Skip to content

Graduation

Getting Ready to Graduate from the UW School of Nursing?

Congratulations on reaching this important milestone! Whether you’re preparing to graduate soon or just planning ahead, we’re excited to support you through the final steps of your academic journey.

Even if you’ve completed all your degree requirements, graduation from the University of Washington is not automatic. There are specific steps you must take to officially graduate and receive your diploma. For students in the UW School of Nursing, the most important step is to watch for communication and connect as needed with your academic adviser to initiate your graduation application with the UW Registrar’s Office and/or the Graduate School.

Graduation Checklist

UW and the Graduate School have checklists that assist students as they prepare for graduation. Review the links below and information related to UW graduation, Commencement, and Convocation, a quarter or two before your final quarter.

For information specific to student populations, such as undergraduates, graduate, international, etc., review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Frequently Asked Questions

To help you navigate the process, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions about how to apply to graduate, what to expect, and how to prepare for commencement.

Convocation FAQs

No. Graduation is not automatic. All students must apply to graduate through their academic adviser, and depending on your program, you need to review the information linked within School of Nursing Policy 1.5: Program Duration & Graduation Eligibility and the UW University Requirements.

Watch your email. You will receive emails with information for graduating students. Additional information, depending on your program, can be found on your program Canvas page. Additionally, review information in School of Nursing Policy 1.5: Program Duration & Graduation Eligibility, as each program has its own process.

The School of Nursing hosts several events:

  • Convocation & Awards Ceremony (All programs) – Held in June
  • Pinning Ceremonies:
    • BSN – Spring
    • ABSN (Autumn start) – Summer
    • ABSN (Spring start) – Winter
    • DNP – Winter

Convocation and pinning ceremony details are emailed to students and posted on the nursing student website.

Yes. The UW Commencement at Husky Stadium is held on the second Saturday in June, the day after the School of Nursing Convocation. To be listed in the program, follow the UW Commencement eligibility guidelines.

UW International Student Services (ISS) offers info sessions for graduating international students as well as a great Final Quarter Checklist. Students can learn more about these final quarter info sessions here, but a particularly important thing to consider is application timing for OPT (Optional Practical Training) authorization for employment after graduation. This process can take 3-5 months to complete, so it should be started as soon as possible.

Through the final year checklist and info sessions, ISS will also cover regulations on final quarter credit loads, travel, on and off-campus employment, and inviting families to visit the U.S. for graduation.

UW Baccalaureate Honors are: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Summa Cum Laude. These honors are awarded upon graduation to undergraduates who are earning their first bachelor’s degree with at least 90 credits taken at UW. Of these 90 credits, 60 must be numerically graded (extension credits do not count toward these 60 credits). These honors awards are not directly related to the Departmental or College Honors Programs. They also represent the top 10% of students in each of the UW’s schools and colleges.

Students graduating with Baccalaureate Honors are given a gold honor cord to wear for the UW Commencement Ceremony. For students graduating in the Spring, the honors listed in the Commencement Program (and honor cord distribution) are based on the students’ cumulative GPA through the preceding Winter Quarter. Spring Quarter grades are ultimately included in the credit totals and GPA calculations, determining whether the honors are posted to the student’s final record. You can find more information about baccalaureate honors, the Dean’s list, and other honors societies on the UW Baccalaureate Honors site.

School of Nursing Baccalaureate Departmental Honors: The UW School of Nursing offers a baccalaureate Honors program for students in the BSN program. Students apply for admission to the Honors Program during the Spring quarter of the first year in the BSN program, and they are notified prior to the end of the Spring quarter if they have been accepted. All requirements for graduating With Honors in Nursing are met during the second year of the BSN program.

Requirements:

  • Current enrollment in the BSN program
  • Minimum of a 3.3 cumulative UW GPA
  • Minimum of a 3.5 cumulative UW School of Nursing GPA
  • Participation in NURS 445: Topics in Nursing (a total of three credits): This course extends through the fall, winter, and spring quarters. Students receive 1 credit per quarter
  • Completion of four credits of mentored research experience during senior year with an individual faculty mentor’s code (NMETH 499 Undergraduate Research, independent study): Students can register for either 1 or 2 credits per quarter (e.g., Autumn – 1 credit, Winter -2 credits, Spring – 1 credit)
  • Enroll in the honors section of NMETH 450 (winter): Students enroll in this course using an honors section SLN code
  • Participation in the Undergraduate Research Symposium poster session (spring quarter)

It depends on the event that you are attending. Commencement typically allows for more guests to attend than departmental events that may be hosted at smaller-capacity venues.

For UW Commencement, you can find full details on tickets for guests starting around April each year. Departmental events will typically let students know how many guests they can bring during the RSVP process. Watch your email for more information.

Both the Commencement and departmental celebration events will ask students to complete a registration form as part of the process for attending.

  • Continue working with your adviser to ensure all requirements are met.
  • Monitor your UW email for updates from the Registrar.
  • After the quarter ends and grades are posted, your degree will be reviewed and, if approved, officially conferred.

  • For ceremony details, check the School of Nursing Ceremonies page
  • For specific questions, email asknursing@uw.edu
  • For graduation eligibility or advising questions, contact:

  • If you have a locker or carrel assigned, please clean out and turn in any assigned keys to the person who assigned them to you. If you do not clean out these areas, we will remove items, and they will be donated. You will be charged if you do not return any keys.

Preparing for What Comes Next: Career & Graduate Planning for UW School of Nursing Students

Supporting students as they prepare for the next chapter—whether that is entering the workforce, pursuing advanced education, joining professional associations, or exploring global opportunities—is a vital part of the UW School of Nursing experience.

The School of Nursing encourages students in all programs—BSN, ABSN, DNP, and PhD—to engage early and often with career development resources. In addition to program-specific advising, students are strongly encouraged to connect with their faculty, Program Directors, committee chair/members, and career coaches at the UW Career & Internship Center, who offer tailored guidance on job searches, interview preparation, networking, and application materials.

If you are ready to explore job or internship opportunities, the UW Handshake platform is a powerful tool for discovering openings that align with your skills and experience. Nursing students can also build professional skills through workshops and one-on-one support offered by the Career Center.

Thinking about graduate school? The UW Graduate School offers a great course that can help students explore the graduate school application process, develop an understanding of the purpose of graduate education, and access helpful resources. Preparing for Graduate Education (GRDSCH 200) is offered nearly every quarter.

You may also want to start thinking about obtaining Letters of Recommendation and any future references that you may need down the road for jobs and graduate schools.

Here is a helpful suggestion on how to start:

For those considering graduate education, School of Nursing advisers can help you:

  • Explore programs that align with your goals
  • Understand application timelines and funding options
  • Build competitive applications
  • Navigate the process of requesting letters of recommendation

Students interested in international experiences—such as teaching, volunteering, or global health work—can also receive guidance on programs that support overseas engagement and professional development.

The more you take advantage of these resources, the more confident and prepared you will be for life after graduation—whether that is launching your nursing career, continuing your education, or making an impact globally.

After Graduation Links

Staying connected to the School of Nursing and to UW can involve as much or as little as the student is comfortable with. At a basic level, the UW alumni association is a network of over 50,000 Huskies, with regional chapters in cities and countries across the world. Students can learn about alumni events, resources, and networking opportunities here. Full information on different alumni chapter locations is available here.

Another useful resource is the University of Washington’s LinkedIn page, which allows students and alumni to find each other through graduation years, locations, and degree programs. The best way for graduates to stay in the loop is to make sure their information is kept up to date: the UW alumni association offers a dedicated online portal to do that here.

Your UW NetID is yours for life, and your NetID/ passwords will remain unchanged – these can be used to sign into certain services. While alumni and former students are no longer eligible for a UW email service, once a student graduates, uw.edu email can be forwarded to a personal address.

On the 10th day of the second quarter in which they are not registered as a student, graduating and departing students will receive an email notification that their computing services, including their email account, will expire in 14 days. After the date of the email notification + 14 days, they will no longer have access to their email account, and all data will be deleted. We recommend migrating any personal files and email to a personal service if needed. You can find full information about alumni email on UW-IT’s page.