all financial obligations to the university (i.e., parking fees, library fines, etc.). Degrees earned in spring 2025 will post to student’s official transcripts on May 30, 2025.
Federal regulations require that all recipients of long-term loans participate in an Exit Interview Counseling Session upon graduating. To conduct your online interview, please go to Federal Student Aid and follow the instructions under the Exit Counseling. Contact Kathryn Morgan in the FSU Panama City Financial Aid office at (850) 770-2311 with any questions you may have.
Veteran Transcript Waiver
In accordance with F.S. 1009.26 (17a), Florida State University will waive the transcript fee for a person who is an active duty member or an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Armed Forces and his or her spouse and dependents. The waiver covers the $10.00 transcript cost. The waiver does not cover additional services, such as tracking and expedited shipping. To change the shipping method to a courier service, please provide the appropriate pre-paid envelope to the Office of the Registrar in advance of requesting your official transcript(s).
Please carefully follow the instructions for the Veterans Transcript Waiver found here or email veterans@admin.fsu.edu.