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USC Dornsife Commencement

FAQs

Updated as of April 6, 2026*

USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremony Information

The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences will host two Academic School Ceremonies at 1:00 P.M. and 4:30 P.M. on Friday, May 15, 2026 in Alumni Park located on the USC University Park Campus. This is an opportunity for graduates to celebrate as a cohort, hear remarks from a distinguished alumni speaker and be presented with their official diploma cover.

 

USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremonies

  • Location: Alumni Park located on the USC University Park Campus
    Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
    Time: 1:00 P.M.

     

    Departments: Art History, Chemistry, Classics, East Asian Area Studies Program, East Asian Languages and Cultures, Economics, Gender and Sexuality Studies, History, Master of Science in Applied Psychology, Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, Middle East Studies, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology, Social Sciences, Cognitive Science, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Sociology, Spatial Sciences Institute

     

    Please click here to view majors.

  • Location: Alumni Park located on the USC University Park Campus
    Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
    Time: 4:30 P.M.

     

    Departments: American Studies and Ethnicity, Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Comparative Literature, Earth Sciences, English, Environmental Studies Program, French and Italian, Human Biology, Interdisciplinary Studies, Latin American and Iberian Cultures, Linguistics, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, Quantitative and Computational Biology, Religion/Archaeology, Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability

     

    Please click here to view majors. 

Frequently Asked Questions - Graduates

  • Students can verify their graduation date by checking their STARS Report on Oasis. Graduation dates will be listed by those who graduated in Fall 2025 or will graduate in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026.

    If this information is incorrect, please contact Degree Progress at (213) 740-7070 or visit their website.

  • Students who fall within the eligibility terms of Fall 2025, Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 will receive an email to participate in the USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremony.

  • Diplomas are distributed by the Office of the Registrar, Degree Progress. They will be mailed to the graduate’s permanent address approximately six weeks after degrees are conferred.

    If a student needs official verification of their degree before receiving their diploma, please contact the Verification or Transcript Department. After receiving the email notification that their degree has been granted, students may request to pick up their diploma.

    If a student has requested “Hold for Pick-up”, or if the student’s mailing address is in the 90007 or 90089 zip code, the Degree Progress Department will mail a notice when the diploma is ready for pick-up.

  • Diploma covers are distributed to students at their Academic School Ceremony.

     

    Following the ceremonies, a request form will be available for graduates who did not attend or who are earning additional Dornsife degrees to request that a diploma cover be mailed to them.

  • No, graduates do not need to attend their USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremony in order to have their degree conferred. However, graduates should still register and/or decline participation within Tassel accordingly.

  • Students who are graduating in Fall 2025, Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 will be listed in the 2026 Commencement Program. Students can check the spelling of their name in the Commencement Program online here.

    For questions about the Commencement Program, please contact Degree Progress at dpcommbook@usc.edu.

  • Should the USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremony time conflict with another academic school’s ceremony time, the graduate will need to choose which ceremony they would like to participate in. The graduate should still register and/or decline participation within Tassel accordingly. Only USC Dornsife degrees will be announced at the USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremony.

  • Regalia is available through the University Bookstore. For rental charges and further information regarding regalia, please visit the University Bookstore website.

  • USC Dornsife recognizes those undergraduate students who have excelled academically by providing University honor cords to be worn on Commencement Day. All eligible USC Dornsife undergraduate students have the option of wearing honor cords. To qualify, a student must be eligible to graduate and have a minimum of a 3.5 University GPA at the beginning of the Spring 2026 semester. All students who meet the qualifications will receive an email in April 2026 with instructions for picking up honor cords.

  • Students who receive departmental honors are listed in the 2026 USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremony Program. Departmental honors are determined by individual department criteria.

  • Please inquire with the Office of International Services, or email ois@usc.edu.

  • Parking is extremely limited on campus and, due to the large crowds, tends to fill up quickly. Off-campus structures are recommended. Use of rideshare and public transportation options are highly encouraged.

     

    USC Dornsife Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony | Wednesday, May 13, 2026
    Parking can be found at any available structure.

     

    USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremonies | Friday, May 15, 2026
    Campus and campus-adjacent parking options include Royal Street Parking Structure (ADA Accessible), Figueroa Street Structure, Flower Street Structure and the USC Shrine Structure. The Grand Avenue Parking Structure (formerly UPX), on the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue, is also recommended for all graduates, their families and guests. Parking at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will also be available on Friday, May 15, 2026.

     

    ADA Parking
    Guests who require ADA parking are encouraged to pre-register for a parking space through USC’s ADA Parking Reservation Link. Guests must present a valid ADA placard or license plate to the gate attendant for verification.

     

    Please see the Transit and Parking Page for more details.

Frequently Asked Questions - Guests

  • The USC Dornsife Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 and the USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremonies on Friday, May 15, 2026 are not ticketed events.

    Tickets are required only for the USC Main Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 6:30 P.M. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. These tickets are free of charge and will automatically populate in the ticketing accounts of eligible graduates by the end of the day on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

  • Parking is extremely limited on campus and, due to the large crowds, tends to fill up quickly. Off-campus structures are recommended. Use of rideshare and public transportation options are highly encouraged.

     

    USC Dornsife Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony | Wednesday, May 13, 2026
    Parking can be found at any available structure.

     

    USC Dornsife Academic School Ceremonies | Friday, May 15, 2026
    Campus and campus-adjacent parking options include Royal Street Parking Structure (ADA Accessible), Figueroa Street Structure, Flower Street Structure and the USC Shrine Structure. The Grand Avenue Parking Structure (formerly UPX), on the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue, is also recommended for all graduates, their families and guests. Parking at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will also be available on Friday, May 15, 2026.

     

    ADA Parking
    Guests who require ADA parking are encouraged to pre-register for a parking space through USC’s ADA Parking Reservation Link. Guests must present a valid ADA placard or license plate to the gate attendant for verification.

     

    Please see the Transit and Parking Page for more details.

  • ADA-Accessible Seating

    • Accessible seating will be available at the USC Dornsife ceremonies and does not require a reservation. Please note that this seating area allows one additional guest to sit alongside the guest using a wheelchair/walker. Guests are welcome to sit in general seating nearby, subject to availability.
    • For more information on ADA accessible parking, wheelchair rentals and additional accessibility services, please visit: USC Commencement Accessibility Information

     

    Close Captioning

    • All USC Dornsife Commencement Ceremonies will be close captioned. To access the live caption feed on your personal device, a link will be provided here the week of the ceremony.

     

    Guests needing accommodations beyond the above listed in order to participate in this event, may contact events@dornsife.usc.edu by Thursday, April 30, 2026.

     

  • Wheelchairs are available to check out on a first-come, first-served basis on Friday, May 15, 2026. Checkout begins at 7:00 A.M. and all chairs must be returned by 8:00 P.M. Checkout is at Taper Hall Lawn off Trousdale Parkway.

    Please note: If you need a wheelchair on Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday, or on Friday after 8:00 P.M., you will need to bring your own.

    For more information, please visit: USC Commencement Accessibility Information

     

  • Yes, for those who cannot join us in Los Angeles, all in-person ceremonies will be broadcast online, live and on-demand for future viewing. A link will be shared closer to Commencement Week.