Commencement

Get Ready for Your Graduation Day

Apply for Graduation

Students who are nearing their graduation date must apply for graduation through the Registrar's Office in order to receive their diploma. 

Questions about the graduation application process may be directed to the Registrar's Office at registrar@ycp.edu.

Submit Your Information for the Commencement Ceremony

All graduates who intend to participate in the Commencement ceremony must complete the December 2025 Commencement Ceremony Participant Form. This form provides important information — including the correct pronunciation of your name as it will be read aloud during the ceremony, as well as contact information for you and your guests to receive graduation-related communications.

Note: The Commencement Participant Form is separate from the Graduation Application. Graduating students must submit both forms to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

Order Your Regalia

All graduates who participate in Commencement must wear the proper regalia for their degree and major. Caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels may be ordered through the Spartan Store. Honors cords are distributed at the Grad Fair to all graduates to whom it applies.

If, for any reason, you do not have the means to purchase regalia, you may borrow previously-owned regalia at no charge from the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion on a first come, first served basis. A limited number of caps, gowns, and hoods are available. Tassels will need to be purchased at the Spartan Store for $4.99 + tax.

Request to borrow regalia

Watch How to Wear Your Regalia

Guest Tickets for Graduation

Each graduating student attending Commencement will receive an allotted number of tickets. 

Graduates do not need a ticket for themselves. However, graduates will be welcome to attend the other graduation ceremony as ticketed guests (to be provided by the College) to celebrate with peers outside their school - Further communication will be sent by email. 

Extra Guest Tickets

Graduating students may request additional tickets (Family members and friends may not submit a request on behalf of a graduate). Graduates will be notified if extra tickets are available and, if so, where they may claim them. 

Commencement Day Information

Check-In for Graduation

As soon as you arrive on campus, please report directly to your designated check-in location. Additional information will be provided to graduating students in the spring.

When you check in, you will receive the following items:

• Name Card — This card contains the correct pronunciation of your name and your contact information. If your card is incomplete, you will be asked to write in the missing information. Hold on to this card! It will be used as you cross the stage to ensure your name is pronounced correctly during your spotlight moment. Later, GradImages will use the card to match your photos to your name. They will reach out to you within a few weeks with online proofs of your photos. (Note: If you are concerned that your name may be mispronounced even with the phonetic spelling on your card, you may ask to whisper your name to the Provost before she announces you to the audience.)
• YCP Alumni Lapel Pin — Attach this pin to the left lapel of your regalia. It signifies that you have joined the distinguished York College alumni community as a Spartan for life!

Line Up for the Procession

Additional information about processing and meeting locations will be shared with graduating students in the spring.

Parking During Commencement

All commencement parking for students and guests will be on West Campus.

There will be electronic road signs directing guests to West Campus, as well as traffic direction staff, campus, and local law enforcement officers directing traffic in and around campus.

Final Reminders for Graduation Day

• Arrive at check-in wearing your regalia. Staff will be available to provide assistance.
• Leave all personal items, including bags, with your guests. Do not carry them into the ceremony.
• No Balloons, Signs, or Horns are allowed in Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center.
• Arrive well-rested and prepared to participate. You want to be relaxed, alert, and ready for your big day!
• The live stream of the ceremony can be accessed by anyone, on any device, via ycp.edu/commencement.

Receiving Your Diploma

Graduates will receive their diploma in the mail in the weeks following the end of the semester. The Registrar's Office issues diplomas after a student’s requirements for degree completion are confirmed.

Plans After College Survey

Graduation applicants will receive a First Destination Survey via Handshake email. Access it through the email link, or through MyApps > Handshake > Career Center > First Destination Survey.

Please complete the survey regardless of your post-graduation status. You can update your responses anytime during the survey window. This NACE-standard survey helps the college track graduate outcomes and evaluate our career preparation effectiveness.

Joining the Alumni Association

As a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, you are now officially a member of the Alumni Association! No matter where life takes you, be sure to keep your information up to date so you can stay informed about YCP alumni benefits, career development resources, special events, and more.

Follow @YCPAlumni on Instagram or Facebook for the latest alumni news!

All commencement parking for students and guests will be on West Campus.

There will be electronic road signs directing guests to West Campus, as well as traffic direction staff, campus, and local law enforcement officers directing traffic in and around campus.

If you or a family member requires accommodations during the day of Commencement, please submit an accommodation request at least two weeks prior to the event, or as soon as possible. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations. 

Available accommodations that will be provided at Commencement include (but are not limited to):

• Sign language interpretation
• Accessible seating for guests in wheelchairs or with other mobility assist devices
• Accessible Drop-off location near the ceremony for guests
• Accessible parking for those with a disability tag/placard

Commencement staff will contact you before the ceremony to confirm your accommodation request. 

Questions may be directed to commencement@ycp.edu or 717.849.1635.

Flowers will be available for sale at the ceremony from an independent vendor for $20-$30 per bouquet. Cash or credit cards are accepted.

The Spartan Store will be open on graduation day to provide you and your family an opportunity to obtain York College gift items, clothing, balloons, etc. Snacks and beverages for the trip home will also be available.

No Balloons, Signs, or Horns are allowed in Grumbacher Sport and Fitness Center.

Professional photos of the ceremony and of each graduate receiving their degree will be available from GradImages. Proofs will be provided by GradImages directly to graduates a few weeks after the ceremony. Purchasing photos from GradImages is always optional for students and their families. 

Students who preregister with GradImages get 20% off an order of $50 or more.

The Office of Communications will work with an outside organization to alert local media in each graduate’s hometown of their graduation. The publication and timing of these announcements is at the discretion of the individual newspaper or media group. 

Guests who do not have a ticket for seating in the ceremony location may still view the ceremony live online.

A link to the live stream will be available on the Commencement webpage, and a recording of the ceremony will remain available long-term on York College's YouTube channel. 

Changes to the ceremony due to severe weather will be communicated directly to graduates via their YCP email, and will also be announced on the College's social media accounts.

Signing York College's iconic green boulder (affectionately named Ol' Spart) is a proud YCP tradition. On Commencement Day, each new graduate writes their name on the rock to signify the completion of their academic journey and to commemorate the mark they will leave on campus forever as a member of our Spartan family. 

Following the Commencement ceremony, graduates will return to main campus and add their names to a freshly painted Ol' Spart, joining layers upon layers of remarkable alumni that came before them.