Graduation & Commencement

Main Campus Commencement Information
(Educational Specialists, Masters, & Bachelors)

Please read through these important notes about the ceremonies:

Security screening will take place upon entry and all bags are subject to search.
Please DO NOT bring personal items into the Coliseum. There will not be any storage areas available and anything left in seats will be thrown away.
Guest seating will be general admission and first-come, first-served. Please DO NOT sit in the roped off sections behind the stage.
Please plan to remove all vehicles from the parking areas promptly following the morning ceremony to make space for guests attending the afternoon ceremony.
Any guests who are unable to attend may view a livestream of the ceremonies online (links can be found below).
All cords, stoles, pins, etc. that are worn with graduation regalia come from the individual organizations that the graduates may be involved with. Graduates can reach out to the MSU-affiliated groups that they are part of to see if they offer any graduation adornments. These items must be approved in order to distribute them to graduates.

(Please check back in the fall for additional details regarding the fall 2022 commencement ceremonies.)

FALL 2022 COMMENCEMENT PARKING MAP

Please check back in the fall for the commencement parking map.

**Please note that the new parking garage located Southeast of the Coliseum is now open and will be available for use during the ceremonies for no cost.

FALL 2022 COLISEUM DIAGRAM

Please check back in the fall for the commencement coliseum diagram.

Guest Accommodations: Reserved parking will be available in the areas closest to the East side of the Coliseum for any guests with an ADA tag on their vehicle (parking map above). Carts will be running through these reserved lots to assist guests from their vehicles to the sidewalk. Once inside, there will be reserved sections on the main level for any guests needing to avoid the stairs. These areas are wheelchair accessible and can be found on the Coliseum diagram above. Staff will be available throughout the Coliseum to assist guests as needed.

There is no need to make reservations, but we do recommend arriving close to when the doors open to ensure you may sit in your preferred section. Please remember that guest seating is first-come, first-served, but we should have plenty of room for everyone in attendance.

Service and Assistance Animals: MSU will fully comply with applicable laws governing service and assistance animals. It is important to understand the distinction between the two types of animals. Service animals are trained to perform a specific action to help a person with a disability. A service animal must be a dog or, under certain circumstances, a miniature horse and is permitted to accompany their handler in any area where the handler is permitted to be. Assistance animals, including Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are not trained to perform disability-related tasks, but instead provide comfort or other assistance solely by their presence. Assistance animals are generally not permitted inside university buildings other than on-campus residences.

Additional information relating to service and assistance animals can be found HERE.

**GRADUATES MUST APPLY FOR THEIR DEGREE THROUGH BANNER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMA. (Diplomas are mailed 4-6 weeks after the ceremonies)**

(Please note that all plans are subject to change.)

Commencement Guest Ticket Information

Guest tickets are required for the commencement ceremonies and information regarding tickets will be emailed directly to graduates and updated on this web page. Instructions for claiming tickets will be shared a few weeks prior to the ceremonies.

Regalia Orders (Cap & Gown)

Please check back in the fall for more information regarding regalia orders! For questions about regalia orders, please email: service@gradsupply.com

- All Bachelor, Master, and Specialist graduates may keep their entire regalia package.

- Doctoral graduates may only keep their cap & tassel. Please return your rental gown and hood to Barnes & Noble at MSU following your ceremony. If you are interested in purchasing your gown and/or hood, you will be given the option when you check-in your items at the bookstore.

View our new, custom regalia here: MSU Custom Regalia

MSU is proud to offer custom regalia to our graduates. All regalia must be purchased through the Graduate Supply House website, or through Barnes & Noble at MSU.

Commencement Photography

GradCaps

Graduates can now re-live their ceremony and the moment they crossed the stage through GradCaps! These free clips are personalized for each graduate who attended the ceremonies and can be downloaded and shared online! To access your custom GradCap, click the link below and search for your clip using your last name.

FIND YOUR PERSONALIZED GRADCAP HERE

Professional photography, Pro Pics, will be available at the commencement ceremonies to take portraits of graduates. Photos of the graduates on-stage with the President, as well as individual portraits, will be available for purchase from Pro Pics following the ceremonies. In order to identify your photos and receive proofs, please visit www.MSUphotos.com to submit your information. There is no cost to have your photo taken and no obligation to purchase.

The MSU Alumni Association has also worked with Pro Pics to offer professional photography at the Bully Statue in The Junction following each ceremony. Professional photographers will be stationed at the statue for approximately 1 hour following each main campus ceremony in the Humphrey Coliseum. They will also be available at the Grad Fair at Barnes & Noble on our main campus (details will be shared in early fall). Check out an example photoshoot and the commencement photo map below for more information. There is no need to make an appointment and walk-ups are welcome.

Example Photoshoot at Bulldog Statue in The Junction

CLICK HERE for the Post-Ceremony Photo Map

Virtual Backgrounds: Did you miss out on taking graduation photos? You can use the following link to virtually place yourself on campus by uploading a photo and choosing from a selection of MSU backgrounds! There is no cost for this service and photos can easily be saved and shared. Just be sure to tag them on social media with #MSSTATEGRAD

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS VIRTUAL BACKGROUNDS

Questions about these opportunities can be emailed to: info@propicsusa.com

Main Campus Livestreams of Ceremonies

If you wish to watch the Starkville Campus Commencement Ceremonies but are unable to attend, you can still watch the live ceremonies online! The following links may be used to access the livestream that will broadcast the live ceremonies:

Mississippi State University Television LIVE

The livestream will also be available on the official Mississippi State University Facebook page (@msstate).

Commencement Videos

Starkville Campus Commencement Ceremonies
(Educational Specialists, Masters, & Bachelors)

Mississippi State University holds multiple main campus commencement ceremonies in the Humphrey Coliseum at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Students who graduate at the end of the summer semester are invited to attend the December ceremony.

**NOTE: Students should refer to the Academic Calendar for graduation application deadlines and ceremony dates.

Students who plan to graduate in May, August, or December must apply for graduation by the dates published in the MSU Academic Calendar. If a student fails to graduate in the term for which they have applied, they must reapply during the term in which all degree requirements are met. Degree applicants must also pay their MSU account balances in full, prior to the graduation ceremony.

FALL 2022

Friday, December 9, 2022 - 9:30 a.m.
College of Architecture, Art & Design
College of Arts & Sciences
College of Education
Academic Affairs

Friday, December 9, 2022 - 3:30 p.m.
College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
College of Business
Bagley College of Engineering
College of Forest Resources
College of Veterinary Medicine

Doctoral Graduation and Hooding Ceremony (Ph.D. & Ed.D.)

The fall 2022 Doctoral Graduation and Hooding Ceremony for Ph.D. and Ed.D. graduates will be held on Thursday, December 8, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. in the Bettersworth Auditorium in Lee Hall. This event is invitation-only, and is exclusive to Ph.D. and Ed.D. graduates and their guests. Please contact The Graduate School for information regarding this ceremony at (662) 325-7400.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Commencement Ceremony

The College of Veterinary Medicine holds a special ceremony for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduates each spring. Please contact the Vet School for information regarding the DVM Ceremony at (662) 325-1078.

Meridian Campus Commencement Ceremonies

The Mississippi State University Meridian Campus (MSU-Meridian) commencement ceremonies are held at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian, MS. The ceremony times are as follows:

FALL 2022: Thursday, December 8, 2022 @ 11:00 a.m.

For additional questions regarding the MSU-Meridian Commencement Ceremonies, please contact Skye Hamilton: shamilton@meridian.msstate.edu

Degree Audit

Degrees are awarded after the appropriate representatives from the colleges and schools have reviewed the student records and notified the Office of the Registrar that students are cleared to graduate.

Learn More

University Degree Audit (CAPP)

All MSU students have access to the degree audit system CAPP (curriculum, advising, and program planning) in myState.