Commencement Ceremony - Undergraduate

The College of Charleston offers two commencement ceremonies for its undergraduate candidates – one in December and one in May. Each ceremony is unique and beautiful.

December Ceremony

The December ceremony (sometimes called “mid-year" or "winter" commencement) will take place at the TD Arena on campus. Details about the December ceremony can be found on the Senior Information Website during the fall term. Tickets are required for guests attending the December ceremony. Each graduation candidate will be eligible to receive 10* tickets. All inquiries concerning commencement ceremony tickets should be directed to the alumni relations office. *Number subject to change without notice

May Ceremony

The May ceremonies take place outdoors in our beautiful and historic Cistern Yard. There are two ceremonies – one in the morning and one in the afternoon of the same day. Because of the large number of graduates who participate, tickets are required for guest admission. Each graduation candidate will be eligible to receive 4 tickets for their guests who wish to join them in the Cistern Yard. Additional tickets are only available on a limited basis by raffle at several senior events that take place throughout the year. Contact your senior class officers for more information. Details (including dates/times) about the May ceremony can be found on the Senior Information Website during the spring term. Inquiries concerning commencement ceremony tickets should be directed to the alumni relations office.

Additional Seating (no ticket required)

Accommodations are made for guests who do not have tickets via electronic viewing at "satellite" locations. Details will be available on the Senior Information Website as they become available.

Commencement Ceremony Eligibility and Options

Students may participate in either the December or May commencement ceremony following completion of all graduation requirements. Students completing all graduation requirements in the Summer term* may participate in the December ceremony of the same year or the May ceremony of the following year. Since ceremony participation is assumed, applicants for graduation who are eligible for commencement do not need to inform our office of their commencement intentions, but may do so via the Graduation Application. Telling us your ceremony intention helps us to prepare for the event but does not change your eligibility to participate.  Graduation candidates and their families can stay up-to-date about commencement information by bookmarking and checking the Senior Information Website often.

*Summer term includes Maymester, May Evening and all summer parts of term.

Multi-majors

Students graduating with more than one major (if being completed in the same term) may choose the major with which they would like to participate and all pre-cleared majors will be noted in the Commencement Program. Contact the registrar's office for information about ceremony participation if you are completing more than one major/degree program in different terms (e.g., graduating with HTMT in spring and BADM in MM/SS) or if you have questions concerning eligibility. If you were admitted under, or are using, the 2008-2009 catalog or a subsequent year, please read the information concerning the Second Bachelor's Degree Policy (effective beginning Fall 2008) available online or in the printed catalog.

Students who fail to apply to graduate will not be on any of our commencement check lists

Fall Term Graduates

Students who are on track to graduate (i.e. preliminarily cleared) for the fall term will be eligible for participation in the December ceremony. Participation is assumed and encouraged, however, it is optional. If a fall graduate does not participate in the December ceremony, he/she will automatically be eligible, and on the lists, for the following May ceremony.

Spring Term Graduates

Students who are on track to graduate (i.e. preliminarily cleared) in the spring term will be eligible for participation in the May ceremony. Participation is assumed and encouraged, however, it is optional.

Summer Term Graduates

Students who graduate in the Summer term will be eligible for participation in that same year's December ceremony or the following year's May ceremony. If a Summer graduate does not participate in the December ceremony, he/she will automatically be eligible, and on the lists, for the following May ceremony. Participation is assumed and encouraged, however, it is optional.

Latin Honors Recognition at Commencement

Latin honors recognized at commencement are presumptive and are based on the cumulative GPA that the student has earned in the term prior to the graduation term (i.e., before graduation term grades are posted).

Students who do not meet honors requirements until after all grades are in for their graduation term, will not be recognized for honors in the commencement program. Actual honors earned will be noted on both the transcript and on the diploma once all grades are recorded.

Students who graduate in the fall (or summer) of the year prior to the ceremony and walk in May will have their actual honors earned recognized. Students who are allowed to participate in the ceremony by petition/exception will not be recognized for honors.

EXCEPTIONS TO CEREMONY PARTICIPATION ELIGIBILITY

Occasionally, due to extenuating circumstances, a student may participate in a ceremony before he/she is eligible to do so. The faculty will allow this by petition if the student meets certain strict requirements. Click here for more information.

COMMENCEMENT RELATED LINKS

• Alumni Relations
  Class rings, senior events, ceremony tickets, alumni e-mail account
• Career Center
  Employment and volunteer opportunities; résumé help
• Center for Disability Services
  Ceremony accessibility/handicap seating
• College of Charleston Bookstore
  Flowers, announcements, diploma frames, commencement DVD's (May)
• Graduation Website
  Application for graduation info; diplomas, Graduation Update form, Diploma Replacement, other graduation information
• Media Relations
  Hometown newspaper announcement information
• Senior Information Website
  date/time/place, rehearsal (May), attire, senior events, senior class meetings, ticket raffles, diploma pick-up, photography and more! This is your “one-stop” for the most up-to-date commencement information.
• Treasurer's Office
  Graduation Fee (payment information and deadlines)