Graduate Resources

Commencement

Get Ready for Commencement

Commencement ceremonies are held in Stewart Hall's Ritsche Auditorium. Guests resources including parking information for commencement day can be found under Guest Resources.

Use these resources to prepare for your special day.

REGALIA FOR UNDERGRADS

REGALIA FOR GRADUATES

A Graduate's Commencement Day Schedule

Check-in. Check in 45-60 minutes prior to your ceremony time to receive your name card (used to walk across stage) and guest tickets. Give your tickets and all items you do not wish to carry during the ceremony to your guests.
Line up. Go to the Stewart Hall first floor hallway at least 15 minutes prior to your ceremony time. SCSU staff volunteers will direct graduates how to line up.
Guests. Guests with tickets may take their seats in Ritsche Auditorium.
- Guests without tickets may watch from the overflow room. A family room is available for those who need space for small children. Volunteers will provide directions.
The ceremony. The commencement ceremony will last approximately 60 minutes. All graduates in attendance will have their names read as they walk across stage. Master and doctoral students will be hooded during their ceremony.
Post ceremony. At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests and graduates may connect with one another on Atwood Mall or the Atwood Ballroom for photos and mingling.

Academic Regalia and Honors

Black academic regalia may be purchased in person or online from the Husky Bookstore. Caps and gowns may be purchased from providers other than Husky Bookstore.

Deadlines for online orders has now passed for Fall 2024 commencement ceremonies. The Husky Bookstore has regalia available to purchase in person and will continue to sell these items through the day of commencement.

Starting point for your regalia checklist:

Gown
Cap
Tassel
Optional cords and stoles
Honors cords (undergraduate students) will ONLY be available with the Bookstore
Hoods (graduate students)

Undergraduate Student Regalia and Honors

If an undergraduate meets the requirements outlined in the Graduation Policy & Procedures, honors will be indicated in the printed commencement program and announced during the ceremony. Since commencement is held before the receipt of final grades, honor status is based on a student's official GPA as of the date the information is pulled. Final semester grades do not factor into honors for the commencement ceremony.

Honor graduates can purchase honor cords to wear with the cap and gown. Husky Bookstore will require a student I.D. at the time of purchase.

To obtain honors you must have 30 upper division credits from St. Cloud State, plus a Cumulative GPA of:

Summa cum laude (3.75 - 4.00) – Gold cords
Magna cum laude (3.50 - 3.74) – Silver cords
Cum laude (3.25 - 3.49) – Red cords

Graduate Student Regalia and Honors

Academic Colors

Master's degree	Hooding Color	Degree Programs
Doctor of Psychology	Gold	Applied Behavior Analysis
Doctor of Education/Specialist	Light Blue	Education Administration K-12, Educational Leadership, Higher Education & Student Affairs
Master of Business Administration	Drab	Master of Business Administration
Master of Engineering Management	Orange	Master of Engineering Management, Executive Master of Engineering Management
Master of Public Administration	Peacock Blue	Master of Public Administration
Master of Social Work	Citron	Master of Social Work
Master of Science (Includes PSM and MSEE)	Golden Yellow	Applied Behavior Analysis, Applied Clinical Research, Applied Economics, Biological Sciences, Child & Family Studies, Clinical Exercise Physiology, College Counseling and Student Development, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Computer Science, Counseling- Clinical Mental Health, Counseling- Rehab, School Counseling, Cultural Resources Management Archaeology, Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Special Education Studies, Educational Administration and Leadership, Electrical Engineering, English Education, Geography, Gerontology, Higher Education & Student Affairs, History, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Information Assurance, Instructional Design & E-Learning, Interdisciplinary Studies, Library Medical Specialist, Medical Technology Quality, Regulatory Affairs and Services, Social Studies Education, Software Engineering (PSM), Special Education, Sports Management, Strategic Media Communications, Technology Education, Technology Integration
Master of Arts	White	Biological Sciences, English Studies, History, History- Public History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Teaching English as a Second Language

Guest Resources

Guest Tickets

Each graduate will receive six tickets when they check in for their commencement ceremony the day of the event. Graduates will then be able to give those tickets to their family and friends. Seating is first come, first serve. There is no reserved seating.

International Guest Invites

International students wishing to invite family from outside the United States may request a letter from the Center for International Studies at International@stcloudstate.edu.

Domestic students wishing to do the same may make their request by emailing commencement at commencement@stcloudstate.edu. Include the name, birthday, and passport number in your email.

Photographs and Diplomas

Photographs

Professional photographs are taken at each ceremony. Lifetouch takes these photos and can be found on the website.

Fall 2024 Commencement Access Code: 228875GY25.

Diplomas

At commencement graduates receive an empty diploma holder. Diplomas are sent by mail about eight weeks after graduation, after grades are finalized and your graduation is confirmed.

Participation in the commencement ceremony does not imply nor guarantee graduation.

CONFIRM DOMESTIC MAILING ADDRESS

REQUEST INTERNATIONAL MAILING OF DIPLOMA

Privacy

Graduates wishing to have their name omitted from the commencement program and/or not released to media outlets need to contact the Office of Records and Registration at least eight weeks prior to the end of the semester.

Office of Records and Registration
Email: registrar@stcloudstate.edu
In person: Administrative Services 118
Phone: (320) 308-2111

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