Erivan K. Haub School of Business Undergraduate Ceremony Details

Saint Joseph’s University has contracted with Tassel to support commencement. All students will be asked to RSVP via Tassel. You will receive multiple emails with instructions and deadlines for RSVP and name pronunciation. It is important you adhere to the deadlines to ensure your information is displayed and pronounced correctly at Commencement.

Class of 2025 Senior Events 

Join the Office of Student Life for these fun, festive Senior activities and events where you can start to unwind and kick off your graduation celebrations!

Learn More about Senior Week

Make Your Senior Gift

While senior year might feel full of “lasts,” it also comes with exciting new “firsts” and the Senior Gift is one of them! It’s an SJU tradition for members of the senior class to contribute the dollar equivalent of their class — in this case, $20.25 — to support future Hawks. This opportunity welcomes you to join the thousands of alumni who give back every year.

Hawks share a collective desire to give back — to connect our talents to need, our skills to solutions and our passions to purpose. By making a gift to the Saint Joseph’s Fund (or any other area of your choice), you’re connecting future students to the first-class education you received here on Hawk Hill.

How do I give?
Give online today. A few dollars can make a huge impact! The Senior Class Connections (SCC) committee is responsible for leading this initiative. Follow SJU Alumni Association on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and never miss out on events or opportunities to get involved.

Caps and gowns are available for purchase online for $82.98. Please place your order online before the cut-off dates below based on location:

• University City - March 2, 2025
• Hawk Hill - March 9, 2025
• If you want to have your cap & gown shipped directly to your home, you must order by April 16, 2025

You can pick up your cap & gown on campus:

• University City: 4/2 & 4/3 in the ARC (Athletic Recreation Center) from noon - 6 PM
• Hawk Hill: 4/8 & 4/9 at the Bookstore from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

If you miss the order cut-off date, regalia will also be available for purchase in the bookstore on the Hawk Hill campus.

Class Rings, Announcements and Diploma Frames

Class rings, graduation announcements and diploma frames are also available for purchase in the University Bookstore. Graduates can also purchase their ring, announcements or frame online. Shipping time for class rings is approximately six to eight weeks.

Approximately six weeks after Commencement, you will receive your diploma and a translation through the mail. It is delivered to the address you selected when you applied to graduate. For purposes of framing, your diploma is 20 inches wide and 16 inches high.

Latin Honors 

Latin honors will be announced following graduate names at each Commencement ceremony based on seven semesters. Diplomas will reflect Latin honors after the full eight semesters.

Why is the text of my Saint Joseph’s University diploma printed in Latin? 

Higher Education is steeped in tradition. Some of these traditions date from the Middle Ages and are common to many colleges and universities. University diplomas printed in Latin are one of those traditions at North American institutions founded in the 18th and 19th centuries. 

The first Jesuit college, founded in Messina, Italy, in 1548 embraced the literary and rhetorical program of the Italian humanists according to patterns laid down by Cicero and Quintilian. The Jesuits focused their plan of studies on the so-called studia humanitatis, works of poetry, drama, oratory, and history. These essentially literary works were presumed not only to produce eloquence in those studying them but also to inspire noble and uplifting ideals. They would render the student a better human being, imbued especially with an ideal of service to the common good, in imitation of the great heroes of antiquity. One line from Cicero’s De officiis, especially embraced by the Jesuits, sums up this aspect of their educational ideal: “We are not born for ourselves alone,” thus: the contemporary Jesuit mantra, “Men and Women for Others.”

Throughout the formative years of Saint Joseph’s University, the curriculum was grounded in the Jesuit plan of studies, the Ratio Studiorum, which included courses in both Latin and Greek — twenty credit hours of Latin to be taken during freshman and sophomore years. 

Given this training and cultural immersion, it’s understandable that Saint Joseph’s and other institutions committed to classical education would have expected proficiency in Latin from their alumni and to announce that accomplishment proudly by awarding Latin diplomas at commencement ceremonies. Saint Joseph’s is proud to uphold this tradition of providing its graduates their diploma in Latin. 

Why is the date on my diploma different than my commencement date? 

All students who graduate in a given term are awarded on the same date. The date on the graduation application, and ultimately, the date on your diploma and transcript, reflect the date in which your degree is awarded and not necessarily the date of your specific ceremony.

English Translation of Your Saint Joseph’s University Diploma 

As is tradition at Jesuit institutions in the United States, graduates are presented with a large and ornate degree certificate, the text of which is printed in Latin. Below is an English translation of the text.

The Administrators of Saint Joseph's University and the Society of Jesus in Philadelphia 
For the Greater Glory of God 
To all who view these present letters, greetings in the Lord

By these letters we, given charge of this function by the highest authority of the State testify 
that (Name) duly approved, 
has been advanced to the Baccalaureate/Master of (Arts) OR (Sciences) OR (Business Administration), and has been presented by us with all the rights and 
privileges attached to that degree. And that all might know, we have given these present letters, secured by our corporate seal and by the signature of the President of this University in our academic building in Philadelphia.  

NOTE : Each graduate receives an English translation of their diploma during the Commencement ceremony and with their diploma. 

Ceremony photography will be provided by Melissa Kelly Photography. Please visit the gallery website or text SJU2025 to 90738 to receive graduation photo communications via text. You can also subscribe to email updates here. Photos will be available to view and purchase on or before May 30. For more information, please email them.

Cap and Gown Photo Session 

You will also have the opportunity for a free photo session of you in your cap and gown with Melissa Kelly Photography. Sign up in advance by visiting the appointment site and clicking on your preferred time slot. Photo sessions will be available in 10-minute increments. If you would like a picture in your cap and gown, please make sure you arrive in time to pick up your cap and gown on-site prior to your appointment time. Ironed and steamed gowns will be available to use for portraits, but graduates will need to supply their own primary major hoods, caps, and tassels from their regalia pack. Once proofs are ready, you will be emailed information on how to view and purchase your photos and the packages available to choose from.

Photo times and locations:

• University City - April 2 and April 3, 2025
  • Location: ARC (Athletic Recreation Center) 201 from Noon – 6 p.m.
• Hawk Hill - April 8 and April 9, 2025
  • Location: Hagan Arena Hall of Fame Room from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.