Ready to Graduate?
Follow each of these steps by their deadlines to graduate on time!
RSVPs Required for Commencement
Commencement will be held between May 9 and 11, 2025, exact date to be announced. 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 Feb. 2025.
Commencement ceremony held on May 9-11, 2025, date to de determined.
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 and check webster.edu/commencement for updates.
4. Purchase Your Cap and Gown
Graduates are required to wear a cap and gown for graduation ceremonies. Current/former members of the military may opt to wear dress uniforms.
All students will need to order caps and gowns online through Jostens. The deadline to order will be late March to early April. Once you complete your order, you will receive a confirmation email from Jostens. Your order is not complete until your receive the confirmation email.
Please Note: If you are an undergraduate and already ordered your cap and gown and your regalia came with an undergraduate hood, we will be switching to undergraduate stoles. You may exchange your hooded gown by contacting the Webster University Bookstore at 314-968-5936 or 888-467-5657. The bookstore is located at 554 Garden Ave., Webster Groves, MO 63119. It is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday.
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.
