ASU fall graduates set to shine

It's a time-honored tradition: Arizona State University students dressed in maroon cap and gown, posing for graduation photos with family and friends in front of Old Main with big smiles.

“I'm so happy and excited to graduate,” said Kaley McGlawn, who will receive a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College this month.

McGlawn is one of more than 11,000These figures represent the number of students who have applied for graduation as of Dec. 1. The exact number of degrees may change up to two weeks after graduation. ASU students graduating this December. More than half of those students earned their degrees through ASU Online, including nearly 1,000 participating in the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. Of the total number of graduate and undergraduate students, Arizona residents made up about 42%, or just over 4,600.

Other notable numbers from this fall's graduating class: 

• Of those who applied to graduate, 7,399 are undergraduates (earning 7,594 degrees) and 3,690 are graduate/ASU Law students (earning 3,693 degrees).
• The largest number of students — 2,371 — are graduating from The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, followed by 2,271 from the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and 1,115 from the W. P. Carey School of Business.
• Of the overall total, 1,497 are international students, an 11% increase over last fall. Among international ASU Online students, the increase was over 38%. 
• ASU Online has seen significant increases in a variety of areas, including a 25% increase in the number of students receiving degrees from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; nearly 23% more from the Thunderbird School of Global Management; more than 21% more from the College of Global Futures.

MORE: Get to know ASU's notable grads

McGlawn’s plans for the future include teaching in the Mesa Unified School District while attending graduate school. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College will have 864 graduates this year — representing a nearly 9% increase over the fall 2022 graduating class. 

“It feels so surreal to begin the next chapter of my life,” McGlawn said. 

This year, 173 students will receive their law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, an 11% increase over last fall. One of those students is Zach Rufa, who will be graduating from ASU Law after only two and a half years. In addition to a law degree, he will be awarded two certificates — one in trial advocacy and the other in law, science and technology, with a focus on intellectual property. He has already accepted a position at a law firm in Los Angeles. 

“It was certainly intense,” said Rufa, describing his studies at ASU Law. “But now that I have crested that hill, I can see the sun on the horizon and I’m very glad to have done it.” 

The university has a range of 28 commencement and convocation ceremonies, running Dec. 9–14, honoring the individual colleges and student groups. Find details below and at graduation.asu.edu.

Commencement and convocation details 

Graduate commencement
When: 9 a.m. Monday, Dec. 11
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus
Speaker: ASU President Michael M. Crow

Undergraduate commencement
When: 2:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11 
Where: Mountain America Stadium, Tempe campus
Speaker: ASU President Michael M. Crow

Asian/Asian Pacific American Convocation
When: 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 
Where: Student Pavillion, Tempe campus

Veterans Honor Stole Ceremony
When: 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

International Student Stole Ceremony
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9
Where: Student Pavillion, Tempe campus

Hispanic Convocation
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

Barrett, The Honors College Convocation
When: noon Monday, Dec. 11
Where: ASU Gammage, Tempe campus

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts Convocation 
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College Convocation 
When: 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

Army ROTC Commissioning Ceremony 
When: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Armstrong Hall, Tempe campus

Rainbow Convocation
When: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Student Pavillion, Tempe campus

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Convocation
When: 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Mountain America Stadium, 500 E. Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85287

W. P. Carey School of Business Graduate Convocation
When: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Student Pavillion, Tempe campus

Thunderbird School of Global Management Convocation
When: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Phoenix Convention Center

Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions Convocation
When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12
Where: Desert Financial Arena, 600 E. Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85281

College of Health Solutions Convocation
When: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: Desert Financial Arena, 600 E. Veterans Way, Tempe, AZ 85281

Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation Convocation (multiple events)
When: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: Student Pavilion, Tempe campus

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Convocation
When: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: ASU Gammage, Tempe campus

Navy ROTC Commissioning Ceremony 
When: 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: Memorial Union, Tempe campus

College of Global Futures Convocation
When: 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: ASU Gammage, Tempe campus

W. P. Carey School of Business Undergraduate Convocation
When: 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Convocation
When: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13
Where: Beus Center for Law and Society, Downtown Phoenix campus

American Indian Convocation
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13 
Where: ASU Gammage, Tempe campus

Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication Convocation
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13 
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Convocation
When: 9 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

Black African Convocation
When: 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 14
Where: Student Pavilion, Tempe campus

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Graduate Convocation
When: 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering Undergraduate Convocation
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14
Where: Desert Financial Arena, Tempe campus

More resources

• Find out the latest information, including on special-interest convocations and an FAQ, at the ASU graduation page.
• Access backgrounds, social media filters and more on the virtual graduation toolkit page.
• Watch instructional videos on how to dress for graduation.

Top photo: Graduating medical studies scholar Ayesha Halim poses with her mother, Irene; her brother, Ayden; and her father, Hamid, on Nov. 29 in front of Old Main on the Tempe campus. Halim plans to continue her education in a pharmacology graduate program beginning in the fall. Photo by Charlie Leight/ASU News