The moment has finally come, senior year. The long wait is finally over, but how exactly do you apply for graduation? Senior year can be stressful but don’t let your graduation stress you, just follow these steps.
Firstly, check your eligibility and that you meet the graduation requirements. You need to have completed a certain number of credit hours in your major and be in good academic standing.
“They need to meet all the requirements in their degree works and the second point I want to remind students whoever submits their graduation application their degree works will be at 98%,” Jessica Zhang, department head of New Media, Journalism and Communication Arts, said.
To find your degree works go to your myNSU account, under the QuickLinks menu select ‘Degree Works’ and your information should be shown.
“Somehow our system sets 98% as the correct percentage for graduation, and your percentage unfortunately cannot be over 98% or under 98%. Under usually means you are still lacking a few classes to graduate. Over the percent can mean a few different things,” Zhang said. “Oftentimes, maybe you got a D in your minor area and you are supposed to get all grades at C or above, it is the student’s responsibility to talk to their department head to fix this.”
After you have checked your eligibility on your degree works and qualify for the requirements, talk to your advisor or department head to make sure everything is correct and you are set to graduate.
Once your advisor or department head gives you the thumbs up on graduating, then you can move on to the next step which is to apply for graduation.
Applying for graduation is fairly simple. First, go to your myNSU account, then select NSU Connect from the QuickLinks menu, go to the student tab and select ‘Student Records.’ Then, click on ‘Apply to Graduate’ and follow the instructions to complete your application. If you are a Spring graduate of 2025 the deadline to apply for graduation was March 1, 2025. You want to make sure you apply for graduation within the first three months of the semester.
You can also find this guide here on “How-to-apply-for-graduation.”
After applying for graduation, make sure your application has been received. To view your application under student records go to ‘View Application to Graduate’ and confirm all of your information.
After that is done, you can now proceed to order your cap and gown. You can do this directly at the NSU Campus Store located at 912 University Parkway or you can order online at the Jostens webpage.
You can also do all of this during events like Grad Fest or Senior Send Off, organized by the NSU Alumni Association. Usually, these events happen early in the semester, the ring ceremony/senior send off will happen in the Natchitoches NSU campus at the Collins Pavillion on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Grad Fest is an opportunity for graduating seniors to visit booths with information about becoming an alumni, but most importantly is a chance for you to take a senior headshot that can be purchased later and will be included in the yearbook. During this special event, you can also order announcements, class rings and enjoy the event with a few other graduating seniors.
Since purchasing a cap and gown can be pricey, programs like the ‘Gowns for Grads’ were made. This program allows graduating students to rent caps, gowns, tassels, chords and stoles at no cost.
Te program is donation-based and continues to grow due to support from the NSU community, students and faculty.
Jennifer Shaw, research associate for the Title IV-E program, started this effort by gathering a few donated caps and gowns from her friends for her students and has grown the program since.
“So now I take donated caps, gowns, cords, stoles, I take it all. I’ve got a QR code that links to our foundation account. I beg for students who borrow items to donate. They get to keep their tassels as a souvenir, but those tassels cost me like $8 a piece so if they can just donate like $10, I can buy tassels for next semester,” Shaw said.
To apply to rent a cap and gown visit here. If you would like to donate your cap and gown, you can drop them off on the third floor of Kyser Hall in room 343H or at the NSU police station with Captain Wesley Harrell. If you would like to make a monetary donation to the foundation click here.
With only a few weeks left for the May 14 and 15 commencement ceremonies, it’s important to let families from out of town know to start booking their stays early, at least a month prior. This is due to so many people coming into town and staying in hotels, you want to make sure you or your family have a place to stay.
If you are a Spring 2025 graduate, make sure to check out this important information including commencement ceremony dates, academic attire and the breakdown of the ceremony.
Most importantly don’t forget to enjoy this special day, make sure to invite all your friends and family.
