2024 Graduation Ceremony

Don’t miss this opportunity to sail with Bucky and all your friends in celebration of earning your degree! All undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate students who are eligible to participate in the Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony and their families are welcome to attend!

Thursday, December 19 at 11 a.m. in the Dining Hall!

The Rehearsal will be on Thursday, December 19 at 1 p.m. in Lightsey Chapel and is required for  all graduates. It will follow Bucky’s Bon Voyage.

Participants in the Fall 2024 graduate commencement ceremony must check in by 4 p.m. on Thursday, December 19.

Participants in the Fall 2024 undergraduate commencement ceremony must check in by 9 a.m. on Friday, December 20.

Check-in will be by college with the Registrar’s Office at the entrance of the Dining Hall. Students will line up for the procession in the Dining Hall.

All graduates will be eligible for up to eight tickets for the undergraduate ceremony. Graduates must claim their tickets through Marching Order by November 26 at 11:59 p.m. Any unclaimed tickets will go back into a general pool of tickets and will be distributed to students requesting additional tickets at that time. There is no guarantee that additional tickets will be available.

Graduate participants will not have a ticket limit for the graduate ceremony.

The Commencement Ceremony is a very special occasion, so please dress appropriately.

Men should wear khakis or dress pants, dark (flat) shoes, and a shirt with a collar.  Ladies should very seriously consider flat shoes – dark colors are preferable. No flip flops or tennis shoes are permitted.

Graduates inducted into academic honor societies will be allowed to wear the specific honor cord for that academic honor society at Commencement. No other adornments available from the academic honor society such as medals, pins or stoles are to be worn at commencement.

Graduates who are student athletes and graduates who are veterans of the United States’ military will be permitted to wear honor cords.  Athletic honor cords are Navy and Gold. Veteran honor cords are Red, White, and Blue.

Graduates of Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC will be permitted to wear the sash representing their branch of the military.

Graduates who are members of approved campus organizations may wear a single stole outside their graduation gown.

Please note, students are not permitted to decorate their caps or regalia. Students who do not show up with the appropriate attire may not be able to participate in the Commencement activities.

This policy applies for both the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies.

Students, faculty, and staff will park in the Student Center Lot. Family, friends, and guests should use the Library Lot first and then the Science and Engineering Building Lot once the Library lot is full.

It is the expectation that all candidates for graduation purchase regalia through Jostens. Students should order online by visiting the Charleston Southern University Jostens page.

Yes. A light reception will follow both ceremonies outside of the Chapel around the reflection pond, weather permitting.

Yes, every ceremony will be livestreamed. You can find those links above on this page.

The undergraduate event on Friday, December 20 will likely run 2 hours. We recommend making lunch or dinner reservations after 1 p.m. to allow time to attend the reception immediately following the event and enjoy time with faculty, staff, and graduates on campus. The graduate event on Thursday, December 19, will likely run anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours.

Graduates will receive an email with the gallery link in the days following the event. Pictures will also be accessible on this page after graduation and links to the galleries will be posted on the Charleston Southern University Facebook page.

Ages 2 and under do not require a ticket as long as they can sit on the lap of someone who does have a ticket.

Graduates can specify any accommodation needs for their guests through the Marching Order platform after registering their account. While there is limited ADA seating available in the Chapel, ample seating will be provided in the Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership for those requiring additional assistance.

Yes. The university will follow its Clear Bag Policy for Commencement ceremonies, which states that approved bags may not exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″, a 1 gallon (or smaller) re-sealable clear plastic freezer bag, a small clutch purse no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″. In addition, no weapons are permitted at any Commencement ceremonies.

Please note, students are not permitted to decorate their caps or regalia. Students who do not show up with the appropriate attire may not be able to participate in the Commencement activities.

Diplomas will be mailed to graduates after Commencement. Graduating students will receive an email to their CSU email address when the diploma has been mailed. They will be given their diploma cover during the ceremony to be used for pictures.

Please make sure your diploma mailing address is up to date by verifying your address is correct on your MyCSU account. Once you log in, click on your picture or the circle in the upper right hand corner and choose My profile & settings; on the left hand side, choose contact information; click on the drop down arrow under addresses; if your current address needs to be updated, click on Current address, make the changes and save. Addresses must be updated no later than December 18.

The official document of awarding of your degree is the official transcript. You can order your official transcript in MyCSU once all final grades are posted in December, and your degree is conferred. Once your degree has been conferred, the ‘A0’ hold will change to ‘RA’ (Readmission required). This means you have graduated.