Application
All students who are nearing the completion of degree requirements must submit a graduation application to the Registrar's Office for the term in which they intend to graduate. The application can be found in the “Graduation Overview” section of Sunbird Central.
A graduation application is required for degree conferral, but submitting an application does not guarantee conferral in the given term. Graduation applications are valid for two consecutive semesters (for example, an application submitted for the 2026 Spring term would be valid in 2026 Spring and 2026 Fall). If a graduation application expires, the student must re-apply in order for their degree to be conferred.
Deadlines
Priority Application Deadline: February 28
- $100 application fee
- Name included in Commencement program
Late Application Period: March 1-31
- $100 application fee
- $50 late fee
- Name not included in Commencement program
Students that apply after the Late Application Period are not eligible to participate in Commencement. This is non-petitionable, and no exceptions will be granted.
Commencement Participation
Eligibility to participate in the Commencement ceremony is determined by two factors:
- Evidence that all degree requirements will be completed by the end of the following summer semester (proof of registration in all remaining classes must be provided).
- Fulfillment of financial obligations to the university. Students must be up-to-date on their student account payments to be eligible to participate in the ceremony.
Students will receive official clearance to participate in the Commencement ceremony from a degree evaluator in the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Honors
Honors are only awarded in Traditional Undergraduate and Degree Completion Programs
Latin Honors recognized at commencement ceremonies are calculated based on completed FPU coursework. Honors are reevaluated at the time of degree conferral, once all final grades are posted. Honors listed in the printed Commencement program are provisional and may differ from what is printed on a student’s diploma and transcript.
Honors at graduation for baccalaureate recipients require a minimum of 39 completed institutional units. Provisional honors are determined after the first session of the spring semester. In addition to the minimum of 39 institutional units, students must have an institutional GPA of 3.55 or higher (not rounded). No exceptions will be made for either the unit or GPA requirement. The specific level of honors is determined by the student’s GPA according to the following:
- Summa Cum Laude 3.90-4.00
- Magna Cum Laude 3.70-3.89
- Cum Laude 3.55-3.69
Posting of Degrees
Completed degrees are posted to transcripts following the completion of all degree requirements and a final evaluation by the Registrar's Office. The final evaluation process may take up to one month following the last term in which coursework was taken.
Degree Completion (DC)
- The conferral date listed will be the last day of the term (Sunday) in which the degree requirements were satisfied.
Traditional Undergraduate (TUG) and Graduate
- Degrees will be conferred on the last day of the student’s last completed session or end of semester in which the degree requirements were satisfied.
Diplomas
Diplomas are ordered approximately one month after a student’s degree has posted to their transcript. All FPU financial obligations must be met for a student’s diploma to be mailed. Diplomas are mailed to the address provided on the graduation application. If you need to update the address you have on file, please log into Sunbird Central and do so. If you need to update the name that will be printed on your diploma, please find the appropriate form on the Registrar's Office Forms page.
Fresno Pacific University uses a third-party vendor for diploma printing. Once ordered, diplomas take 4-6 weeks to arrive. You will receive an e-mail that your diploma has been mailed. Once the third party verifies shipment, Fresno Pacific University is not responsible for the tracking of the item. If you experience issues receiving your diploma, please contact your post office.
If you need to order additional copies, please fill out a diploma reprint request form. If damaged, the original diploma must be returned. Reissued diplomas adhere to the current format and bear the signatures of current university officers (no exceptions). A reissue statement appears on all reissued diplomas. Send the completed diploma reprint request form to Registrar@fresno.edu. Shipping fees may apply.
Please note: Diploma covers are only given to students that attend commencement.
Other Information
Career Support
FPU’s Calling & Career Center would like to support your post-graduate career success! All of our services are available for free to all FPU grads (from any campus or program) through in-person or virtual appointments with a career counselor or as self-directed resources through our website.
We also provide a free online job board, Handshake, that is exclusively available to all FPU alumni and gives you access to employers who are targeting FPU in their recruitment.
Services include:
- Resume and cover letter review
- Career exploration
- Grad school and career planning
- Job and internship searches (local, national, virtual)
- Professional networking/connections to employers
- Interview preparation
- Salary negotiation
Contact the Calling & Career Center with your questions or schedule an appointment at 559-453-2220 or career.services@fresno.edu.
Alumni Office
Congratulations on graduating! As a graduate of FPU, you are a Sunbird for life. We are dedicated to helping you stay informed, interested and active in the FPU community!
Follow the FPU Alumni Facebook and Instagram pages and visit fpu.edu/alumni to stay updated and connected to resources, benefits, opportunities and events. If there's a way we can serve you, please contact us at alumni@fresno.edu or 559-453-3682.