The School of Social Work's Spring 2024 Commencement ceremony will be Friday, May 10.
VCU will hold the university-wide Spring 2024 Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 11. Check for updates.
The School of Social Work's Fall 2024 Commencement ceremony will be Friday, Dec. 13.
Commencement
Celebrating our B.S.W., M.S.W. and Ph.D. graduates
May 10, 2024 - School of Social Work
Application deadline: Students scheduled to graduate at the end of the Spring 2024 term received emails from the VCU Office of Records and Registration. The application deadline was Friday, Jan. 26.
Certificates and dual degrees: Prospective graduates who are pursuing a certificate or dual degree, including double majors, must fill out the online approval form.
Summer graduate approval: Students scheduled to graduate at the end of the Summer 2024 term and who would like to walk in the school’s May Commencement ceremony, should not complete the online application administered by VCU Office of Records and Registration. Instead, please fill out the August graduate online approval form. Note that only B.S.W. and M.S.W. Summer 2024 graduates with 6 or fewer credits left to degree completion are eligible to walk in the May ceremony.
Cultural achievement ceremonies: The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs's registration closed Friday, March 1, for spring graduates who wish to participate in ceremonies celebrating different cultural backgrounds and identities.
Pronunciation guide: All B.S.W. & M.S.W. Spring 2024 & Summer 2024 graduates who intend to participate in the School of Social Work’s Commencement ceremony, please fill out our pronunciation guide form.
Ceremony details
Regalia will be available for purchase at the Monroe Park Campus Barnes & Noble @ VCU through Commencement.
May 2024 Commencement
December 2023 Commencement
Tickets are not required at the Altria Theater. Graduates may bring as many guests as they would like.
May 2024 Commencement
Graduating students should arrive no later than 10 a.m. ET. The ceremony will begin promptly at 11 a.m. No entry is permitted during the processional. The ceremony will conclude by 1 p.m. Upon exiting the Siegel Center, re-entry will not be permitted.
Please allow ample time for parking. Parking will be free for graduates and their guests at the VCU Bowe Street Deck and the West Broad Street Deck.
Students should arrive wearing their cap, gown and hood for check-in. Upon arrival, follow the signs posted at the Siegel Center to get to the check-in area. The check-in area is nearest to the entrance at the corner of Harrison and Broad streets.
At check-in, students will be given a name (also referred to as a reader card) card to fill out. Students will line up based on the number on this card to ensure they come on stage as noted in the program and friends and family will know when their student’s turn is coming. Students will have the opportunity to write out their name phonetically on this card to ensure their name is read accurately. Students will need to hold onto this card until they cross the stage.
December 2023 Commencement
Graduating students should arrive no later than noon ET. The ceremony will begin promptly at 1 p.m. No entry is permitted during the processional. The ceremony will conclude by 3 p.m. Upon exiting the Altria, re-entry will not be permitted.
Please allow ample time for parking. Parking will be free for graduates and their guests at the VCU West Main Street Deck and the West Cary Street Deck.
Students should arrive wearing their cap, gown and hood for check-in. Upon arrival, follow the signs posted at the Siegel Center to get to the check-in area. The check-in area is nearest to the entrance at the corner of Harrison and Broad streets.
At check-in, students will be given a name (also referred to as a reader card) card to fill out. Students will line up based on the number on this card to ensure they come on stage as noted in the program and friends and family will know when their student’s turn is coming. Students will have the opportunity to write out their name phonetically on this card to ensure their name is read accurately. Students will need to hold onto this card until they cross the stage.
Be advised that the processional and recessional involve navigating several sets of stairs. Please wear shoes that you can comfortably walk in. See below for information on wheelchair accessibility.
Graduating students are required to leave all personal items including purses, coats, umbrellas, cameras, etc. at home, in their vehicle or with family during the ceremony.
No outside food or drink is permitted. Please note that staff will not allow balloons or glass into the building, including gifts such as picture frames.
A professional photographer will photograph each graduate during the ceremony. Graduates must fill out their contact information on the reader card in order to be contacted by the photography company after the ceremony.
May 2024 Commencement
VCU's university-wide ceremony will be Saturday, May 11, at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.
December 2023 Commencement
Graduating students who have submitted a graduation application online through eServices will be invited to both the School of Social Work departmental ceremony (Dec. 8) and the university-wide Commencement ceremony (Dec. 9). Students may choose to attend one, both or neither ceremony.
Students will stand as a group to be recognized as social work graduates at the university-wide ceremony, and students will be individually called by name and walk across the stage at the School of Social Work departmental ceremony.
Doors to the Siegel Center will open for guests at 9 a.m. Tickets are not required, and there is no reserved seating.
May 2024 Commencement
Assistance: Requests for special accommodations at the school ceremony for graduating students should be made by emailing sswinfo@vcu.edu. Additional information is available through Student Accessibility and Educational Opportunity or, for guests, through Equity and Access Services.
Access to the Siegel Center:
- The drop-off zone for guests with disabilities is located in the front of the building near the intersection of Broad and Harrison streets.
- Accessible parking is available in the parking decks at the corner of Broad and Harrison streets, the corner of Bowe and Marshall streets, and the corner of Main and Laurel streets.
- Accessible entrances are located at both main entrances at the east and west ends of the building.
- The elevator is located in the center of the lobby to allow guests access to the first (arena floor level) and third floors, event permitting. Guests with disabilities and their companions are given first priority for service at the elevator.
- The arena is wheelchair-accessible.
Accessible seating: On the day of the ceremony, event staff will be able to assist with providing directions to accessible seating areas.
- Accessible seating options exist throughout the arena in all general seating categories and view perspectives. Accessible seating is located at the top of Sections 14, 15, 32 and 35.
- Individuals who require accessible seating should request assistance from event staff, who will provide space for individuals in need of accessible seating along with one companion chair in sections 14,15, 32 or 35.
Other accommodations: All restrooms, drinking fountains, telephones and counters at points of service are accessible.
December 2023 Commencement
Accessibility at the Altria Theater: Please review the Altria website for details around service animals, elevators, restrooms, wheelchair seating and more.
Parking: the VCU West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks are both nearby and offer accommodative parking options. Details
May 2024 Commencement
TBD
December 2023 Commencement
The official conferral date for December 2023 degrees is Saturday, Dec. 23. Degrees will post to your record on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. Degrees will only show for those students who have satisfied all degree requirements and receive final approval. Check your academic transcript via eServices to ensure your degree has been posted before requesting official transcripts.
Diplomas will be mailed beginning Monday, Feb. 19, 2024, to the address provided during graduation checkout. To receive your diploma, you must meet all financial obligations to the university. Diplomas will be on hold for students who have not met their financial obligations.
Please contact the Office of Records and Registration at graduation@vcu.edu or (804) 827-1673 if you have additional questions.
If you are requesting changes based on a legal change of name, the first step is to process your legal change of name with the university. If you have not changed your legal name and are requesting changes based on the name of use, please visit Call Me By My Name.
Graduates, we hope you will continue to remain engaged with the School of Social Work as alumni and take pride in our national standing as one of the nation’s top schools of social work and the highest-ranked in Virginia.
Whether it's making small contributions to the school when you can, working with your employer to serve as a field placement site, or volunteering your time, your participation in the life of the school has an amazing impact on the students who come next. Join the 12,000+ alumni of the School of Social Work nationwide, and together we can open doors for the next generation of changemakers!
We want to stay connected by sending you our quarterly alumni newsletter; and by sharing events, networking and professional development or continuing education opportunities.
Please take a moment to:
- Update your contact information, including a permanent, non-VCU email address that you regularly check.
- Sign up for VCULink, VCU’s online community for connecting students, alumni and friends of the university for career advice, industry contacts and meaningful professional relationships.
- Explore VCU and SSW continuing education opportunities.
- Check out Volunteer@VCU.
- Browse the VCU alumni calendar.
- Make a donation.
- Sign up with Handshake to find or share job postings.
- Join our LinkedIn group for alumni.
- Continue to follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) and Instagram.
If you have questions or need assistance, you can contact the school’s alumni team at (804) 828-0154 or give2vcussw@vcu.edu.
Pronunciation guide
All B.S.W. and M.S.W. May and August 2024 graduates who intend to participate in the School of Social Work’s Commencement ceremony May 10 should fill out the pronunciation guide form.
Celebrate!
Be sure to stay connected with us and celebrate via Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and our LinkedIn page, and follow #VCUSSW and #VCUSSW2024!
More information
Graduates who need assistance with their curriculum plans, degree requirements or the graduation application should check with their student success advisors. Graduates unsure of who their advisor is should email sswadvising@vcu.edu.
Commencement archive
Dec. 8, 2023 - School of Social Work
The School of Social Work celebrated 160 Ph.D., M.S.W. and B.S.W. graduates eligible to receive their degrees Friday, Dec. 8, at the Altria Theater. This was believed to be the first formal December ceremony in the school's history. You can watch a video archive of the ceremony below.
You can also view our December Commencement program in a variety of formats:
Watch the Class of 2023 graduate Dec. 8
May 12, 2023 - School of Social Work
The school celebrated just over 400 Ph.D., M.S.W. and B.S.W. graduates eligible to receive their degrees Friday, May 12, at the Siegel Center. You can watch a video archive of the ceremony below.
You can also view our May Commencement program in a variety of formats:
Watch the Class of 2023 graduate May 12
May 13, 2022 - School of Social Work
The school celebrated nearly 300 Ph.D., M.S.W. and B.S.W. graduates eligible to receive their degrees Friday, May 13, at the Siegel Center. You can watch a video archive of the ceremony below.
You can also view our May Commencement program in a variety of formats:
Watch the Class of 2022 graduate May 13
May 14, 2021 - School of Social Work
The school celebrated nearly 300 M.S.W. and B.S.W. graduates eligible to receive their degrees Friday, May 14, in separate ceremonies at Richmond's City Stadium. Due to COVID-19, ceremonies were held outdoors for the safety of graduates and guests. You can watch a video archive of the ceremonies below.
You can also view our May Commencement program in two formats: