Graduation
- Commencement ceremony information
- Information for MPA students
- Information for students in certificate programs
- Things to do
- Other items of interest
Commencement ceremony information
The information below is being updated, so please check back regularly for current deadlines.
Spring 2011 Commencement Ceremony
Application Deadline: Friday, February 11, 2011
Date: Friday, May 6, 2011
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Carolina First Arena (Map)
Tickets: TBA
Speaker: José Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (Biography)
Parking: Garage parking will be available for $5.00 per vehicle at the new George Garage located on St Philip Street between George & Liberty Streets. The College of Charleston surface parking lots will be available only to faculty, staff and students working the ceremony.
Post-ceremony reception: TBA
Information for MPA students
If you are a Master of Public Administration degree candidate, you will also need to complete additional forms for the University of South Carolina. Visit Ms. Margaret Bonifay in the MPA office located at 14 Coming Street.
Information for students in certificate programs
If you have completed your certificate, complete and submit the Certificate Completion Application to the Graduate School Office. A $25 check made payable to the College of Charleston should also accompany your completion application.
Things to do
- Apply for graduation.
- Graduation applications are only accepted online via MyCharleston. Log in, then click on the Academic Services tab. Then, click on the Banner Self Service Link. Next, click on "Student," then "Apply to Graduate."
- Students who apply after the deadline will have to pay an additional $25 (for a total of $50) and apply in person at the Graduate Studies Office, located in 310 Randolph Hall
- Complete your degree check.
- Ensure the Graduate School Office has a copy of your Program of Study form and any Program of Study Change forms you may have completed.
- If you have transfer credit, which has been approved by your program, please make certain that you have ordered an official copy of your transcript to be sent to the Graduate School Office (for students in Education programs) or to be your graduate program office (all other programs). Transfer credit needs to be manually applied to your student records and this takes time. So please request any transcripts as soon as possible.
- If you are completing a thesis, you must successfully defend your work and submit your thesis online by midnight, Monday, April 25, 2011.
- If comprehensive exams are required for your program, please arrange to take the exam on the scheduled dates.
- For information or questions regarding your degree check or graduation, email Regan Fantry, Director of Student Records.
- Take the financial aid exit interview.
- You must complete the online exit interview if you paid for any part of your graduate education with loans. Your PIN is the same as your FAFSA personal identification number. Contact the Department of Education if you have forgotten your PIN.
- Purchase graduation regalia.
- Purchase from the College Bookstore. The costs for matte finish academic regalia are listed below. Prices are subject to change and do not include SC sales tax. The deadline to order regalia is Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Click here to download the order form in PDF format. You may then take the form to the bookstore to complete your order.
- Cap, gown and tassel: $38.00
- Ladies white collar: no charge
- Master hood: $30.00
- Additional tassel: $4.10
- Jumbo tassel: $5.50
- Cap: $10.00
- Ladies will receive a white collar at the Bookstore register when making the purchase of your complete regalia.
- Please do not purchase flowers for the commencement ceremony. Master's candidates do not carry flowers during the ceremony.
- Bring all items with you to graduation. Students do not need to drop off their hood at the Graduate School Office.
- Check your regalia. Before graduation, open and check your regalia to ensure you have all items and the correct color hood. The color of your program's hood is designated below:
- Accountancy: Drab
- Bilingual Legal Interpreting: White
- Communication: Silver
- Computer & Information Sciences: Gold
- Education: Light Blue
- English: White
- Environmental Studies: Yellow
- Historic Preservation: Orange
- History: White
- Marine Biology: Gold
- Mathematics: Gold
- Public Administration: Peacock Blue
- Purchase from the College Bookstore. The costs for matte finish academic regalia are listed below. Prices are subject to change and do not include SC sales tax. The deadline to order regalia is Tuesday, March 15, 2011. Click here to download the order form in PDF format. You may then take the form to the bookstore to complete your order.
- Purchase graduation announcements.
- Order your ceremony announcements by Tuesday, March 15, 2011. You can place your order with Balfour. Make sure you order College of Charleston (as the school), and select "Graduate Invitations" Prior to checkout.
Other items of interest
Alumni online community. Upon graduating, you will be part of the College of Charleston alumni family. You now have access to the online alumni community and the ability to register for a permanent forwarding email address that will end in alumnicofc.edu. It is very important that you register through the online community and use it to update your information for the Alumni Office. Register online.
Diploma re-order form. If you have already received a diploma and would like a replacement, please print the diploma reorder form and turn it in to the Graduate School office.
Diplomas. Diplomas will be ordered for students who have applied to graduate for the Fall 2010 term and have been preliminarily cleared to graduate as planned. To ensure accuracy and avoid delays in receiving your diploma, please check the following information on MyCharleston before April 1, 2011:
- Name: Check your unofficial transcript to be sure your name is correct. The name printed on your dimploma must match exactly what is on your College of Charleston record.
- Graduation address: Check your addresses to ensure that the permanent address is correct. This address is where your diploma will be mailed if not picked up on the designated pick-up days. Send graduation address updates via email to Regan Fantry.
- Fees paid: Make sure all fees have been paid before you leave the college. Diplomas will not be released to students with an account balance.
Diploma framing. The College Bookstore offers diploma framing. Contact them for more information.
Diploma pick-up. Diplomas may be picked up from 10:00 am. until 5:00 p.m. in the Graduate School Office located in suite 310 of Randolph Hall on May 16-20, 2011. A photo ID is required and only the graduate may pick up the diploma. Diplomas that are not collected will be mailed to the permanent address on file 4-5 weeks after pickup days.
Graduation photographer. GradTrack (provided by Bob Knight Photo & Chappell Studio) is our graduation photographer. GradTrack's website allows graduates to view their proofs and place orders online, typically within a week following commencement. To ensure security, the graduate must use an assigned private PIN number to access photos. The site includes frequently-asked questions and contact information to e-mail comments or questions to the Customer Service department.
Graduates can also preregister their email as well as their friends' and family's email addresses at this site. GradTrack will contact them as soon as their photos are available for online viewing and ordering.
Hometown news. Marketing and Communications at the College of Charleston regularly distributes News Releases announcing graduation, awards, offices held and other student accomplishments. Complete and submit this form.
