You can order your regalia on Josten's website or you can call Josten's customer service at 1-800-854-7464. The deadline to order your regalia is May 4.

Yes, visit Josten's website to view our PAU ring collection, or contact Josten's Customer Service at 1-800-854-7464 to place an order.

Yes, PAU partners with GradImages, which will take multiple photos of each candidate as they process across the stage. GradImages will email graduates a few days after commencement when proofs are ready (as long as a valid email address was provided).

If you have not received your proofs within five business days, please contact customer service at 800-261-2576.

PAU supports the decoration of caps for the commencement ceremony. While the University recognizes that this is an important activity, students choosing to wear a decorated cap during the ceremony must follow the guidelines below. The guidelines will be enforced at the Commencement ceremony, and the University reserves the right to request that graduates change inappropriate attire before they are allowed to participate in the ceremony. The University wants this experience for our graduates to be a positive and celebratory event of self-expression yet respectful to all.

Guidelines:

• Only the flat top area of the mortarboard may be decorated. Adornments should lay flat on the top of the cap. Decorations may not include the following:
  • Profanity
  • Symbols for or references to alcohol or controlled substances
  • Political statements, symbols, or political party references
  • Three-dimensional objects
  • Objects that light up

Note: Any adornment or message deemed inappropriate or determined to be a distraction will not be permitted.

Once you have completed all degree requirements, the Office of the Registrar will email you a link to the “Diploma Name and Address Request Form.” Once you have submitted the form, the Office of the Registrar will order your diploma through their third-party vendor.

It will take 4-6 weeks for the third-party vendor to print your diploma and for the Registrar's Office to mail it to you after you have submitted the “Diploma Name and Address Request Form.”

For additional questions about your diploma, please contact the Registrar's Office at registrar@paloaltou.edu.

All students with a financial hold on their student billing account will not be able to receive their diploma until all outstanding financial obligations are paid.

Graduating students must complete online federal exit counseling.

The undergraduate and masters diplomas measure 8.5" x 11.” The doctoral diplomas measure 11" x 14".

Visit the Jostens website or contact Josten's Customer Service at 1-800-854-7464 to place an order.

Please note the following diploma sizes:

• Bachelor's and Master's - 8.5" x 11"
• Doctoral - 11" x 14"

University honors are for undergraduate students and are determined using a student’s cumulative GPA, academic honors are designated as follows:

• Summa Cum Laude 3.75+ (3.75-4.0)
• Magna Cum Laude 3.66+ (3.66-3.74)
• Cum Laude 3.5+ (3.50 - 3.65)
  

Note: University Honors are noted on the diploma and transcripts.
Note: For the commencement program, academic honors are based on all of your completed coursework through the end of the winter quarter.

 

Official transcripts can be ordered via the National Student Clearinghouse https://www.studentclearinghouse.org/. To get started, you can use the direct-order link. Once you are taken to the landing page, scroll to the bottom and click on the green "Order Transcript(s)" button to initiate your request.

A degree verification can be obtained by filling out the Enrollment/Degree Verification found here.

Graduates should arrive at the Mountain Winery by 8:30 a.m. dressed in regalia. Please allow 15 to 20 minutes for parking and walking to your check-in station located in the Grand Hall.

 

The Concert Bowl where the ceremony will be held, will open at 9:00am. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis as long as you have registered. Candidates, please be sure to notify your guests of this procedure.

If you or your guests require ADA accommodations, please complete this request form by June 1, 2026.

No, all seats are general admission and on a first-come, first-served basis.

The ceremony will last approximately 90 to 120 minutes.

No, children need to be seated in general seating with the candidate's guests.

Yes, the use of video cameras will be allowed to the extent that they do not obstruct the view of other guests in the audience. 

Graduating students must complete online federal exit counseling on studenaid.gov in order to receive their PAU diploma.

For additional information regarding student loan repayment please visit our site: https://www.paloaltou.edu/admissions/admissions-resources/financial-aid-and-scholarships/repaying-student-loans

Your relationship with Palo Alto University is taking its next step as you become alumni! As PAU alumni, you'll have access to benefits such as test prep discounts, a 50% discount on CE courses, special events, and more. Visit the PAU Alumni website for information regarding important alumni news and upcoming events.

We hope you'll join the PAU Alumni Facebook and LinkedIn groups to help you keep in touch with peers and hear about programming, and access our Careers Digest. We value your privacy, and all requests to join are reviewed by an administrator who also keeps an eye out for any suspicious activity.

No, you maintain access to your PAU email address as alumni. We recommend you forward your PAU email to the email address you intend to use most often after graduation in order to stay aware of benefits and programming!

 

Have a question or want to share an accomplishment? Contact Alumni Relations directly at alumnirelations@paloaltou.edu.