MSMC Commencement

Use this link to register to walk in the ceremony and to receive guest tickets. The deadline to register is April 19.

Each graduate who registers to attend Commencement will be given 8 guest tickets. (6-white and 2-black). All 8 tickets are for the Commencement Ceremony on the Dominican Center Field. 

• If there is severe weather and the ceremony is moved indoors, only the 2 black tickets will be honored. Graduates will be limited to 2 (two) guests in the event of severe weather.
• All guests must have a ticket to the Commencement ceremony. No one, including small children over the age of 1, will be admitted without a ticket. Children under the age of 1 must be held during the ceremony, unless they have a ticket.
• Streaming rooms will be available on campus for guests without a ticket, or who prefer to be indoors to watch the ceremony live.

Ticket pick-up for graduates

Tickets may be picked up in the Student Affairs Office, Room 106B in Hudson Hall:

• Monday, April 22 – Thursday, April 25, 2024: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
• Friday, April 26, 2024: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

PLEASE NOTE: Tickets must be picked up, in person, by the graduation candidate with a photo ID; no one may pick up tickets for someone else.  Tickets will not be distributed at any other time. Lost tickets will not be replaced under any circumstances.

Graduates must register to attend Commencement in order to receive tickets. Registration ends on April 19, 2024.

Degree conferral will be done by the Registrar’s office beginning the week of June 10, 2024. A digital diploma will be sent upon conferral. The printed diplomas will be printed and mailed via Parchment within a 4-week window to the graduates’ permanent address on file. To update their address, graduates must send a request to registrar@msmc.edu via their MSMC email address. Only those students who have fulfilled all academic responsibilities along with all financial obligations will be issued a diploma. Diplomas will not be distributed at the Commencement ceremony.

PLEASE NOTE: Latin Honors in the Commencement Program will be based on your cumulative GPA after Fall 2023 grades; Latin Honors will be updated on the transcripts and diploma, if needed, after all Spring 2024 grades are in. Latin Honors do not apply to Master’s degrees. Honors standings are calculated based on all attempted college-level work. All attempted college level work includes transfer credits, dual enrollment credits and all credits earned at MSMC. 

Diplomas state the degree earned, ex: Bachelor of Arts, or Bachelor of Science, or MBA. It will not list the major or concentration. The major, concentration, etc. is listed on the student’s transcript. 

The deadline for ordering online has past. Graduates can purchase a cap and gown in the campus store. Graduates are responsible for ordering and picking up their caps and gowns.

• Online orders that were placed by March 23 (shipping to the Campus Store) will arrive the week of April 22. Orders placed between March 24-April 3 will arrive the first week of May. Online orders had to be placed by April 3.
• Online orders shipping to your home will take 2-3 weeks to ship. 
• Graduates who need caps and gowns after April 3 can purchase their items at the Campus Store.

STOLES – UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS 

All undergraduate students will receive a stole (at no cost) representing the school in which their major resides:

• School of Business (accounting, business management, finance, healthcare management, sports management)
• School of Nursing (nursing)
• School of Arts, Sciences & Education (all other majors)

There is also a stole for students graduating from the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). 

School stoles will be given out in the vesting areas on the morning of Commencement.  HEOP stoles will be distributed by the HEOP Office. In addition, students who have been active in student life are eligible to receive stoles signifying their contributions to residence life, athletics, summer orientation, MAP, and SGA and club leadership.

These stoles are distributed at end-of-year events hosted by the respective departments. Only those stoles issued by MSMC may be worn at Commencement.

HONOR CORDS: Honor cords are awarded to students as a sign of academic achievement:

•  Honor society members, Ralph, Aquinas, and Boyle Scholars, and Honors Program students. Honor cords are distributed at inductions or similar ceremonies.
•  Students earning Latin Honors (i.e., cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude) also receive honor cords.  These can be picked up at the Office of Academic Affairs in the Villa. You will be notified by Academic Affairs if you have qualified.
  

HOODS – MASTER DEGREE GRADUATES

All Master's Degree candidates participating in Commencement on May 18, 2024, will receive a hood with the color of their respective discipline to wear over their robes, at no cost.  Hoods will be distributed in Aquinas Hall after check in on the morning of Commencement.

• Each graduate will be photographed by a professional photographer as he/she receives a congratulatory handshake on stage. Color proofs will be sent to the graduates and orders may be placed directly with Island Photography at www.islandphoto.com.
  
  
• Designated Area for Picture Taking During the Ceremony: Guests may not approach the stage or stand in aisles to photograph any part of the Commencement ceremony. Photographs and/or videos may be taken from a designated area. Guests will be permitted to remain in this designated space for just a few minutes. This ensures that others who wish to take photos of graduates will be able to do so.
  
  
• Photo Stations on Campus: Photo stations will be set up on the Mount’s scenic campus so that graduates may pose for pictures with family and friends. Faculty will be available to take pictures with graduates immediately after the Commencement ceremony at designated areas.

Release Statement

All attendees of, and participants in, the Commencement ceremonies consent to be photographed, videotaped, and recorded by Mount Saint Mary College or its designees, for the purpose of producing a documentary of the event for distribution to the College Community and the news media. All attendees and participants release and otherwise agree to hold the College harmless and to indemnify the College and its licensees and/or assigns from any and all claims arising out of, or resulting from, their appearance or statements in the above documentary.

If you would like to order Commencement announcement cards for your friends and family, or a frame for your diploma, you may do so through the Herff Jones website. Get started here.

Students should advise their guests that walking on campus will include some inclines and that getting to commencement seating involves walking on grass.

• Any graduates or guests with disabilities who require accommodations should contact the Office of Disability Services at 845-569-3638 or disabilityservices@msmc.edu. by April 19, 2024 with their requests. Every attempt will be made to arrange accommodations. Late requests cannot be guaranteed.
• Service animals are welcome, but no other animals are permitted on campus.
• Security personnel will be available to direct traffic in order to accommodate persons who need to be dropped off near the event (for example: those guests unable to walk). This area will be limited to drop off only; vehicles cannot be left unattended. Please be advised that the need for handicap parking near the event far exceeds daily demand and to best accommodate the number of people in need we request that only those who are unable to “drop off” use handicap parking closest to the event (state permit required). After the ceremonies, for safety reasons, pick up near the event will be delayed until the immediate area is clear. This can sometimes exceed thirty minutes.
•  Requesting Wheelchairs: To assure availability for all those in need, wheelchair requests must be submitted by May 3, 2024. Every effort will be made to accommodate last minute needs. Use the Wheelchair Request Form at msmc.edu/wheelchair. Complete and return the form to Health Services: fax 845-569-3514, or email healthservices@msmc.edu. Additional questions should be directed to Health Services at 845-569-3152 or the Office of Disability Services at 845-569-3638.

The ceremony will be streamed live on the Web, so no one has to miss out on your big day. The link will be available on this page (www.msmc.edu/commencement) on the day of the ceremony.