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Commencement

The Trustees, Faculty, and Students
of
St Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary
request the honor of your presence at the

Commencement of the Class of 2025

on
May 17, 2025

Commencement Program 2025

Archived copies of the Commencement Program, from May 2008, also are available online.

Students receive their diplomas and academic hoods at the annual commencement exercises of St Vladimir's Seminary, which are held in the Metropolitan Philip Auditorium, located in the John G. Rangos Family Foundation Building. No diploma will be presented or final transcript issued unless all degree requirements have been completed and all financial obligations to the seminary, including library and bookstore, have been satisfied. In the case of outstanding loans or other obligations not then due and payable, appropriate agreements must have been drawn up and all payments must be current.

Graduates who would like to order replacement diplomas should contact Gabrielle Russin, Student Affairs Administrator.

Graduation Honors. Academic honors are reserved for M.Div. and M.A. students who complete all academic requirements at a high level and submit an honors thesis. Upon recommendation of the Faculty Council and approval by the Board of Trustees, the following citations may be given at graduation:

  • For a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.90, summa cum laude;
  • For a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.80, magna cum laude;
  • For a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.50, cum laude.

For the determination of honors, only courses taken at St. Vladimir’s are included in the calculation of the cumulative grade point average.

Commendation for Thesis. Upon recommendation of the candidate’s thesis readers and approval of the Faculty Council, the student may receive "commendation for thesis."

Commendation for Service to the Community. Upon recommendation of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and approval of the Faculty Council, M.Div. and M.A. students may receive "commendation for service to the community."

St Vladimir's Seminary holds commencement exercises at the end of the spring semester in May. Students who are eligible to graduate in September will be permitted to walk at the preceding spring semester commencement as long as the following conditions are met:

  • if the unfinished work is course work of no more than 6 credits—for which the student is already registered in the spring semester—then it must be completed by June 15 when a final grade for extended course work will be assigned;

  • if the unfinished work is field work—for which the student has already secured a placement—then it must be completed before the fall semester begins, otherwise the student must register for continuation in the fall semester and, if all program requirements are completed by the fall semester deadline, graduate in December; or

  • if the unfinished work is thesis—which the student was unable to complete by the spring semester deadline—then the student must register for summer term continuation and complete the thesis by August 15. Alternatively, the student may wait until fall semester to register for continuation and, if the thesis is completed by the fall semester deadline, graduate in December. 

Student commencement speakers are selected by the faculty council from among the graduating students of both the Master of Arts and Master of Divinity programs. The valedictorian, who delivers the valediction or parting words at commencement, is normally the student who has earned the highest grade point average, with consideration also being given to performance in all other aspects of seminary life. The salutatorian, who delivers the salutation or greeting at commencement, is normally the student who has earned the second-highest grade point average, with consideration also being given to performance in all other aspects of seminary life. Commencement speakers must have completed at least 48 credits at St Vladimir’s Seminary as full-time degree candidates. Neither the valedictorian nor the salutatorian is required to write a thesis.