Frequently Asked Questions

You must apply to graduate through MYCSULB Student Center to be eligible to graduate.

Apply to Graduate - Undergraduate Students

Apply to Graduate - Graduate Students

If you have applied to graduate for Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Summer 2022 or Fall 2022 (before the published deadlines), you will be eligible to participate in the 2022 ceremonies and your name will be listed in the program.

If you have questions on the application process, please email CSULB Enrollment Services at es-registration@csulb.edu.

A refund will not be issued because the 'Apply to Graduate' fee pays for services already rendered, including the costs of your degree audit as well as creating and shipping your diploma. 

The fee also partially funds the Commencement ceremony that will celebrate all graduates regardless of their attendance.

If you are a Fall 2022 graduate, you will be eligible to participate in either the 2022 or 2023 ceremonies and your name will be listed in both Graduate Recognition programs (as long as you applied to graduate by the appropriate deadline).

It is university policy to send commencement communication to student email accounts. Student email addresses (@student.csulb.edu) remain active for 1 year after graduation. Use this link to look up your student email account.  For other information, such as forwarding your beach emails to another email account, visit this general website.

GPA honors are not recognized at the ceremony (GPAs are not calculated until your degree has been granted, several weeks after the end of the semester.) If you have graduated prior to the ceremony and know your final GPA, you can purchase an honor cord at the University Bookstore and note your honor level through personalized grad announcements (also available through the Bookstore). 

To inquire about honors within a major, contact your college coordinator.

Yes, regalia is available for purchase through the website, https://www.balfour.com/csulb.

There is no deadline for purchasing caps and gowns; however, to ensure delivery in time for commencement, orders should be placed at least 10 days before the ceremony. Orders are shipped directly to you. 

Need assistance placing an order? Contact Balfour  via email  or by phone 1-800-433-0296. 

For grads who wish to follow up on an existing order or would like to return their cap/gown can contact Balfour   via email  or by phone 1-833-714-0701.

Grad Images will be on campus during the Spring semester to hold free graduation photo sittings. These photography sessions are by appointment only to ensure that we follow appropriate protocols and distancing. Masks are required and students must take the COVID survey prior to coming to campus.  For questions about graduation photo sittings or photo packages, please call 562-985-7711 or email  fns-graduation@csulb.edu.

In coordination with the Bookstore, a map of iconic campus photo locations was put together: Iconic Selfie Sites CSULB Campus Self-Guided MAP.pdf

The facility is ADA accessible, please view accessibility labeled map here, and upon request, will provide reasonable disability-related accommodations. Guests may request accommodations at the gates once they arrive if they have not previously requested through the Bob Murphy Access Center Event Requst Form. ASL interpreting and real-time captioning will be provided at all in-person commencement ceremonies, available live at the stadium. Students and guests should request disability-related accommodations using the form below.

 To request disability-related accommodations, complete the Bob Murphy Access Center Event Request Form 

The "legal name", also known as the graduate's primary name, is required to be used for official university business, such as transcripts, diplomas, the graduate recognition program, and their grad slide. Graduates can look up their primary name in the student center app on the CSULB single sign-on website.

If you wish to have a name different than your primary name listed on the graduate recognition program or personal grad slide please contact commencement@csulb.edu before the March 1st deadline. Please contact Enrollment Services at es-registration@csulb.edu for degree and diploma related changes.

If you wish to change your legal name within the University system, you must submit a Legal Name Change Request form with all required documentation to the Office of Enrollment Services (BH 101) for students or to Payroll (BH 353) for employees. If you're a current or former CSULB student, you can submit a Legal Name Change Request with appropriate supporting documentation. This form is available under the ‘Registration/Records Forms’ heading on the Forms webpage, https://www.csulb.edu/enrollment-services/forms. Current and former CSULB employees (including student employees) cannot use this form and should instead contact the Payroll Office at payroll@csulb.edu.

Cultural graduation celebrations are hosted each spring by the Division of Student Affairs and student organizations. For more information, please visit the Cultural Graduation Celebrations website or contact the office of the Division of Student Affairs.

The Center for International Education handles visa requests for those living outside of the country that want to attend commencement. They can be reached at cie-student@csulb.edu.

1. Open a web browser and go to  translate.google.com. 
2. In the text box on the left, type in the entire CSULB Commencement URL, https://www.csulb.edu/commencement (be sure to include the http://). 
3. In the text box on the right, choose the language you want to see the website in. 
4. Click on the highlighted URL in the box on the right.

Angel Stadium of Anaheim provides a unique and exciting experience which ensures an in-person commencement to celebrate our graduates' accomplishments. The campus utilizes the entire stadium environment to provide custom, personalized experiences for our graduate and their families. The campus is excited to build on last year's Beach takeover of the Stadium and welcome the Class of 2022 to the CSULB Alumni family. Please check out our "What to Expect at Commencement" video compiled from last year's experience:

A stadium environment provides the flexibility necessary to accommodate our historic graduating class size of nearly 12,000 graduates and their families. The campus utilizes the entire facility to provide graduate experiences that are family oriented and built to preserve the memory and celebration of the day. The in-person ceremony is designed to fill and empty the entire stadium 7 times over 2.5 days. We ask that you plan to arrive early, enter the facility prior to the ceremony start time, and pre-plan with your guests for where to gather following the ceremony. We particularly encourage you to gather at one of our Graduate Recognition Stages. 

Building on the previous year’s excellent family experience, the campus has contracted with Angel Stadium of Anaheim to ensure, no matter the status of the pandemic or vendor availability, that in-person commencement ceremonies will be available to graduates and their guests. 

Angel Stadium of Anaheim provides a venue with flexibility to accommodate a historic graduating class close to 12,000 graduates and their families. The stadium maintains an exciting graduate experience while accommodating graduate and guest capacity growth. 

Graduates will be allotted a maximum of ten (10) guest ceremony tickets to enter the stadium. The tickets are free, we do not sell additional tickets and have no knowledge about the sales of extra tickets.

Parking is free at the stadium, no passes required. 

You and your guests will need to download the MLB Ballpark App and create an account to access the tickets.  

Graduates will be asked to arrive 60-90 minutes before their ceremony. Please proceed to your assigned department (printed on your GradPass) at either Tunnel A or B as soon as you arrive at the stadium. Signs with department listings and tunnel assignments will be posted around the stadium and at the check-in tables at Home Plate Gate. Processions into the stadium will begin at 9AM, 1PM and 5PM.

Please ensure your guests are seated BY procession time – printed on the tickets- so they may cheer your arrival into the stadium and see you on the jumbotron as you cross the graduate platform. The procession tunnels will close 15 minutes before the ceremony start time to ensure all graduates are seated in time to enjoy the program. 

If you have applied to graduate for Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Summer 2022 or Fall 2022 BY March 1st, 2022, you will be eligible to participate in the 2022 ceremonies and your name will be listed in the printed and online versions of the Graduate Recognition program and added to MarchingOrder for a grad slide and name recording.

TUNNEL A ONLY: If you are a graduate from College of  Engineering, Education, The Arts, or Natural Sciences and Mathematics.

TUNNELS A & B: If you are a graduate from the College of Liberal Arts, Business, or Health & Human Services, please see THIS LIST HERE of majors and their assigned tunnels.

The health and safety of our graduates, guests, and all others involved in commencement is our top priority.  Information on  Angel Stadium of Anaheim's Health and Safety Protocols are available on their website.

Commencement ceremonies will take place as scheduled, rain or shine. Graduates and guests are advised to plan for extreme weather conditions, including high heat. Guests and graduates should plan to arrive an hour prior and should dress accordingly for sitting outside in the sun and for climbing stadium stairs.

Each graduate will have a customized name reading recorded and available to them along with their custom graduate slide. Utilizing the MarchingOrder QR code, the opportunity for graduates to have their name read aloud will take place at the eight Graduate Recognition Stages located outside the stadium throughout the parking lot.  These stages will be accessible before and after each ceremony. To use the Graduate Recognition Stages, all graduates must provide information to create their pre-recorded name and custom grad slide through MarchingOrder. Information and access to this system will be available in March. 

If you purchased yours through the Bookstore, they are yours to keep. Rentals are not offered.

Diplomas are not distributed at Commencement. They are issued after all degree requirements have been completed and verified. 

Your diploma will not automatically be mailed to you. The Office of Enrollment Services  562.985.5471 will send an e-mail when your diploma is available (approximately 4-8 weeks after your degree has been granted). 

You can view and download your Grad Slide here.

GradImages is the company who took the photos and will email your proofs within a week or two after the ceremony.