Commencement

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts
1601 Broadway Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64108
Commencement will take place in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre on the main level. The student holding room will be in the Helzberg Hall on the main level. A reception will take place following commencement in the main lobby on the main level.

The Commencement Ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. We ask that graduates arrive for registration STARTING at 12:30 p.m. so we can provide you with instructions and line up details for the processional.

Note: Handicap accessible seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please let us know by July 1, 2017 if you require accommodations for special needs. (For example, a sign language interpreter, scooter accessible seating, etc.) Please email grad@grantham.edu with your requests.

We anticipate the ceremony will last about 1½ hours with remarks from our Keynote Speaker; a hooding ceremony for our master's graduates; remarks from a Grantham student/alumni representative; and individual recognition of each graduate.

Tickets are required for Commencement. Tickets are complimentary. The ticket ordering process will become available when registration opens on April 21, 2017. A maximum of 5 guests per graduate are allowed. This will help ensure adequate seating for everyone.

While there is no cost to attend the Commencement Ceremony, students will be responsible for the cost of the following: regalia – including hoods and/or tassels, travel to and from Kansas City, hotel accommodations and any other purchases you choose to make (i.e. – Grantham gear, diploma frames, etc.).

You are not registered for Commencement by completing the Application for Graduation.The Application for Graduation is separate from Commencement registration. Register for Commencement at www.grantham.edu/graduation.

Every prospective graduate of Grantham University completes the Application for Graduation during the last term and prior to finishing all coursework. An audit will be conducted of student records to ensure all the necessary transcripts are on file, courses in the degree program have been completed and all financial obligations are met.

The $100 fee covers the cost of processing, printing, packaging and mailing your diploma and your official transcript. The Commencement Ceremony itself is complimentary.

While there are no graduation-related events planned immediately before Commencement, all graduates are invited to join us the day before, Friday, August 4, for a Meet & Greet at Union Station from 4 - 7 p.m.

Union Station
Sprint Festival Plaza - Union Station Main Lobby
30 West Pershing Rd., Kansas City, Missouri, 64108.

This is the perfect opportunity to meet some of the Grantham Life Changers you’ve worked with throughout your degree program, network with fellow graduates and just have a bit of fun before the big day.

Grantham will host a reception immediately following the ceremony. It will last until about 5:00 p.m. During the reception, graduates and their guests are invited to enjoy complimentary light refreshments while mingling and celebrating with their fellow Grantham alumni and favorite Life Changers.

You will need to order your regalia. More information will be made available in the Spring of 2017 on the new ordering process. For concerns, you can email grad@grantham.edu.

If you are receiving a Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration – Project Management or Master of Business Administration – Information Management - Master of Science Business Intelligence, select Business Administration as your major/curriculum.

If you are receiving a Master of Science in Information Technology, Master of Science in Information Management – Project Management, Master of Science in Information Management Technology or Master of Science in Performance Improvement, select Science as your major/curriculum.

If you are receiving a Master of Healthcare Administration, select Health Care Administration as your major/curriculum.

If you are receiving a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), select Nursing as your major/curriculum.

Grantham University recognizes students who have achieved academic excellence while pursuing their degrees with honor cords. They will be distributed at graduation based according to the following guidelines:

Undergraduate
An undergraduate degree recipient achieving high academic performance is recognized according to cumulative grade point average as follows:

Summa Cum Laude – 3.90 to 4.00
Magna Cum Laude – 3.70 to 3.89
Cum Laude – 3.50 to 3.69

Graduate
At graduation, a master's degree recipient achieving high academic performance is recognized according to cumulative grade point average as follows:

With Distinction - 3.67 to 4.00

No. We do not hand out diplomas during the ceremony.

Instead, you will be presented with a special University scroll as you cross the stage. This is, in part, because our coursework is based on terms rather than the traditional semester, and students graduate at different times throughout the year.

Once a student finishes his/her final term, a degree audit will be performed to verify all academic degree requirements have been satisfied (CGPA minimum and all required courses successfully completed). Once the student record is verified, your degree will be conferred.

Diplomas are ordered once the Registrar's Office confirms that a student has also completed all non-academic requirements (submitted completed graduation application, paid $100 graduation fee and student's account balance is paid in full). Diplomas will be delivered via FedEx for students located in the United States and first-class mail for P.O. boxes, APO, FPO and overseas addresses and will generally arrive in the mail 4-6 weeks following the verification of all completed requirements.

More information will be available in Spring of 2017. If you have concerns please email grad@grantham.edu.