• Verify your graduation eligibility by visiting the RSVP & Eligibility tab.
• Registration will open in the coming months. If you have an RSVP inquiry, please contact the Commencement Team at commencement@trident.edu
• Make travel reservations in advance: • Flight • Hotel • Car Rental
• Caps, gowns, or other regalia will not be available for purchase at the event. Be sure to order your regalia by the deadline.
• We recommend ordering announcements and invitations at least 3 weeks in advance.
• Check your email regularly for commencement updates.
• Be on the lookout for the Facebook Event page to share your graduation plans and connect with your fellow graduates!
• Bring a photo ID card, pre-pay parking, and don’t forget your regalia!

Registration for Trident’s 2024 Commencement Ceremony will open in the coming months. Please check this page and your email regularly for event details and updates.

Regalia will be required to participate in the in-person ceremony. Jostens is the official vendor for Trident University International and must be ordered before the registration cutoff. More details on how to order your regalia will be communicated once it is available.

Jostens: Trident University International

Will there be a virtual event option?
This year’s ceremony will be in person. There will be a live stream option for those unable to attend in person, however, only those in attendance will have their name read in the processional.

Who is eligible to walk in the ceremony?
Any Trident graduate who meets the following criteria is eligible to participate:

Undergraduate or Graduate students: To participate in the Commencement Ceremony must complete your degree requirements on or before 12/31/2024.

Doctoral students: To participate in the Commencement Ceremony, you must complete all of your degree requirements and successfully defend your dissertation by the end of the summer 2024 session (September 22, 2024).

If a graduate completed their graduation requirements in a prior session and has already received degree clearance approval from the Registrar’s Office, they may participate in this or any future Trident University International Commencement Ceremony.

Degree Clearance: If the Office of the Registrar has not contacted you during the first month of your final session, please contact your Student Success Advisor. If you have a specific question about your eligibility, please email mydegreeplan@trident.edu.

What happens after I RSVP?
The Registrar’s Office will review your request to participate in the ceremony and ensure that you are eligible to walk this year. If they determine that you are eligible, they will send a registration confirmation to your Trident email address, so please be sure to check there.

I graduated in a previous year but could not attend at the time. Can I participate in this year's ceremony?
Yes. If you are a Trident graduate from a previous year, we would be glad to have you join us to celebrate this year. Please keep in mind that any year-specific regalia (tassel, charms or stole of achievement) you order from our vendor this calendar year will state “2024.”

When is the deadline for ordering regalia? The deadline to order your regalia will be announced in the coming weeks.

How do I order my regalia?
Regalia is required to participate in the ceremony. Graduates can purchase the cap and gown regalia package for their degree from our official regalia and graduation memorabilia partner, Jostens.

If you have registered for the ceremony but still need to purchase your cap & gown, please call Jostens at 800-854-7464 to place your order by phone or visit the online store at the link below. Please note that rush delivery fees may be applied for orders made after the registration cutoff.

Visit Jostens School Store:

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/2965513/Trident-University-International/

Regalia Order Instructions:

• Scroll down to “Graduation Products” and click “SHOP.”
• Scroll down to “Graduation Caps & Gowns” and click “SHOP.”
• Select the package based on your highest degree earned. Stoles are available for purchase but are not required.
• Enter “GOWN FIT” (your height/weight)
• Enter “MAJOR/CURRICULUM” (your program of study)
• Click “Continue” and “Add to Cart”
• Complete the Checkout information and click “CHECKOUT.”

Doctoral Students & MA Education Students ONLY:
Doctoral and MA Education graduates who will be teaching at a university may wish to purchase higher quality regalia because they will be wearing it more than once in the coming years as they participate in commencement ceremonies each year.

If you would like to purchase higher quality regalia, please visit the Jostens link below.

Jostens: Trident Fine Quality Regalia

Academic Honor Cords:
If applicable, Academic Honor cords will be provided to you when you check in for your ceremony. Because your program CGPA must be calculated once your program is fully completed to know your Honors status, it is possible your final Honors status may not be the same as your status as of the Commencement ceremony date. The following outlines the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) required to receive Academic Honors:

Americana Military Cords

Active Duty, Reserve, and Veteran Trident Graduates are eligible to receive the red/white/blue Americana cord. A cord can be given if they indicate military status, even if not marked on the list.

Doctoral level students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 to remain in their program. Therefore, academic honors distinctions are not assigned at the Doctoral level. Academic Certificate programs are not eligible for graduation with honors.

What are Trident's colors? What color should my regalia be?
Trident University's school colors are navy blue and "old" gold. All Trident caps and gowns are navy blue. Masters and doctoral hoods are black on one side with navy blue and old gold panels and a velvet strip of material in the color of the graduate's degree / discipline.

Can I decorate the top of my mortarboard cap?
Yes, so long as the decoration is limited to the top of the cap, is not distracting or cumbersome, and is family-friendly.

Can I wear a fraternity/sorority sash or cord with my Trident regalia?
Yes, so long as it does not obscure any Trident regalia pieces such as the hood or stole of achievement, which should always remain on top.

You can place an online order for your Trident class ring. If you have any questions about your ring order, please contact our representative, Ms. Maryann Bettendorf, at 657-220-5038 or mabettendorf@yahoo.com.

We are excited to announce that a special edition 2024 presidential coin will be given to each Trident graduate in attendance.

You can place an online order for your Trident Graduation announcements and invitations. If you have questions, call 800-433-0296.

You can place an online order for frames for your diploma or graduation photographs.

How do I order tickets?
There are no tickets for this event and seating will be on a first-come-first-serve basis. We ask that you limit your guest list to seven or less, to allow the opportunity for all graduates to have guests in attendance to celebrate their academic achievement. All Graduates have the opportunity to reserve up to 7 guest seats when registering for the event. We will use this submission to gauge audience size against capacity.

How many guests can I invite?
Each graduate has the opportunity to reserve up to 7 seats for family and friends when they submit an RSVP

Does the graduating student need a ticket?
The graduating student does not need a ticket.

Is seating assigned?
No. This year’s event is general admission. Each graduate can invite up to 7 guests.

What if I need special accommodations for myself or a guest.
If you need special accommodations for yourself or guests, please contact Commencement@trident.edu as soon as possible.

I am bringing an infant or small child. Do they need a ticket?
No, tickets are not required for this event. There will be a designated space in the galleria for stroller parking.

Will there be a place for me to keep my purse / bag / other belongings if I am walking in the ceremony?
No, there will not be a secure location for you to leave your belongings while you are walking in and attending the ceremony. We ask that you leave any belongings with your guests so that you do not have to carry them in the procession.

Can my guests have balloons or signs in the audience?
No balloons or signs are allowed in the theater as they may block the view for other guests.

What is the address for the venue?
Venue and parking information for the 2024 Commencement Ceremony will be available in the coming months.

How was Atlanta selected as this year’s commencement location?
It was the Commencement Planning Team’s goal to consider all AIUS Graduate points of view in the city selection this year, which is why we conducted our first ever location survey in January 2024. Based on nearly 900 survey responses, Atlanta, GA, was identified as the preferred location of eligible graduates by a 15% margin.

While we understand that the survey results may not align with your preference, we do sincerely hope that you can participate and celebrate your accomplishment with us in Atlanta this October. If you are not able to join in person, we are pleased to share that all 2024 Graduates will be invited to participate in a virtual commencement ceremony in January 2025. Details on this event will be released later in the year. Furthermore, graduates are welcome to attend any future ceremony following the completion of their degree. If next year better aligns with your personal or professional schedule, you are welcome to walk the stage then or any year thereafter.

What does the $150 Graduation Fee pay for?
The Graduation Fee is not related to the Commencement Ceremony. This fee covers costs associated with graduation processing. For example, completing the degree verification, updating external portals, and issuing a diploma and transcript. Please note that no diplomas will be awarded at the Commencement Ceremony – instead, you will receive your diploma and transcript in the mail after your degree audit has been completed.

How long does it take for my diploma to be mailed to me, do I have to wait until the commencement ceremony in October before it can be sent?
Normal delivery time is approximately 8 weeks from the end of the final session. However, from March to July our vendor experiences high volumes of diploma orders, so the delivery time may be extended to 10 weeks and rush requests are not permitted during this time.

Is there a digital version that can be emailed to me prior to receiving the printed version?
Yes, we send an electronic copy of your diploma to your primary personal email when we place the order for your physical copy. This occurs 4-6 weeks from the date grades post for your final session. If a previous graduate from Trident wants to order a digital copy, they can do so via Parchment for a nominal fee. All initial and duplicate diplomas moving forward will be from Trident University International with the current American InterContinental University System administration.

Will there be professional photography?
Yes, professional photographs will be taken during the Graduation Ceremony by Grad Images and made available to you to order online afterward. Please note that to maintain the formality of the Graduation Ceremony, guests are asked to remain seated. Also, only non-flash photography and video recordings on handheld devices will be allowed during the ceremony.

If you or some of your guests can’t make it to the in-person ceremony, the entire ceremony will be streamed live on Trident University International’s Facebook page, and You Tube channel. More Information on how to watch the 2024 Commencement Ceremony live will be released when it is available.

Accommodations and things to do near the 2024 commencement venue will be released when it is available.

*Trident is not directly affiliated with the hotels listed. Any hotel policies, restrictions, limitations are at the sole discretion of the hotel and Trident cannot guarantee or authorize any reservations, cancellations, or other action taken by the hotel.