Courtyard by Marriott Silver Spring North/White Oak – 12521 Prosperity Dr, Silver Spring, MD 20904 – 301-680-6500
Sheraton Silver Spring – 8777 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD – 301-589-0800
Step 1: Submit graduation application by the designated deadline (form on Registrar’s Office webpage)
Step 2: Receive notice from Office of the Registrar that I am eligible to participate (notification will be sent after add/drop period ends in the spring).Â
Step 3: RSVP you wish to attend commencement ceremony (Link will be sent to academically eligible participants in February)
Step 4 (can be done simultaneously with any of the steps): Receive participation
clearance from Financial Aid
Step 5 (can be done simultaneously with any of the steps): Receive participation clearance from Student Accounts
 Step 6 (can be done simultaneously with any of the steps): Order Regalia: herff.ly/wau
 Step 7: Completed survey’sÂ
Graduates must complete the following surveys:
- Graduating Student Survey   https://wau.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_82Ckf6cKSr99IW2
- Alumni Demographics & Future Plans Survey https://wau.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0dKmFklZn2fuYE5
The Registrar’s Office will notify you separately that you will be receiving either a latin honor or departmental distinction honor and will provide directions on how to receive it. This will occur around the time you will be allowed to begin picking up your regalia at the bookstore.  Honor cords are only provided to those who participate in the commencement ceremony.
To qualify for Latin honors, the GPAs designated below must be earned by the beginning of the final term in which the degree is expected. (For example, if a student is going to be a spring graduate, their Latin honors will be determined by the GPA they have earned at the end of their Fall semester or whatever was the last semester/term they had been enrolled in before the spring semester). Latin honors are determined by both of the following GPAs meeting the criteria. If only one of the following GPAs do not meet the criteria, a student will not have earned Latin honor status:
- All credits attempted at WAU
- All cumulative course work (overall GPA)
Latin Honor                    Minimum GPA
Cum laude ……………………………….3.50
Magna cum laude ……………………..3.75
Summa cum laude …………………….3.90
Students who graduate cum laude, magna cum laude or summa cum laude will have that status indicated on their transcripts and diplomas and noted in the commencement weekend program. Latin honors are only given to those in an undergraduate program and not eligible to those pursing a master’s degree. Latin honor cords will only be given to those participating in the commencement ceremony and not to those graduating in absentia.
Latin honors are based on the WAU cumulative g.p.a. and the overall cumulative g.p.a.
The minimum g.p.a. for both must be earned. If one is lower than the minimum than an individual is not eligible for the applicable latin honor.  Also, the minimum required g.p.a.’s must be earned at the end of the semester preceding your last semester. For example: If you are a spring graduate and you are enrolled in the spring semester by the end of the fall semester your WAU g.p.a. and cumulative g.p.a. must be between 3.500 and 3.749 in order to receive CUM Laude. Latin honors does not include grades received during your last semester of enrollment.
