Commencement FAQ

• When is UMMC’s Commencement?
  UMMC Commencement will be held at 10:00 a.m. (CST) on May 24, 2024, at the Mississippi Coliseum.
  
  Directions to the Mississippi Coliseum
• What time do graduates need to be there?
  Graduating students should be lined up in regalia at their designated space by 9:30 a.m.
• I am a part-time faculty member. Do I have to attend?
  Part-time faculty are not required to participate in UMMC Commencement but are welcome. Please contact your school dean or department chair in the School of Medicine.
• Can I wear my honor cords?
  UMMC graduates participating in Commencement must wear the approved regalia for their degree. Graduates who are honorees or members of the UMMC honor societies listed below may wear the approved cords, medal, or stole for that society. Graduates are prohibited from wearing cords, medals, or stoles denoting memberships or honors from societies not on the list below.  Graduates may not add decorations or objects to robes, mortarboards, or tams unless allowed, as outlined in Miss. Code § 11-61-3.
  • Institutional
    • Honors College
    • Phi Kappa Phi, University of Mississippi Chapter* (*Inducted while at UMMC)
  • School of Dentistry
    • Omicron Kappa Upsilon (DMD)
    • Honors in Research or Honors in Service
    • Sigma Phi Alpha (BS Dental Hygiene)
  • School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences
    • No honor societies
  • School of Health Related Professions
    • Alpha Eta Society
  • School of Medicine
    • Gold Humanism
    • Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society
  • School of Nursing
    • Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing
  • School of Population Health
    • No honor societies

• How do I get my cap and gown?
  Regalia information is captured when students apply for graduation in Workday. Students may contact Lauren Nichols at lnichols3@umc.edu for more information. Participating faculty must rent regalia or wear their own regalia. Faculty may contact their dean or department chair in the School of Medicine for more information. Rented regalia should be picked up in the Norman C. Nelson Student Union on Friday, May 17, 2024, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. If you cannot pick up your own regalia, please have someone pick it up for you. Regalia should be returned to the Bookstore personnel in the Trade Mart immediately following the ceremony.
• How long does the Commencement ceremony last?
  The ceremony typically lasts until shortly after 12 p.m.
• Do we get to keep our hood after graduation?
  No. The hood is considered part of the rented regalia that must be returned. Students get to keep the complimentary mortar board or tam. Hoods may be purchased through the UMMC Bookstore. Contact Alyssa Feller at afeller@umc.edu for more information.
• I want to purchase the regalia that I am renting. Is that possible?
  No. The rented regalia must be returned. Any regalia not returned will be charged a late fee plus the cost of the regalia. Regalia can be purchased through the UMMC Bookstore. Contact Alyssa Feller at afeller@umc.edu for more information.
• Are tickets required for guests?
  No. Tickets are necessary for guests to attend, and there is no restriction on the number of guests who can attend.
• When should guests arrive?
  Guests should arrive between 8:00 am and 9:00 a.m. 
• Is there accessible parking?
  Yes. Accessible parking slots are available on the north side of the building.
• How can I get my child's photo in our hometown newspaper?
  The Office of Enrollment Management provides the Office of Communications and Marketing with an electronic spreadsheet listing all graduates, their degrees conferred, and their cities of residence. The Office of Communications and Marketing disseminates that spreadsheet and a link to photographs of students who chose to have them taken before UMMC Commencement to media via a news release on Commencement day. Graduates or their families wanting announcements in their local media outlet should contact the chosen news organization directly.
• Will a photographer be at UMMC Commencement, and how do I get photos?
  A commercial photographer will take photos of each graduate as they receive their diploma and/or hood. A free color proof will be mailed approximately two weeks after UMMC Commencement to the graduate's address on file. This address can be updated by the student in Workday.
  Additionally, from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m., the photographer will be set up on the second-floor concourse from Mississippi Street (North entrance) to take studio prints of graduates. These photos can include family or friends. No reservations will be accepted. This is first-come, first-serve only. All photos will end promptly at 9:00 a.m.