Seaver Spring 2025 Commencement FAQs

The Class of 2025 commencement ceremony will take place Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10:30AM in Alumni Park, Malibu, CA.

Please complete the Request to Walk form if you are a former Seaver College student who graduated before 2025 but were unable to walk in your commencement ceremony and would like to request to walk this year. (If you are a December 2024, Spring 2025, or Summer 2025 grad you do not need to fill out this form). 

Please email SeaverGraduation@Pepperdine.edu with any questions. 

The President, Provost and Dean will present and confer degrees at this ceremony. Remarks will be given by the commencement speaker. Graduates will have the opportunity to process across the stage, hear their name announced, receive their diploma covers, and have photos taken by a professional photography service. Guests are encouraged to stay in their seats for the duration of the ceremony.

The Pepperdine University Covid response team is following LA County’s best practices for mega events. As guidelines change, we recommend checking back to the Seaver Graduation webpage frequently.

Seaver College’s Commencement Ceremony, held at Alumni Park, is open to all guests of graduating students. In the unlikely event that the weather requires us to hold the ceremony somewhere other than Alumni Park, this may change. We recommend checking back to the Seaver graduation webpage frequently.

Graduated seniors of 2025 may apply to speak at commencement. Two student participants are needed for each graduation: 1) Graduation Speaker; and 2) Graduate to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. For additional information, please visit the Senior Speaker page. 

Concessions will be available at the ceremony at a designated tent, and free water stations will be dispersed around Alumni Park. Additionally, water bottles will be provided for all graduates. Guests are welcome to bring their own water to the graduation ceremony.

Yes, for those who cannot join us in Malibu, all in-person activities will be broadcast online, live, and on-demand for future viewing. The link will be available on the commencement website. Livestreams will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of each commencement ceremony.

No, graduates do not need to attend to have their degree conferred. Diplomas will be mailed to you at the diploma address on file approximately 120 days after you graduate. Make sure you have a valid mailing address recorded with OneStop to ensure you receive your diploma. If you would like to pick up your diploma instead of having it mailed to you, please contact OneStop.

Pepperdine Diploma Policy: Pepperdine University awards one diploma for each level of academic degree earned (e.g. bachelor, master). This diploma reflects all majors/program completed for that level of degree.

Full details on the program and graduate participation may be found on the Loqui website.

If you are graduating "in absentia" but would still like to have your name read at the commencement ceremony please fill out this Google form no later than March 28, 2025.

Graduation event parking is available on campus on a first-come, first-served basis. A designated parking area in the Firestone Fieldhouse parking lot (parking lot P) has been set aside for guests with accessibility needs. This area is specifically for those with accessible parking placards or license plates issued by a state government. Upon arrival, a public safety officer will assist with parking.

In addition to the accessible parking, golf carts will be available to transport guests between parking lot P and Alumni Park. Alternatively, you may pull up next to Alumni Park to drop off the guest before parking elsewhere.

To minimize potential traffic delays and limited parking, carpooling is recommended. Shuttles will also be in service and available at any marked campus shuttle stop. For more information, please refer to the Parking and Shuttle Information page. Graduation hosts will greet guests as they enter the arena and assist with seating. Please follow the directions of traffic control staff to ensure a smooth arrival.

In the event of rain, commencement will be moved to Firestone Fieldhouse. All graduates will take their seats before the start of the ceremony. Due to extremely limited indoor seating, tickets will be required for admission. Rainy Day tickets will be distributed to students at the time that a weather decision is made. Each graduate will receive two guest tickets for entrance to Firestone Fieldhouse. Graduates’ additional guests are strongly encouraged to view the ceremony via livestream from the convenience and comfort of their preferred off-campus location.

It is important to clear all financial obligations with the Library, the Student Health Center, the Student Accounts Office, and the Financial Aid Office prior to graduation. For Student Accounts information, call 310.506.8000. If you have borrowed a Federal Direct Stafford, Federal Perkins, or Pepperdine Institutional loan at any time while at Pepperdine, please complete an online Loan Exit Counseling session prior to graduation. For additional information, visit the Federal Direct Loan Exit Counseling Information web page.

Graduates will be photographed as they receive their diplomas during the commencement ceremony by Grad Images. In the past, Grad Images has been able to deliver proofs by email within 24 hours to graduates who indicate an email address on cards available at regalia pick up on the day before graduation. Please use this photography service and remain seated during the ceremony.

No, only your major will be displayed on the screen as you walk across the stage.

The Baccalaureate Service is a cherished tradition at Pepperdine University. This service provides an opportunity for reflection, gratitude, and commissioning our students for lives of influence and service.

Rooted in centuries-old tradition, the Baccalaureate brings together students, faculty, families, and the broader university community to celebrate God's faithfulness throughout each student's academic journey. The service offers a powerful opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which faith, learning, and service have been interwoven into the college experience.

As students prepare to step into the next chapter of life—whether it be further study, careers, or missions—the Baccalaureate Service serves as a spiritual milestone. It affirms their identity in Christ, their purpose in the world, and their readiness to lead lives of impact, compassion, and unwavering faith.

The Baccalaureate Service will take place in Firestone Fieldhouse on May 2nd at 5:30 PM, 2025.

Yes. Graduation regalia distribution will be held at Grad Fest on Friday, May 2, on the Malibu Campus.

Graduates attending the ceremony in person can reserve graduation regalia online on Herff Jones’ website. In-person assistance is available during the Graduation Kickoff, held on the Malibu campus at the bookstore on Tuesday, March 18 and Wednesday, March 19 from 10am-4pm. 

Regalia will be available for pickup at Grad Fest on Friday, May 2, on the Malibu Campus at Mullin Town Square.

A limited amount of regalia will be available at Alumni Park on the day of your ceremony; however, to avoid waiting in possibly long lines, we strongly recommend picking up your regalia at Grad Fest on Friday, May 2, on the Malibu Campus at Mullin Town Square.

All rented regalia should be dropped off in the return bins located at Alumni Park following your ceremony.

Please use the return shipping label that was included in your original delivery to ship back to Herff Jones.

Yes, the cap, tassel, and purchased stoles/sashes are yours to keep.

Honor cords are only given to undergraduate students who have a minimum 3.5 GPA. You will be contacted by your school’s commencement coordinator or academic advisor during the spring semester if you are eligible to receive one. They are free of charge.

Honor cords will be available for pickup prior to your commencement at the Graduate Check-In area. Honors students are asked to arrive at Alumni Park at 9am on the morning of the ceremony.

Diplomas will be mailed to you at the diploma address on file approximately 120 days after degrees are conferred on May 3. Make sure you have a valid mailing address recorded with OneStop to ensure you receive your diploma. If you would like to pick up your diploma instead of having it mailed to you, please contact OneStop.

Pepperdine Diploma Policy: Pepperdine University awards one diploma for each level of academic degree earned (e.g. bachelor, master). This diploma reflects all majors/programs completed for that level of degree.

If you have worked with OneStop to confirm that your requirements are complete, you will be listed in the program (more details can be found here). Get cleared by Friday, March 28, 2025 to guarantee your name in the program.

The commencement printed program will be handed out to students and guests at the in-person ceremonies at Alumni Park. You will also be able to download a copy of the program from the commencement website.