Program end date is the date that your final, successfully defended and approved dissertation and all associated paperwork is accepted by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. At that point, your program is closed and your student status ends. Your program end date can be any business day during the year.
Your degree is awarded once it has been approved by Senate. Degrees are awarded twice a year in May and November. Once your degree has been awarded notation will appear on your official transcript.
Finally, graduation happens when you are able to walk across the stage at convocation and have the parchment handed to you (or mailed if you are not able to attend the graduation ceremony). Graduation also takes place twice a year at UBC in May and November.
Please remember that you must formally apply for graduation online through the SSC in order to have your degree awarded, regardless of whether you plan to attend the graduation ceremony.