Congratulations, students, you are almost there!
October
- For undergraduate students who are approaching graduation, you will receive your electronic core/major/degree audit from the Office of Records. Meeting with your advisor for your audit ensures you have all classes you need to graduate. During this meeting, you will also need to apply for graduation by filling out this form. On that form, you will need to include cap, gown, and diploma order information.
- For graduate students who are approaching graduation, meet with Graduate School’s Director of Administration, Naomi Freeman, to ensure you have all the classes you need to graduate. Also be sure to fill out this form for the Office of Records to make your intent to graduate official and to order your cap, gown, and diploma.
February
- Order your graduation announcements/invitations from the Bookstore.
- Use Herff Jones to mail your family and friends invitations to the commencement ceremony. Graduation Announcements should be ordered 3-4 weeks in advance of when you will need them.
- Order gifts and apparel items from the Bookstore.
March
- If you intend on earning a minor to go along with your degree and major, you must have declared it with the Office of Records by March 1.
- Check Commencement information for details on times and locations.
- MAcc and MBA degree candidates or undergraduate degree students completing the Honors Program may wish to purchase academic hoods. The cost of a hood is $125. Contact the Office of Records by Monday, March 6, to order your hood, and make payment to the Business Office by noon on Friday, May 5.
April
- If you are a federal Direct Loan student borrower and/or a federal Perkins Loan student borrower, be sure to complete mandatory exit counseling for those loans. The Office of Financial Aid and the Business Office will be contacting you by email to provide instructions for completing the federally required loan exit counseling online. Federal Direct Loans and federal Perkins Loans are separate loan programs. If you received loans under both programs, you must complete online exit counseling for each type of loan.
- Please consider what you want to wear to commencement. Proper commencement attire includes cap and gown. It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing underneath the gown, as commencement exercises are scheduled for the Bowl and it can get warm. Dark, comfortable, closed-toe shoes are also recommended, as higher heels can be challenging on the grass. Caps should be worn at all times, but may be removed as indicated by the actions of the Provost and Dean of the College.
- For undergraduates, the Writing Center invites submissions of Core 10 essays for consideration for this year’s Laney Award. This is one of three awards presented at Commencement. Read more about the Laney Award and how to submit.
May
- Pick up your cap and gown from the bookstore on Wednesday, May 10, Thursday, May 11, or Friday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. prior to Saturday’s graduation.
- Undergraduates, attend The Last Hurrah on Thursday evening, May 11.
- Attend graduation rehearsal Friday, May 12, at 2 p.m. The rehearsal is mandatory for all degree candidates (both undergraduate and graduate). We will meet in the Recital Hall in the Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex.
- At rehearsal, be sure to fill out the graduate information sheet for the Alumni Office so we can keep up to date with you as an alum. Also fill out the Career Center survey.
- Meet with the Post Office about having your mail forwarded from your campus box to a new address. You’ll need to fill out this form to have mail forwarded.
- Order any official transcripts you may need to be sent to graduate school or your new employer through the Office of Records.
- Attend the baccalaureate service on Friday, May 12. The service begins at 6 p.m. at Galloway United Methodist Church. You will meet in the church gathering area and line up on the mezzanine level. Academic attire (caps and gowns) is required.
- On Saturday, May 13, at 8:30 a.m., you will meet in the atrium of the Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex where you will secure your numbered cards. Academic attire (caps and gowns) is required. At 9:30 a.m., commencement activities will begin in the Bowl. In case of rain, the ceremony will be held at Christ United Methodist Church at 6000 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS 39211. Please note that if commencement exercises are moved to Christ United Methodist Church, the start time will be moved back one hour to 10:30 a.m.
- After commencement, please return your gowns no later than 11:45 a.m. in the first-floor atrium of the Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex. In case of rain, you will be notified of a different location for robe return. You can keep your cap!
- If you would like to purchase any Millsaps gifts, accessories, or apparel, the bookstore is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the day of commencement (except during the ceremony). You can also order online later.
- Residence halls and fraternity houses will close Saturday, May 13, at 5 p.m. In addition, your Millsaps ID card will no longer work several days after the term ends.
- After you have left campus and are settled, don’t forget to order photos from commencement.
June–September
- Information Technology Services (ITS) will disable and delete your @millsaps.edu email address early in the fall semester after you have graduated. If you plan on attending graduate school at Millsaps College, please let ITS know by emailing helpdesk@millsaps.edu so they do not disable/delete your account. If you are not continuing your education at Millsaps, be sure to clean out your email and start letting your contacts know of your new (non-Millsaps) email address before its disabling.
Get Commencement information on:
- Special Needs Campus Access
- Hotels
- Restaurants
