Student Information
All School of Public Health (Public Health) students who will have completed their degree requirements before or during Fall 2019, Winter 2020, or Summer 2020 Terms are welcome to participate in both the School of Public Health Graduation Ceremony on April 30, 2020 and the University-wide Spring Commencement on May 2, 2020.
Students receiving a PhD or MS degree may also be eligible to participate in the (Rackham) University Graduate Exercises on May 1, 2020.
- To receive a degree, all students must "Apply for Graduation" through Wolverine Access by April 21st. Details on how to apply for graduation can be found in this PDF.
AND - You must register to attend the Public Health Graduation. If you have any questions, please contact Public [email protected].
School of Public Health Graduation tickets are NOT required for guests attending the Public Health Graduation Ceremony. There is no limit on the number of guests who can attend. However, students must register the number of guests for the Public Health Graduation Ceremony AND reception when they complete the online registration form to participate in the Public Health Graduation Ceremony.
Please note, tickets ARE required for the University-wide Spring Commencement for both graduates and guests. Learn more.
Assembly
The FRONT and WEST doors at Hill Auditorium will open at 11:30 a.m. for all graduates and their guests. All Graduates and guests with mobility limitations (wheelchair, walker, etc.) should enter from the WEST entrance off Thayer near the ramp.
Graduates should assemble at Hill in their academic attire and go directly to the Graduate Check-in Area in the lower lobby to pick up your name card and to complete a card for the photographer. You will hand these cards to the marshal on stage when receiving your recognition. From the Graduate Check-in Area, graduates will be directed to find a seat in the auditorium. Seating for graduates will be reserved on the main floor in designated sections by degree (MPH, MHSA, MS, PhD, BA, BS). There will be staff in the auditorium to direct you to the appropriate section. Students must be seated in the auditorium by 12:15 p.m. If graduates would like to sit near specific classmates with the same degree, please find each other in the Graduate Check-in Area in the lower lobby prior to taking your seats in the auditorium.
Graduates - please do not bring any valuables or anything that does not fit in your pockets. There is no safe place to store them.
When you cross the stage to be recognized, you will want to have both hands free and be unencumbered by extra items. Out of courtesy to others and for your own safety, we ask that you not bring items with you to the ceremony.
Footwear
We highly recommend that you wear shoes that are comfortable, supportive, and suitable for standing, walking, and climbing steps.
Reception
All graduates, their family, and their friends are invited to attend the School of Public Health Graduation Reception to be held on Ingalls Mall (adjacent to Hill Auditorium) immediately following the ceremony. Students must register the number of guests when they complete the online registration form to participate in the Public Health Graduation Ceremony.
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 11:30 a.m. | Hill Auditorium FRONT and WEST doors open for graduates and guests. Graduates and
guests with mobility limitations (wheelchair, walker, etc.) enter from WEST entrance
off Thayer near the ramp. Graduates arrive and proceed to the Graduate Check-in Area in the lower lobby, visit the registration tables, and are directed to find a seat in the auditorium (by degree). |
| 12:15 p.m. | Graduates must be seated in the auditorium |
| 12:30 p.m. | Graduation begins promptly with procession of faculty |
| 2:30 p.m.. | Ceremony ends and reception on Ingalls Mall (adjacent to Hill Auditorium) beings. Although we are not able to predict the exact end time of the ceremony, 2:30 p.m. should be a reasonable approximation. Most guests typically leave the reception after an hour. |
Master's Degree Graduates
Diplomas for Winter 2020 Term graduates will be mailed by mid-July to the permanent address students have specified in Wolverine Access. Diplomas for Summer 2020 Term graduates will be mailed by mid-November.
Doctoral Degree Recipients
PhD graduates attending the University Graduate Exercises will receive their diplomas at the program. Those who do not attend the University Graduate Exercises may pick up their diplomas at the Office of the Registrar, Diploma Department in the LSA Building at 500 State Street, Suite 5000, during regular business hours in the week prior to, and the week after commencement. You must call 734-763-9066 in advance. Diplomas not picked up during that time will be mailed to the permanent address students have specified in Wolverine Access.
Name Change on Diploma
In order to change your name, add your middle name, or middle initial to your diploma, you will need to add it to your academic record. Once your name is updated on your academic record, you should be able to log into Wolverine Access to access your graduation application and add the updated name to appear on the diploma. Tuesday, April 21st, 2020 is the deadline to make this change.This can be done two ways:
- by personally visiting the the Central Registrar's Wolverine Services Office and providing legal proof of your name (e.g., driver's license, birth certificate, passport, etc.). Their contact information is below. You will need to bring a photo ID with you for this process.
- by sending a copy of your legal proof of your name (e.g., driver's license, birth certificate, passport, etc.) via e-mail to [email protected]. Be sure to provide a clear explanation of what changes you want to make.
Wolverine Services - Central Campus
Office of the Registrar
University of Michigan
2200 Student Activies Building (SAB)
515 E. Jefferson Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1316
Office 734-647-3507
Fax 734-763-9053
The hours of operations are from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday.
Graduates participating in any University of Michigan graduation ceremonies must wear official U-M academic attire. You can obtain your academic attire in one of three ways:
- You may purchase your attire when you register to participate in graduation, or follow this link.
- Order from one of two Barnes and Noble locations on campus (details below):
- Pierpont Commons Bookstore
- Michigan Union Bookstore
- Utilize the Public Health Cap and Gown Re-use Program (see information in the next section).
March 6, 2020: deadline to order for free shipping to the School of Public Health. Gowns should be available for pick up the week of April 13th. You will be contacted directly by Public Health staff with more details.
April 13, 2020: deadline to order to ship directly to your home. You must pay the shipping fee of $15.95.
Graduates may also order their academic attire from the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at Pierpont Commons or the Michigan Union (see locations below):
- Pierpont Commons, 734-668-6022, at 2101 Bonisteel Blvd. Store hours are 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Friday
- Michigan Union, 734-995-8877, at 530 S. State Street. Store hours are 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday-Thursday, and 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Friday
Graduates should have their gown steamed/ironed prior to graduation day. At the very least, it is suggested that graduates remove the gown from the package to allow the wrinkles to settle.
All rented attire must be returned to the Pierpont Commons or Michigan Union Bookstore by Wednesday, May 6th.
Public Health Cap and Gown Re-use Program
The Public Health Sustainability Initiative (PHSI) runs a cap and gown re-use program so that Public Health students can rent a graduation cap, gown and hood!
How it works:
- Contact PHSI at [email protected] to request rental attire
- PHSI will update graduates about availability and pick-up/return details.
- Rentals costs are:Graduation Gowns: Rental fee= $40.00, Deposit = $30.00
- Graduation Caps: Rental fee= $10.00, Deposit = $5.00
- Graduation Hoods: Rental fee = $30.00, Deposit = $20.00
- Gown + Cap + Hood: Rental fee = $80.00, Deposit = $55.00
- This is a rental program, therefore if there is any part of the graduation attire
that you would like to keep and/or decorate please purchase those items separately
from this program. Upon return of the rented items you will be given back the deposit
portion of the rental fee. Failure to return items rented in the condition in which
they were rented, forfeits the deposit.
Important notes:
Important notes:
- There are limited rentals and sizes available, so contact PHSI early! It's first-come, first-served.
- Cash or Venmo (@umphsi) only please.
- Students will need to buy their own tassels.
- PHSI also accepts donations of caps and gowns from graduated students.
For questions, please contact Lauren Balotin ([email protected]) or Madeline Kupor ([email protected]).
Hood Colors
To ensure that you purchase the correct hood, please note your hood color:
| Degree | Program | Hood Color |
|---|---|---|
| MHI | health informatics | silver grey |
| MHSA | public health | salmon |
| MPH | public health | salmon |
| MS | science | gold |
| PhD |
all |
royal blue |
Faculty members: Instructions for ordering academic attire can be found on the Faculty Information page. Please note the Wednesday, April 8 deadline for ordering if you do not have your own attire.
Degrees with distinction are awarded on the basis of rank in class. Undergraduate students who have completed at least 58 credits in residence, at least 45 of which are "graded" (A+ to D-), and rank in the top five percent of their class are recommended for a degree "with Highest Distinction." Those students who rank in the top 10 percent of their class but not in the top five percent are recommended for a degree "with High Distinction." Those students who rank in the top 25 percent of their class but not in the top 10 or 5 percent are recommended for a degree "with Distinction." A notation is made on the diploma and the transcript.
The GPA ranges for the distinction are determined at the end of each May based on the cumulative GPAs of the School’s Winter term class of graduating bachelor’s degree students. Estimated GPA ranges are based on the fall term grades of the first graduating class, those ranges are noted below.
- Highest Distinction = 3.945 – 4.000
- High Distinction = 3.923 – 3.944
- Distinction = 3.795 – 3.922
Students who will graduate with distinction may wear maize cords to indicate this achievement. There are no honor cords specific to each grade-point-average distinction level. Honor cords may be purchased at stores selling academic attire.
If you would like to pre-register to receive information about the photo proofs after the event or would like to review the additional products or services offered, please visit this website www.graduationfoto.com.
The University of Michigan wants to ensure that all graduates, candidates, and guests can participate fully in graduation. All requests for accommodations are made in cooperation with the Accessibility Task Force of the Council for Disability Concerns. All requests for accommodations should be made by Monday, April 13. This request can be made two ways: by e-mailing [email protected] or by filling out the information in the Public Health Graduation Registration site.
A sign language interpreter will be present and there will be captioning monitors.
If you or your guest(s) have mobility limitations (wheelchair, walker, etc.) please plan to enter Hill Auditorium from the WEST entrance (off Thayer Street) nearest the ramps into the auditorium. Ushers will be available to assist in locating wheelchair-accessible seating and restrooms for guests. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions regarding your needs.