For Graduates
Graduate Registration
Academic Advisement
Day of Logistics and Prohibited Items
Graduation Announcement Orders
Cap and Gown
Stoles
Class Rings
Undergraduate Honor Cords
Diplomas
El Rodeo
USC Student Email Account
Updates
- This page will be updated daily with any new information until the day of commencement. Please check back frequently and the day before the ceremony to ensure you have the newest information on the day of logistics.
Graduate Registration
- Graduate registration for the USC Price School Commencement Ceremony has now closed. Graduates who have not registered may attend the ceremony and should reference recent emails from the Price Office for Student Affairs for ‘walk-in graduate’ instructions.
- Tickets will be required to access campus and all commencement events taking place on May 8-11, 2024. Graduating students will be able to reserve, free of charge, tickets for themselves and up to eight named guests. Tickets will not be transferable. Click here to complete the appeal process if more tickets are needed. Please refer to the USC Commencement website as well as the Day of Logistics and Prohibited Items for ongoing updates and information.
- Grad Card: The printed Grad Card is unique to the USC Price School Ceremony and will be used to announce each graduate’s name as they walk across the stage. Grad Cards will be ready for pick-up in the Price Student Affairs Office between April 29-May 9. In addition to their grad card, each graduate will need their own ticket to enter the Commencement ceremony. More information about tickets will be shared in the coming days as the University releases further details.
- Any student eligible to graduate in fall 2023, spring 2024, and summer 2024 graduation terms will be invited to register.
- Students can check their STARS Report for their grad terms and update them through My USC OASIS. For questions related to the grad term, please get in touch with the program’s academic advisor. The contact information is below.
Academic Advising
Advisor Contact Information
Please contact the program academic advisor or administrator with any questions about your degree requirements for graduation.
| Programs | Contact Name | Phone | |
| BS PP; BS USP | Josephine Le | [email protected] | 213-740-2172 |
| BS RED | Russ Sommer Bella Benson | [email protected] [email protected] | 213-740-3536 213-821-0564 |
| MHA | Jennifer Kim | [email protected] | 213-821-0837 |
| EMHA – Online | Shaunna Thomas | [email protected] | 213-740-3025 |
| EML | Rosana Padilla | [email protected] | 213-740-3415 |
| IPPAM | Rosana Padilla | [email protected] | 213-740-9869 |
| MNLM | Yingfei Xin | [email protected] | 213-740-6283 |
| MPA | Yingfei Xin [A-J] Lucia Saavedra [K-Z] | [email protected] [email protected] | 213-740-6283 213-740-4723 |
| MPA Online | Cole Yamada | [email protected] | 213-740-3915 |
| MPA Sacramento | Cynthia McDougal | [email protected] | 213-821-9499 |
| MPP | Suzanne Alexander | [email protected] | 213-740-1532 |
| MUP | Karla Barajas | [email protected] | 213-740-0529 |
| EMUP (Online) | Karla Barajas | [email protected] | 213-740-0529 |
| MRED | Russ Sommer Ashley Flinn | [email protected] [email protected] | 213-740-3536 213-740-4843 |
| MPPDS | Suzanne Alexander | [email protected] | 213-740-1532 |
| DPPD | Anna Parks | [email protected] | 213-740-8181 |
| PhD | Anna Parks | [email protected] | 213-740-8181 |
Day of Logistics and Prohibited Item
- Tickets will be required to access campus and all commencement events taking place on May 8-11, 2024. Graduating students will be able to reserve, free of charge, tickets for themselves and up to eight named guests. Tickets will not be transferable. There will be an appeal process if more tickets are needed.
Grads will receive a detailed memo, sent to their USC email address, to inform them when their commencement tickets are available to download. The memo will provide information on how to download their ticket – and distribute their eight guest tickets – for the commencement ceremonies and celebrations that they are registered to attend. Please refer to the USC Commencement website for ongoing updates and information.
Price grads will receive separate tickets for campus and for the Shrine Auditorium, for a total of 18 tickets – 1 grad + 8 tickets for campus, and 1 grad + 8 tickets for the Shrine. - Graduates must line up at the Shrine Auditorium with their Grad Card and USC issued Commencement ticket at 10:15 a.m. Enter the Shrine Auditorium at the Expo Hall entrance on 32nd Street. Upon arrival, graduates will line up with their program cohort. Additional details are forthcoming.
- All graduates must have regalia to participate in the ceremony. Please do not wear your regalia to the Shrine, security will require you remove regalia (including caps) to pass through the metal detectors.
- All graduates will go through a metal detector to enter the Shrine Auditorium. The following items are not allowed in the Shrine Auditorium and will be confiscated at the entrance, no exceptions:
- Airhorns
- Non-clear bags
- Backpacks
*Note: bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” by 6” by 12” are allowed - Balloons
- Posters, signs, and banners
- Open water bottles*
*Note: sealed water bottles and empty reusable water bottles are permitted.
Graduation Announcement Orders
- For information on how to order USC custom graduate announcements, please visit the USC Bookstore website.
Cap and Gown
Students have the option to purchase or rent their regalia. See below for more information.
Rent Regalia
- For cap and gown (regalia) rental information, please visit the USC Bookstore website
- Rent Regalia. Students who rent regalia may keep the cap and tassel. The gown and hood should be returned immediately following the ceremony at the drop location near the ceremony or at the USC Bookstore, or at various regalia drop sites.
Purchase Regalia
- For cap and gown (regalia) purchase information, please visit the USC Bookstore website
Grad Packs
- Grad Packs are a convenient one stop shop of the most popular graduation items. Most Graduation Packages include USC Custom Gown/Hood Rental with Souvenir Cap & USC Tassel, Announcement Essentials plus a 2024 Keychain Tassel and a Diploma frame. To learn more about Grad Packs, please visit USC Grad Packs.
- Special instructions for master’s degree and doctoral students: please be very clear when you inform the staff what degree you are earning, to make sure you get the right color trim on your hood. Please see below and review the color key for regalia for additional details.
Hood Colors
Please be very clear when informing the staff at the bookstore of the degree earned to ensure the correct hood is received. See below and review the hood color each degree program.
| Doctoral Hood Colors | |
| DPPD | Crimson |
| PhD | Royal Blue |
| Master’s Hood Colors | |
| EML | Peacock Blue |
| IPPAM | Peacock Blue |
| MHA, EMHA | Peacock Blue |
| MNLM | Peacock Blue |
| MPA | Peacock Blue |
| MPP | Peacock Blue |
| MRED | Crimson |
| MPPDS | Peacock Blue |
| MUP, EMUP | Crimson |
Stoles (Sashes)
- Stoles, or sashes, are optional purchases and can be ordered with the USC logo or embroidered university seal, and can be customized with fraternity/sorority crests, graduation year, or other commemorative marks. Stoles can be purchased at the USC Bookstore or online.
Class Rings
- Information on how to order a class ring is available on the USC Bookstore website.
Undergraduate Honor Cords
- Eligible Price undergraduate students will receive honor cords from the Price Office of Student Affairs in April. Please note: it is university policy that honor cords are for undergraduate students only.
- A minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 for cum laude, 3.7 for magna cum laude, and 3.9 for summa cum laude is required for honors cords. Undergraduate students must meet these averages for both USC units attempted, and combined transferred and USC units attempted. Note that the grade point average calculation is truncated, not rounded. University honors are noted on academic transcripts and the diploma.
Diplomas
- The USC Registrar’s Office oversees the distribution of university diplomas, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). To learn more about how your diploma will be distributed to you, please visit Diploma – Office of Academic Records and Registrar.
El Rodeo
- The El Rodeo – USC’s yearbook is one of the oldest student organizations on campus, publishing since 1899. Through the El Rodeo website, students can order a copy of the year, purchase a dedication, or learn about how to get their portraits taken. Please visit El Rodeo.
USC Student Email Account
- Typically, your @usc.edu student account will be disabled six (6) months after your conferred degree date. If you are still using your @usc.edu email account. For additional information and assistance, please contact the USC ITS department via email or call (213) 740-5555.