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Office of General Studies
The University of Mississippi

Are you ready for May 2023 commencement?

This year’s commencement activities will be held on Saturday, May 13th. December 2022 graduates are invited to participate in May commencement along with applicants for May 2023 and August 2023 graduation.  If you plan to graduate (i.e., complete all requirements for your degree) in May or August, make sure that you have completed the application process below. Even if you do not intend to participate in commencement activities, you must apply for graduation in order to have your degree conferred.

BMDS and BUS students with remaining coursework

The following 2 forms must be submitted in order to be included in May 2023 commencement:

  • Intent to Graduate: If you submitted one of these letters for a past semester but did not complete your degree, you must submit a new one to the Office of General Studies.  (Note: You must be logged into Google with your go.olemiss.edu email address in order to access the Intent to Graduate form.)
  • Online Diploma application: Log into MyOleMiss. Under the “Student” tab, select the “Academics” box. You will see “Diploma Application” listed under the links in that box. Please note: If you have already completed the diploma application, you will be unable to open it again.

If you are not sure whether you completed both of these applications, please contact our office at generalstudies@olemiss.edu or at 662-915-3787.

BUS students who had no additional coursework to complete for their degree

We e-mailed you a combined Intent to Graduate and Diploma Application form to submit to us, and will submit the diploma application on your behalf to the Office of the Registrar.

Students who received their diplomas as December 2022 graduates

You will automatically be invited to participate in the commencement ceremony without any additional paperwork needed.

There are TWO CEREMONIES in which Multi-Disciplinary Studies and University Studies graduates are invited to participate on May 13th:

Campus-wide morning convocation — This takes place in The Grove at 8:00 a.m. In the case of inclement weather, this ceremony will take place in the Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. There is no assigned seating for graduates in this ceremony.

General Studies individual commencement ceremony — This ceremony will take place in the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts at 11:00 a.m. This is the ceremony in which students’ individual names will be called and you will cross the stage and receive your diploma cover. You will also have a photo taken with the Dean of General Studies. This ceremony includes graduates of both of the degree programs administered by the Office of General Studies—the Bachelor of Multi-Disciplinary Studies and the Bachelor of University Studies.

Tickets for Guests

Please note that this is a ticketed event due to the size of the Ford Center and available seating.

Each graduate can receive up to six (6) tickets for guests. Infants and small children who will be sitting on an adult’s lap will not need a ticket. Please contact the UM Box Office by phone at (662) 915-7411 or by email at umbo@olemiss.edu no later than Friday, April 28th to let them know how many tickets you will need. You will also need to let them know of any necessary ADA accommodations. If preferred, you may go to the UM Box Office on the first floor of the Ford Center between 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday to get your tickets.

You will need to also let them know of any additional ticket needs that you have. If there are any tickets remaining after April 28th, they will be distributed on a first-come basis. An email will be sent after April 28thwith instructions.

Cap/Gown

You must order your graduate attire by 11:59 p.m. CT on Monday, April 3rd. When prompted for your degree, please select either University Studies or Multi-Disciplinary Studies, depending on your degree.

Please be careful to wear shoes that are comfortable for walking up and down steps.

Reader Cards

Each student will have a reader card printed for them which can be picked up the week of graduation or at the Ford Center when you check in for the General Studies ceremony. (For December 2022 graduates, we will mail your card to you prior to commencement). This will be the card that the student hands to the reader when it is their turn to cross the stage. We will call your name along with your minors (BMDS degrees) or emphasis areas (BUS degrees). We will also announce if you have Latin honors or are a member of Phi Kappa Phi.

The cards will be available the week of May 8th-12th at the following locations:

  • Oxford students: Office of General Studies, Jackson Avenue Center, Suite K Central
  • DeSoto campus students: See your advisor, Valerie Haynes
  • Tupelo campus students: See your advisor, Melanie Clement
  • Grenada campus students: Go to the main office on your campus
  • Booneville campus students: See your advisor, Tam Salters, or Kim Gray in the main office

If your name is frequently mispronounced, you may want to write your name phonetically on the front of your card. YOU MUST BRING THIS CARD WITH YOU TO THE PODIUM. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR NAME CARD IN YOUR SEAT. Please write your permanent e-mail address, cell phone number, and mailing address on the back of your card as the cards will be given to the photographers, who will then send you proofs of your photos within 3 days.

Honor Cords

Multi-Disciplinary Studies students who have met the university requirements for Latin Honors (the overall and resident GPA as of the end of winter intersession 2023 are used for this purpose) will find the honors listed beneath your name on the reader card. If you are receiving Latin Honors (Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Summa Cum Laude), you can sign out your gold honor cord when you pick up your reader card. The honor cord does not need to be returned. The UM requirements for honors are as follows:

  • At least 60 hours completed from the University of Mississippi
  • A minimum UM and overall (we have to go with the lower of the two) GPA of:
    • 3.5 for Cum Laude
    • 3.75 for Magna Cum Laude
    • 3.9 for Summa Cum Laude

If you have met the above requirements but do not have honors listed on your enclosed name card, please call our office immediately so that we can print you a new card. Please do NOT call us, however, unless you meet all of the minimum requirements.

Note: Some of our graduates who do not qualify for Latin honors based on their current GPA may qualify once the degree has been completed. If that is the case, then the Latin honors will be marked on the UM transcript.

Other Honors Announced – Phi Kappa Phi, Who’s Who, and Taylor Medal: If any of these pertain to you and are not on your enclosed card, please contact our office immediately so that we can print you a new card. We do not announce any other honor societies at graduation.

Parking

ADA and all guest parking for ceremonies in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts is recommended in the lots surrounding the Ford Center.

Check in

Graduates and guests should plan to arrive at the Ford Center between 10:00 a.m. (earliest) and 10:30 a.m. (latest time for graduates) for the General Studies ceremony.

Graduates will be directed to check in back stage, where there will be reader card and honor cord tables set up. All graduates must check in at one of the tables so that we can make sure you have your reader card and can direct you to the proper seating area for your degree program. If you picked your card up but forgot to bring it, we will have a duplicate set of cards at the check-in tables.  We will also have your Latin honor cord available if you did not pick yours up in advance.

Graduate Seating

There will be no processional. All graduates will be seated on the stage in no particular order by degree program (Multi-Disciplinary Studies students all together and University Studies students all together).

Your Turn on Stage

UM staff will guide graduates in your degree program row by row to the front of the stage during the presentation of degrees. When you reach the podium, you will hand your card to the reader, (again, don’t leave your card in your seat!). If your name is often mispronounced, you may wish to quietly tell the reader how to pronounce your name when you hand him your card at the podium. As your name and any applicable honors are being read, you will cross the stage to receive your diploma cover from Dean Ammeter. A photographer will be present to capture the moment. Out of respect for any graduates who have not received their diplomas, you are asked to return to your seat until the end of the program, which should not last longer than an hour.

Mailing of Diplomas

Please note that at commencement, you will receive a diploma cover, not your actual diploma. Students who graduated the previous December will have already been mailed their diplomas. Grades for May graduates will not become available until AFTER the May commencement ceremony, at which time our office has 30 days to begin checking final grades and compiling our list of students who earned their degrees by the end of the spring semester. May diplomas are typically mailed to students around mid-July. We will begin checking grades for August applicants after August intersession and have 30 days to compile our final list of August degrees to be conferred. August graduates can usually expect to receive their diplomas in the mail by mid-October.

Livestreaming of our ceremony

Our ceremony will be livestreamed. Please share this information with your guests that are unable to attend in person.

ADA accommodations

Graduates or guests needing ADA accommodations should contact the UM Box Office by phone at (662) 915-7411 or by email at umbo@olemiss.edu.

For additional information

Please check the UM Commencement website frequently for updated info such as maps of designated parking areas, special needs accommodations, changes due to weather, etc. Also, continue to check back on this website for updates as we get closer to Commencement.

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