Commencement
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Information for Graduates
The UMMC Commencement services proudly recognize graduating students for the current academic year (August graduates, December graduates, and May graduates), as well as honor faculty who have contributed to the education mission.
Note. All students anticipating graduation must apply for graduation through the Workday student portal. Students may contact the Office of Enrollment Management by phone (601) 984-1080 with questions about the graduation application.
The UMMC Commencement ceremony begins promptly at 10 a.m. and should end shortly after 12 p.m. (noon).
Graduate regalia
Regalia rental information is captured when students apply for graduation through the Workday student portal.
Rented regalia should be picked up in the Norman C. Nelson Student Union gymnasium on Friday, May 16, 2025, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. If a student cannot pick up their regalia, they must ensure someone picks it up on their behalf.
Note. Graduates wishing to purchase their regalia may contact the UMMC Bookstore and Gift Shops - purchases may be placed before March 1st and after June 1st each year.
Commencement preparations and ceremony
Professional appearance
All students must wear the approved regalia for their degree, including robe/gown, cap, and tassel.
- Mortarboards sit straight on the head, not at an angle.
- Tams are worn horizontally so that they are parallel to the ground and sit about an inch above the ears.
- Tassels should always hang over the left front of the mortarboard or tam. Tassels will not be turned during or after the UMMC Commencement ceremony.
All students are expected to dress professionally under the academic regalia. Dark or neutral shoes and dark or neutral visible clothing are encouraged.
Graduates may not add decorations or objects to the approved Commencement regalia unless in accordance with Miss. Code § 11-61-3. Altering of robes/gowns is not permitted.
Robing and line-up area
Students must be lined up in their regalia by 9:30 a.m. in the Trade Mart in the areas designated for each school. The school's designated Student Marshal will lead.
Note. MD-PhD graduates will line up with the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences.
Before lining up, students must leave personal items (e.g., suit coats, purses, cell phones or other electronic devices, etc.) with a family member or friend. There is no place to store personal items at the Mississippi Coliseum or Trade Mart.
Each student will receive an index card printed with their legal name (as reflected in Workday) as they line up in the Trade Mart by School/degree. Students should not make any changes to the index card provided. The School Readers have been instructed to read only the legal name; the legal name is also listed in the event program and on the diploma. Students must bring this card to the Platform to receive their diploma cover and should not leave the index card in the Trade Mart.
Processional
Faculty and staff will lead students from the Trade Mart to the graduate seating area of the Mississippi Coliseum, which is called the processional.
After the Platform Party has processes into the Arena, the faculty and graduates will process into the Arena. The procession is in the following order:
- School of Nursing
- Faculty Marshal
- Student Marshal
- BSN graduates
- MSN graduates
- DNP graduates
- School of Health Related Professions
- Faculty Marshal
- Student Marshal
- Bachelor degree graduates
- Health Informatics and Information Management
- Health Systems Administration
- Histotechnology
- Medical Laboratory Science
- Radiologic Sciences
- Master degree graduates
- Health Informatics and Information Management
- Health Systems Administration
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Nuclear Medicine Technology
- Doctoral degree graduates
- Health Administration
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Faculty Marshal
- School of Dentistry
- Faculty Marshal
- Student Marshal
- BS in Dental Hygiene graduates
- DMD graduates
- School of Medicine (will follow the end of the School of Dentistry section)
- Faculty Marshal
- Student Marshal
- MD graduates
- John D. Bower School of Population Health
- Faculty Marshal
- Student Marshal
- MS degree graduates
- Biostatistics and Data Science
- Population Health Management, Executive Program
- Population Health Science
- PhD degree graduates
- Biostatistics and Data Science
- Population Health Science
- School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences (will follow the end of the School of Population Health section)
- Faculty Marshal
- Student Marshal
- MS degree graduates
- Biomedical Sciences
- Clinical Investigation
- AuD graduates
- PhD degree graduates
- Biomedical Sciences
- Biomedical Materials Sciences
- Cell and Molecular Biology
- Clinical Anatomy
- Experimental Therapeutics and Pharmacology
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Neuroscience
- Nursing
- Physiology and Biophysics
- MD/PhD graduates
- Faculty Marshal
All Marshals and students must remain standing until after the Chaplain gives the Invocation.
Note. Again, students must bring their index card to the platform to receive their diploma cover, and should not leave it in the graduate seating area.
Conferral of degree and moving to the Platform
Following processional order, each School Dean will ask their students to stand for the conferral of degrees. Then, row by row, the Faculty and Student Marshals will instruct the students to sit or stand and lead students from the seating area to the Platform (stage left).
Each student will hand their index card to their School Reader before crossing the Platform. The student's legal name will be announced, and the student may proceed to receive their diploma cover from their School Dean.
- All doctoral-level students will move to the hooding area of the Platform to receive their doctoral hoods from designated Hooders. Look for the "Stop Here" floor markers to ensure the photography captures the graduate, the Hooder, and the hooding. Slightly bend the knees to allow the Hooder to drape the hood over the head and around the neck.
- M.D./Ph.D. students will be hooded by their Ph.D. advisor, and receive the M.D. hood over their arm.
Graduates will exit the Platform, walk back to their seats, and remain standing until all graduates in their School have received their degree. Graduates will be asked to be seated as a group.
All graduates are expected to remain seated in their School section for the duration of the ceremony.
Recessional
All graduates will follow the instructions of the Faculty and Student Marshals to exit the MS Coliseum Arena safely. The Platform Party leaves the Arena first. Then, the recession is in the following order simultaneously:
- The Hooders section will exit behind the Platform stage right through the rollaway doors, followed by the:
- School of Nursing, and
- School of Health Related Professions.
- The faculty Honors section will exit behind the Platform stage left through the rollaway doors, followed by the following:
- School of Dentistry,
- School of Medicine,
- John D. Bower School of Population Health,
- School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, and
- MD/PhD.
All sections will be led back into the Trade Mart - Exhibit Halls B and C.
Exhibit Hall A will remain open to grads and guests after the ceremony concludes.
Note. All graduates receiving an award during the ceremony must return to the Platform after the Recessional for photos with their School Dean.
Regalia return
All rented regalia - gown and hood only - must be returned to the UMMC Bookstore personnel in the Trade Mart - Exhibit Hall C (same location for robing and line-up) immediately following the ceremony and no later than 1 p.m. Graduates may elect to keep their mortarboard or tam.
Note. Any rented regalia not returned will be charged a late fee plus the cost of the regalia to the student's account.
Upon return of rented regalia, graduates may receive their copy of the 70th Volume of The Medic - UMMC's yearbook highlighting the academic year 2024-2025.
Diplomas
Diplomas will bear each graduate's full legal name as recorded in Workday. The legal name is also the name that will be announced at UMMC Commencement services and listed in the program.
Diplomas are mailed to graduates.
Note. All student holds must be cleared before the diploma will be mailed.
More information regarding diplomas, student holds, and other important graduate and alumni information will be included in the diploma cover received during the ceremony and shared via email after the UMMC Commencement services.
Photographs and news releases
Professional photography
A professional photographer will be on-site capturing 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 permanent address on file. This address can be updated by the graduate in the Workday student portal.
- Graduates may order photographs from the proof at that time. If they do not wish to order, the "proof" is theirs to keep. There is no obligation for graduates to purchase enlargements.
Additionally, from 7-9 a.m. only, a professional photographer will be stationed in the Trade Mart Atrium, closest to Exhibit Hall A, at the North Entrance (Mississippi Street), to capture studio cap and gown portraits of graduates. Family or friends may also be included in these photos.
- No reservations will be accepted. This is first come, first served only.
- All photos will end promptly at 9 a.m.
UMMC Photography will also be on-site capturing photos of the UMMC Commencement services. After the services, a link to all UMMC images will be provided on the UMMC Commencement web pages.
News releases
The UMMC Office of Communications and Marketing disseminates a list of graduates to multiple media outlets.
Graduates or their families wanting announcements in their local media outlet should contact their news organization directly.
Alumni engagement and apparel
The UMMC Alumni Engagement team keeps our vibrant alumni community connected to the University of Mississippi Medical Center and to each other by strengthening communications between our alumni and UMMC, celebrating and building traditions, fostering student and alumni leadership, and creating opportunities for investment in UMMC’s future. All UMMC graduates are encouraged to update their contact information!
Alumni apparel, gifts, and other items are available for purchase through the UMMC Bookstore and Gift Shops.
For more information, please contact the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs by phone at (601) 984-5009 or by email at AcademicAffairs@umc.edu.