Ready to Graduate?
Follow each of these steps by their deadlines to graduate on time!
RSVPs Required for Commencement
(Check Back Mid- to Late-February 2025 for Exact Details)
Commencement ceremonies will be held May 9-10, 2025. All graduates and their guests must RSVP to participate or attend graduation.
There are several times students can graduate each year, and the deadline to petition to graduate is typically two months prior to the graduation date.
Upcoming Graduation Dates and Deadlines
May 2025 Graduation
Petitions to graduate forms due to the departments/Academic Affairs in February 2025.
Commencement ceremonies will be held May 9-10, 2025.
Petitions will be routed to the correct staff member once form is completed and submitted.
NOTE: An email confirming receipt of the petition will be sent upon submission.
Students who have completed all their academic requirements to graduate must clear their Student Business Office account balance prior to diploma and transcript release. Credit card payments are subject to a 2.75% convenience fee. Check payments have a holding period of 10 days before release of transcripts.
For more information, call the Business Office at 800-981-9803 or email bursar@webster.edu.
Be sure to Register for Graduation (registration open soon) and check webster.edu/commencement for updates.
Accordion
Graduates are required to wear a cap and gown for the graduation ceremonies. Current/former military may opt to wear their dress uniform. Please see the FAQ page (coming soon) for information on regalia.
The deadlines for ordering regalia for students are:
- 10:59 p.m. on April 14, for FedEx Ground Shipping (lowest cost).
- Between 8 a.m., April 15 and 10:59 p.m. on April 24 for FedEx two-day shipping.
- Students should visit the online student regalia page to place their orders.
- All students are encouraged to order online, as the Webster Bookstore will have limited supplies on site.
Webster University Bookstore
554 Garden Ave.
Webster Groves, MO 63119
314-968-5936
Bookstore Hours
9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Thursday
9 a.m.-3 p.m., Friday
Herff Jones, Webster University's cap and gown provider, offers directions on how to wear your graduation regalia:
International Students
Inquiries About Letter for Families:
According to the U.S. Department of State, invitation letters submitted as part of the visitor visa process are not reviewed and are, therefore, unnecessary. As a result, the University does not write letters for family members and friends.
If you are graduating and have family and friends traveling to attend your Commencement Ceremony, you should provide details of the Commencement Ceremony (date/time/place, copy of your petition to graduate) to your family and friends. Details can be found on the Commencement page as they become available.
For additional information about U.S. consulate or embassy locations and application procedures, review the U.S. Department of State visa information.
Providing your family members with additional documentation may be helpful; however, there is no guarantee a visa will be issued. The success of their request for a visa lies in their ability to prove that they have no intention of staying permanently in the U.S.
For questions concerning Petition to Graduate or Steps to Graduation, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 314-246-6905 or email oacadaff@webster.edu.
For all questions related to Commencement ceremony logistics, please contact Special Events at 314-246-6959 or specialevents@webster.edu.
