REQUIREMENTS: 
Check with your program for specific course requirements. Refer to the Graduate Studies Bulletin.

DEADLINE:
By your final term of study.   Check Dates and Deadlines. 

Apply for Graduation on my.sc.edu. Click the “Apply to Graduate” link under the “Student” tab.  The attendance question refers to participation in the ceremony at the Colonial Life Arena.

DEADLINE:
Dates and Deadlines for your commencement ceremony.

Order your University of South Carolina academic regalia in person at the University Bookstore in the Russell House or complete your order online through the Oak Hall portal.  Online orders are needed nine (9) weeks in advance of the ceremony (early October for Fall; early March for Spring). 

For assistance, call the University Bookstore at 803-777-4160.

View the Registrar's Name Pronunciation for Commencement page for instructions.  The portal is open for a limited time posted on the Registrar's Dates and Deadlines page.  This is specific to master's and graduate certificate graduation ceremonies.

Complete all degree requirements as posted in the  Graduate Studies Bulletin.

Submit your graduation application on my.sc.edu

• Attendance  questions on the graduation application refer to the formal ceremony at the Koger Center. (The Summer and Fall ceremony is in December. The Spring ceremony is in May)

Successfully submit your dissertation to the Graduate School (if required/applicable) 

• Submit your Dissertation Signature and Approval Form (if required/applicable)
• Submit your Doctoral Hooding Program Information Form
• Submit the online Survey of Earned Doctorates (PhDs only)

*Eligible candidates will receive email notification with more specific instructions.

New for December 2024 Doctoral Commencement!

Students who are eligible for participating in the December Doctoral Ceremony will receive an email from Marching Order in late October with a link to complete your RSVP and Name Pronunciation for the Doctoral Commencement Ceremony.  This is a new system we are implementing to streamline the graduation process and make it more convenient for you.   The Marching Order portal will close Sunday, November 17. 

What to Buy

Your doctoral gown should be black or garnet (available by special order only) and your tassel should be gold. Your hood depends on your discipline. Check with your program, department, or the University Bookstore to confirm the correct doctoral hood.

Where to Buy

Order your University of South Carolina academic regalia in person at the University Bookstore in the Russell House or complete your order online through the Oak Hall portal.  Online orders are needed nine (9) weeks in advance of the ceremony (early October for Fall; early March for Spring). 

For assistance, call the University Bookstore at 803-777-4160.

Your major professor will accompany you onto the stage and assist with your hooding.

Remind Your Major Professor: They will need to bring their own cap, gown and hood to the ceremony.

If Your Major Professor Cannot Be at the Ceremony: If your major professor is on sabbatical or otherwise cannot attend the hooding ceremony, consult with your major professor to arrange for another member of your committee or faculty to accompany you onto the stage.

Order official personalized invitation cards and announcements from Jostens, the representative company for the University of South Carolina. Shop online among packages and individual products that will help you announce your accomplishment in style.

Fall 2024 Doctoral Commencement Exercises will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, December 16, 2024 at the Koger Center for the Arts.  

When to Arrive
At least one hour before the ceremony begins.

Where to Go
Both you and your faculty escort should enter the Koger Center through the Assembly Street entrance.

What to Wear
You should be robed and have on your cap or tam, with hood in hand when you arrive for the ceremony. 

Clear Bag Policy
The Koger Center will be enforcing the same clear bag policy as the Colonial Life Arena. See what is prohibited. Garment bags for your regalia will be considered exceptions.

Guests are welcomed!  Tickets are not required.  Seating is first come, first served.

Where to Go
Guests should enter the Koger Center through the Greene Street entrance and go directly to the auditorium. Guests must be seated by 9:50 a.m., when the processional begins.

Clear Bag Policy
The Koger Center will be enforcing the same clear bag policy as the Colonial Life Arena. See what is prohibited. 

Approximate Schedule

1 hour before ceremony
Candidates and faculty escorts should arrive at the Koger Center and proceed to the check-in stations in the lobby for further instructions.

30 minutes before ceremony
Everyone should be seated in procession order.

30 minutes before ceremony
Faculty who wish to be part of the ceremony but are not hooding candidates should arrive.

5 minutes before ceremony
Platform Party Procession begins.

1 hour after ceremony begins
The hooding ceremony ends. Graduates and faculty will process out of the Koger Center after the Platform Party leaves the stage.

Reception
A reception for you, your guests and the faculty will be held after the exercises conclude. We look forward to celebrating with you!

Professional photographers will take pictures from an assigned area. Information about how to access these pictures will be sent to you after the ceremony.  Visit the University Registrar’s photography page for more information.

Our Doctoral Hooding ceremonies are available to view live on the Graduate School's YouTube channel.

Photo Galleries

• December 2019
• May 2019

Video

• May 2024
• December 2023
• May 2023
• December 2022
• May 2022
• December 2021
• May 2021
• May 2020