Northwest Missouri State University will celebrate the achievements of its most recent graduating students during winter commencement ceremonies Friday, December 9, in Bearcat Arena.

Northwest will host three ceremonies, beginning at 10 am, 2 pm and 6 pm in Bearcat Arena at the Lamkin Activity Center. To accommodate guests who cannot attend, Northwest also offers a live online stream of each ceremony at nwmissouri.edu/live.

“Commencement is a testament to grit and determination, and we are proud to celebrate our graduates and their loved ones for their hard work,” Northwest Interim President Dr. Clarence Green said. “Our graduates have experienced monumental change from learning modalities to civility. They are ready to solve the problems of today while having the knowledge, skills and abilities for the problems of tomorrow.”

About 1,500 students are expected to complete degrees at the university this fall, with more than 450 earning bachelor’s degrees, nearly 900 receiving master’s degrees and another 150 earning education specialist degrees. Business management is the most common bachelor’s degree among the fall graduates, and applied computer science is the most common master’s degree.

Northwest also encourages graduates, families and friends to interact with Northwest social media before, during and after the commencement ceremonies by using the hashtag #NWGrad.