Student Commencement Information

Apply for graduation during the term you plan to receive your degree. The academic calendar lists two important deadlines:

• Priority Deadline:  Applying by this date ensures a faster review of your application. The registrar's office recommends meeting this deadline to allow time for any necessary schedule or degree plan adjustments.
• Participation Deadline: This is the final deadline for declaring your intention to graduate and participate in commencement activities.

1. Log in to MyMC and select BannerWeb for Students.
2. On Banner, select Student Profile at the top.
3. In the left-hand menu, select Apply to Graduate (last link).
4. Follow these steps before submission:
   • Choose the appropriate term and curriculum.
   • Select your intended graduation date and indicate if you will attend the ceremony.
   • Enter your height and weight (for cap and gown ordering).
   • Specify how your name should appear on your diploma.
   • Provide a mailing address (not an MC campus box) where your diploma should be sent 3-4 weeks after graduation.

Note: If you see the message “No Curricula Available,” you have already applied to graduate and do not need to do so again. 

Within a few weeks of submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation from the Office of the Registrar in your MC email account. Be sure to check your MC email regularly for updates.

Your advisor is your best resource for staying on track to graduation. If you do not meet your degree requirements, contact your advisor as soon as possible. They can help you:

• Identify any missing requirements.
• Register for additional courses if needed.
• Explore possible course substitutions.

Contact the registrar’s office at graduation@mc.edu or 601-925-3210.

Continue checking your MC email for updates. As long as you do not drop a class or fail a required course, your graduation status will remain unchanged.

You may still receive your degree, but you must fill out a Late Application form on Banner as soon as possible. More information will be emailed to your MC account. 

Regalia pick-up happens Wednesday and Thursday from 9 AM to 6 PM in the Coliseum Lobby, prior to Friday's graduation.

If you cannot pick up your regalia during the designated pick-up time or need someone to pick it up for you, contact Missa Turman in Athletics at turman@mc.edu.

Graduates may keep their regalia after the ceremony, as the graduation fee covers the cost.

We recommend wearing comfortable, business casual attire. Choose footwear that is easy to manage when navigating the steps on and off the stage.

Only stoles and honors cords approved by the Mississippi College Graduation Sub-Committee can be worn outwardly at graduation.

Members of the following academic organizations and honor societies may wear honor cords at graduation: Alpha Chi, Alpha Mu Gamma, Chi Sigma Iota, Kappa Delta Pi, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, Pi Mu Epsilon, Public Health Association, Sigma Tau Delta, Student Nurses Association, and the Student Government Association. Additionally, the Athletics Department provides a stole for athletes. Student Success offers cords for First Generation Students, and the Office of Veteran Affairs provides cords for veterans. Members of Chenoa, Laguna, Kissimee, Nenamoosha, and Swannanoa Social Tribes, as well as Shawreth and Rotaract Social Clubs, may also wear cords if they meet their organization's criteria.

If you have questions about which stoles and cords are allowed, contact Dr. David Miller, the faculty graduation marshal, at dmiller@mc.edu.

No, decorated caps are not permitted.

Graduate check-in begins at 8:30 AM for the 10:00 AM ceremony and at 1:00 PM for the 2:00 PM ceremony. Arrive early to allow time for check-in.

All undergraduate students (including transfers) who have completed at least half of their coursework at Mississippi College (i.e., a minimum of 65 semester hours at MC, excluding AP, IB, CLEP, or credit-by-correspondence) will receive their degrees with special recognition following the following grade point averages:

• 3.900 - 4.00: Summa Cum Laude
• 3.700 - 3.899: Magna Cum Laude
• 3.500 - 3.699: Cum Laude

Mississippi College does not award Latin honors to students receiving graduate degrees.

Each ceremony will last approximately 1.5 hours.

Yes, tickets are required for guests. Each graduate receives seven guest tickets for their commencement ceremony. 

Children 2 years old and under who will sit on a lap for the duration of the ceremony do not require a ticket. Children 3 and older must have a ticket to attend the ceremony.

Several Clinton hotels offer a special rate to Mississippi College students and their families. The Holiday Inn Express, the Fairfield Inn and Suites, the Hilton Garden Inn, the Comfort Inn, and the Quality Inn are all within 5 miles of campus.

Great question! We polled a few members of our campus community:

Dr. David Miller, Graduation Marshal and Professor of English: Bravo! 

Tanya Bradley, Coordinator of Degree Candidacy: Amerigo in Ridgeland, Amerigo in Flowood

Megan Pritchett, Registrar: Table 100

Michael Wright, Acting Dean of Enrollment Services: Lou’s Full-Serv

Dr. Jonathan Randle, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences: Saltine, Pig and Pint, Brent’s Drugs, and Walker’s Drive-In (these are in Fondren near downtown Jackson)

Our President, Dr. Blake Thompson, insists that you can’t go wrong with barbecue and suggests Sonny’s, Pig and Pint, and Kenova Smokehouse.

Undergraduate graduation fees are $117, and graduate graduation fees are $160. These fees must be paid to the Bursar's Office no later than the Tuesday before Commencement. If you have questions about payment, contact the Bursar's Office at 601-925-3308 or bursar@mc.edu.

Mississippi College class rings are reserved exclusively for alumni and students who have completed 54 credit hours in good standing with the university. Order your class ring so you will have it by graduation. Contact the Alumni Office at 601.925.3252 if you have any questions.