The next formal commencement ceremony is Thursday, 25 March, 2027.
A YouTube link for the ceremony will be posted closer to the event date.
The information below is for graduates in Masters or Doctoral degree programs.
When is graduation?
The Graduate School awards degrees every quarter and has a formal commencement ceremony in March. Check the academic calendar for exact dates.
How do I get my diploma?
Official diplomas for graduates of the Air Force Institute of Technology Graduate School of Engineering and Management are produced upon verification that all degree requirements have been successfully completed and all administrative procedures are finalized to officially confer the degree. Graduates who remain local to WPAFB will be notified when diplomas are available for pick-up. Graduates who will not remain at WPAFB after graduation will have their diplomas mailed to them.
For questions regarding diploma production or status, please contact the AFIT EN Registrar’s Office at afit.en.registrar@us.af.mil.
I don't graduate in March. Can I attend commencement?
Of course! June, September, and December graduates are welcome to walk in the March ceremony following their graduation term (e.g. June 2026 graduates are eligible for the March 2027 ceremony). We refer to that as “Return to Walk”. We try to contact prior graduates as we prepare for commencement, but the contact information is not always updated. You should receive information by mid-Feb, but feel free to contact us if you do not get notification. Please note that the Graduate School cannot fund travel to return for commencement.
What do I wear for commencement?
All PhD graduates will wear academic regalia (cap and gown). Military will wear the dress uniform (or service equivalent) under. It is okay to remove the uniform jacket once in the ready room and put in on again after the ceremony. Wearing the jacket under the PhD gown can get quite warm.
All military master’s graduates will wear the dress uniform (or service equivalent).
All civilian master’s graduates will wear academic regalia (cap and gown).
Academic regalia is provided at no cost. Student Services will inquire on height to ensure the appropriate sizes are ordered. All regalia pick-up and drop-off will be in building 641 room 102.
Do I need tickets?
Tickets are dependent on the venue. The March commencement is usually held at the National Museum of the United States Air Force and has attendance limitations. Although the official guidance will be issued during Winter term, expect 3 or 4 tickets per graduate. No ticket is needed for the graduate, but every guest (ages 0-125) will need a ticket. Be aware that not every graduate will need the full complement of tickets, so there may be opportunity to re-distribute unneeded tickets.
Is commencement mandatory?
The commencement ceremony is mandatory for military graduates assigned to AFIT full-time for degree completion and graduating in March. It is optional, but highly encouraged, for civilians/contractors. All mandatory attendees unable to attend must have approval from the Associate Dean of Students. Status of attending/not attending should be annotated on the Application for Graduation.