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Graduation & Hooding

Each May, the Arnold School of Public Health hosts a Hooding Ceremony for master's and doctoral students eligible to graduate in May, August and December of that calender year. Students eligible to participate are asked to complete a brief form with information for the program. Details will be emailed to students and posted below in early Spring.

The Hooding Ceremony is typically held the Thursday prior to University Spring commencement exercises at the Koger Center. Tickets are not required, but seating is on a first come basis.

Each year a guest of honor is invited to give a brief message to the graduates. Candidates are then presented for the hooding ceremony. The Dean and department chairs present hoods to doctoral candidates; department chairs present hoods to master's candidates.This is followed by the presentation of the annual student and faculty awards. Immediately after the ceremony, graduating students, their families, and guests are invited to join the Arnold School deans, faculty, and staff for a reception in the lobby of the Koger Center.

Graduate Instructions for the 2024 Hooding Ceremony
Thursday, May 2, 9:00 am, Koger Center

 

Congratulations, Graduates!

You will need to be at the Koger Center by 8:00 am on Thursday. The room where we will gather is located across from the elevator in the Koger Center lobby. Once you get to the robing room, find the chair with your name on it and have a seat. Please do not remove the name card from your chair. If you are unable to find your name, please check with student services staff. Graduates are grouped by academic department and will enter the stage by department, with the exception of doctoral graduates. Doctoral graduates enter first and are grouped in alphabetical order. Be sure to bring your cap, gown, hood, and tassel. Graduates will carry their hoods on stage.

Order your University of South Carolina academic regalia in person at the University Bookstore in the Russell House or complete your order online (https://usc.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome).  For assistance, call the University Bookstore at 803-777-4160.  Many items need to be ordered and are not available for immediate purchase, so please order in advance.  Last day to order online is April 2, 2024.  Please pay special attention to the color of your hood and tassel – the color is based on your major and degree. Master’s students’ tassels are salmon pink and doctoral students’ tassels are gold. Master’s hoods are salmon pink and doctoral hoods are dark blue (PhD) or teal (DPT).  A list is provided below:

Degree  Tassel Hood
Doctor of Philosophy  Gold Dark Blue
Doctor of Physical Therapy Gold Teal
All Master’s Degrees Salmon Pink Salmon Pink

Doctoral graduates not interested in ordering "Fine Quality" regalia may click on the "University of South Carolina Main Campus" link and select "Doctoral Degree Purchase" to order standard regalia.

Master's graduates will be prompted to select their degree from the drop-down menu. In doing so, a color other than salmon pink may populate. For example, golden yellow populates for Master of Science graduates. Be sure to select a master’s option which will provide you with the public health discipline color of salmon pink.

A reception will be held in the lobby of the Koger Center following the ceremony. All graduates and their guests are invited to attend.

 

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Registration

You must register for your name to appear in the program and to reserve your seat for the day of the ceremony. Even if you do not plan to participate in the ceremony, you may have your information printed in the ceremony program.

Deadline: March 1, 2024

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Invitation

View the 2024 hooding invitation

For general USC Graduation information go to: http://commencement.sc.edu.


Each candidate for graduation must file an application for graduation.

These applications are due early in the term in which graduation is expected. All students will be required to submit their application for graduation online through Self Service Carolina (SSC).  The “Graduation” box is located under the “Student” tab in SSC. Students will be asked to verify their name, address, and academic program information during the application process.  Note: Students are typically required to register during the term of graduation.

The Graduation application deadline is:

  • Spring 2024 (May 2024) - March 15, 2024
  • Summer 2024 (August 2024) - July 2024
  • Fall 2024 (December 2024) - September 2024

For general USC Graduation information go to: http://commencement.sc.edu.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact the Office of Graduate Student Services at 803-777-5031 or sphstsrv@mailbox.sc.edu.


The Graduate School requires that students complete a Program of Study in addition to the other steps that must be taken as part of their degree program. It is the student's responsibility to see that all requirements are met. All necessary forms may be accessed at the Graduate School forms library, http://gradschool.sc.edu/forms/.


In addition to the Arnold School of Public Health Hooding Ceremony, graduating students may also attend the University of South Carolina's Commencement Exercises.

In case of inconsistency between this page and the Registrar’s "Commencement Ceremonies" page regarding University Commencement or University Doctoral Hooding, the Registrar’s Office is the final authority.  The Arnold School of Public Health Hooding Ceremony is a separate event and information will be posted on this page.

The dates are as follows: 
No August Commencement or Hooding Ceremonies.

Spring 2024:

     
Commencement Exercises (Arnold School of Public Health
Undergraduate and Masters degree students)
Friday, May 3, 2024 3:00 PM Colonial Life Arena
USC Doctoral Hooding (eligible participants only) Saturday, May 4, 2024 1:00 PM

Koger Center
Questions? Contact graddcomm@mailbox.sc.edu


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