Graduation FAQ

• 10 a.m. School of Professional & Graduate Studies 
  • Business & Computer Science; Nursing & Health Sciences; Teacher Education & Mathematics
• 2 p.m. School of Liberal Arts & Sciences and School of Career & Technical Education
  • Humanities; Physical, Life, Movement & Sport Sciences; Social Sciences; Business Technology & Service; Technical & Industrial 

Each commencement ceremony is expected to last around an hour, but this can vary depending on the number of graduates.

No tickets are required. LC State does not have a limitation on the number of guests. General seating is free and is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Children may sit with family in the visitor seating areas; no children are allowed to sit with graduates or to accompany them on the stage. For the safety of all attendees, children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Yes! A live stream of each ceremony will be available for family and friends who cannot make the ceremony.

Ushers will be available at the ceremony to assist guests who need special accommodations. Please contact Accessibility Services at 208-792-2677 or accessibilityservices@lcsc.edu. 

No, parking is free the day of the commencement. Please view the commencement site map for parking information.

Please contact the Registrar's Office regarding all honor cord questions. For more information regarding how to earn honor cords, please see the Graduation Honors page. 

Regalia may be purchased from the campus bookstore. See the Academic Dress & Regalia section for more information.

You should arrive and be ready for the lineup one hour prior to ceremony start time.

The lineup will take place on the walkway between the P1FCU Activity Center and Reid Centennial Hall. Signage will point you to your specific college location. If there is inclement weather, the Auxiliary Gym in Activity Center West is the backup location. 

There will not be a rehearsal. Students will receive their name cards and will be organized alphabetically within their division prior to the ceremony.

See our Ceremony & Events page for details.

Only bring essentials that you can’t do without and will fit in your pocket. Arrive dressed in your gown before arriving at the lineup.

There is no guarantee that all names will be pronounced correctly; however, readers will be available during commencement line-up to meet with students who have uniquely spelled and pronounced names. Upon receiving their name card, students should write their names phonetically in order to assist readers.

"Graduation" and "Commencement" reflect two different aspects of your academic career.

Graduation means you have fulfilled all program requirements and a degree has been posted to your transcript.

Commencement is the symbolic ceremony celebrating your academic achievement and allowing your friends, family, and the LC State community to congratulate you on your accomplishments.

No. Your name will be announced as you cross the stage as part of your major division. Your degree or degrees earned will be noted in the commencement program.

If your graduation application was received by the deadline, your name will appear in the program.

No. Diplomas will not be printed until all graduation requirements have been verified. Diplomas will be mailed to the address indicated on your graduation application (or permanent home address), typically within six to eight weeks after commencement.

If there is an error on your diploma, or if you do not receive your diploma within six weeks after commencement, call or email the Registrar's Office at 208-792-2223 or registrar@lcsc.edu.

If you would like to re-order a diploma to replace your original, please visit the Diploma Re-Order page of the Registrar's Office website.

Yes! The deadline for Spring graduation is December 1. See our Apply for Graduation page and contact your advisor for more information.