Is this the last term of your certificate or diploma program? Here's what you need to know about the Application to Graduate process.
What is the difference between graduation, Convocation, and conferral date?
- Graduation is your accomplishment in completing your program and taking that next step.
- Convocation is the ceremony at which we celebrate the accomplishments of you, our graduates.
- Conferral date is the date that your credential (diploma or certificate) is officially confirmed and communicated to you.
Applying to graduate is the first step in order to officially graduate from your program study. It lets us know that you have completed all your courses and that you are in your last term of study. It is not the same as the Convocation Ceremony registration.
| Program completed by |
Apply to graduate |
Conferral Date* |
Convocation Ceremony |
| October 31, 2022 | September 15 - October 14, 2022 | November 25, 2022 | June 21 & June 22, 2023 |
| December 19, 2022 | September 15 - December 15, 2022 | January 27, 2023 | June 21 & June 22, 2023 |
| February 28, 2023 | January 16 - February 15, 2023 | March 24, 2023 | June 21 & June 22, 2023 |
| April 28, 2023 | January 16 - April 14, 2023 | May 26, 2023 | June 21 & June 22, 2023 |
| June 30, 2023 | May 15 - June 15, 2023 | July 26, 2023 | December 7, 2023 |
| August 24, 2023 | May 15 - August 15, 2023 | September 22, 2023 | December 7, 2023 |
| *Please note that if you are a Health Care Aide learner standard conferral dates listed here may not apply, as your conferral date is now dependent on when you take and successfully pass the Alberta Health Care Aide Provincial Exam. All Health Care Aide learners are given 60 days from the completion of courses to write their exam; official graduation will commence after this examination period. | |||
Preparing for Graduation
Bow Valley College needs to ensure that we have your most accurate and up to date information in order to process your Application to Graduate. Delays in processing your application will be created if your file is not accurate.
Before you submit your Application to Graduate, learners should check their MyBVC and verify that following information is correct:
- Legal name to verify information
- Address to send your parchment
- Personal email address - this should be the email that all your college documents are sent to, for example, MyCreds
Application to Graduate steps
How do I find out more about my eligibility or program requirements?
If you have any questions about whether you are in your final term, contact Academic Advising.
What if I need to take more classes or want to register in options like work experience?
You need to have finished all your classes in order to graduate. The optional work experience for the Chiu School of Business and School of Technology is considered a class and must be completed before you graduate.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
The Application to Graduate closure period allows us to process the Applications to Graduate and confirm eligibility to graduate. Once we begin accepting Applications to Graduate to the following term, you can submit and be included in the next round of graduations.
You will first receive an auto-reply email when you submit your Application to Graduate.
Within three weeks, we will let you know that your Application Graduate has been accepted.
For us to process and accept your Application to Graduate, it must be fully completed and contain your most up to date information. We encourage you to submit your Application to Graduate as soon as possible in the final term of your program.
If we cannot process your Application to Graduate, we will let you know as soon as possible.
You must first submit an Application to Graduate in order to receive information on how to register for Convocation.
We will send you an email inviting you to register to attend Convocation closer to the Convocation date. Convocation registration is optional, you are not required to attend in order to receive your parchment or to graduate.
Click here for additional convocation information (guest info, how to book portraits, venue, etc.)
Your parchment will be mailed to you six weeks after the conferral date.
International Learners:
We will automatically send you your Post-Graduate Work Permit documents within two weeks of the Conferral Date, if you are eligible. You do not need to request these documents. Please click here for additional important information.
