Download the 2008 Commencement
informational or
parents brochure.
Online, Friday, Feb. 22, 2 p.m. - If you missed the meeting, hear what you missed.
If you have a question that is not addressed here, e-mail the registrar's office. Learn more about SCAD Commencement 2008 in Atlanta.
Whom do I contact if I have questions about my eligibility to graduate?
For questions regarding your graduation audit, eligibility to graduate, and/or eligibility to participate in the ceremony, you may contact your graduation auditor, Shana Jackson. If you have questions about the status of your cap and gown, invitation or announcement orders, you may call Herff Jones at 912.764.9314. Use your SCAD e-mail account for all correspondence.
What do I need in order to graduate?
Graduate students must satisfy all preliminary and program required courses and must pass all non-course requirements, e.g. RVPR (Preliminary/Conditional Review) and RVCN (Review for Candidacy).
Art history and architectural history students will need to satisfy the COMP (Comprehensive Exam) and FORN (Foreign Language Exam) in addition to the RVPR and RVCN requirements.
All graduate students must meet the GPA requirements: 3.0 cumulative and 3.0 major.
When am I considered graduated?
You are not considered "graduated" until you have met all of the requirements listed above. Be aware of the difference between participating in the commencement ceremony and graduation. Walking across the stage in the commencement ceremony does not mean you've graduated. Be mindful of the following: the term in which you complete all of your program requirements is the term you are awarded your degree. Once end-of-term processes are run, your diploma will be ordered and your degree will show up on your transcript.
I have taken all of my coursework and have met all requirements except for my thesis. I'm applying for jobs and want to submit a resume that reflects my graduate degree, but I don't know how to go about this since I haven't really graduated yet. What do I put on resumes and job applications?
If your thesis is the sole remaining requirement in your program, you can list on your resume that you are a "candidate" for the M.F.A. or M.A. degree with thesis pending. Until your degree is actually conferred in the system, you are not considered graduated or as having earned a degree.
What's the process once I submit my thesis paper to the library?
Once the registrar receives notice from the thesis coordinator in the Jen Library that your thesis has been submitted, I will solicit a grade from your committee chair. A final audit on your program requirements will determine whether you are eligible to graduate. The graduation date on your diploma and transcripts will reflect the last day of the quarter during which you meet the final requirement.
When will I receive my diploma?
You are eligible to receive a diploma once you have:
- Satisfied all of your program requirements within the five-year deadline
- Submitted your thesis paper to the library and have received a final grade
- Submitted a graduation application and paid your graduation fee
- No financial obligations to the college
How long does it take to receive the diploma once I complete my program requirements?
Diplomas are ordered at the end of each term. Shipments are generally received within six weeks; however, during the spring, orders can take up to 12 weeks because of the busy graduation time for Herff Jones. After that, if students have no financial obligations to the college and have graduation applications on file, diplomas can be mailed out. Your diploma will not be mailed out until you have paid your graduation fee.
When is the commencement ceremony?
Commencement 2008 will be held Saturday, May 31, in the Savannah Civic Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Arena, 301 W. Oglethorpe Ave. The Presidential Conferment of Degrees ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and the Presentation of Degree ceremonies will follow at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Commencementin Atlanta is Saturday, May 31, at 6 p.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center, Sidney Marcus Auditorium, 285 Andrew Young International Boulevard. N.W.
I won't be living in Savannah (or Atlanta) after a particular date, but I plan to participate Commencement 2008. Is there anything I need to do between now and then?
If you will not be able to attend a regular graduation meeting before you leave campus, you need to know that there is a MANDATORY commencement ceremony rehearsal the day before the ceremony. The rehearsal is Friday, May 30, 2 p.m. in Savannah and 4 p.m. in Atlanta. Ordering your cap and gown is also mandatory.
I don't think I'll be able to come to the Commencement 2008 rehearsal that day. Is that okay?
No, this is a mandatory rehearsal. If you do not attend the Commencement 2008 rehearsal, you do not get to participate in the commencement ceremony. The rehearsal is where you will receive your cap and gown. You will also be able to make exchanges for your cap or gown if there is a problem. Note: extra caps and gowns will not be available the morning of the ceremony.
I have a 4.0 GPA. Will I be receiving honors during the ceremony and on my diploma?
No, that is only for our undergraduate students. While some institutions may recognize graduate students with Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude, SCAD does not make this distinction. There are, however, departmental awards given to undergraduate and graduate students, and if they are ceremony participants, they will be recognized during the separate ceremonies for their schools.
I want to walk in the ceremony, but one of my classes will not be offered until the fall. Is it still okay for me to walk in the ceremony?
Unfortunately, it is not. There is only one commencement ceremony held in an academic year. Summer is the last quarter in an academic year; therefore, it is the deadline for course completion if you want to participate in the spring ceremony.
Will I receive my diploma at the ceremony?
No. Students receive a diploma cover with a letter from the President inside as they walk across the stage.
When and where do I get tickets?
Tickets will be distributed in Savannah May 19, 2008 at the Trustees Theater box office, 216 E. Broughton St. You must show your student ID to receive your tickets; you may not send someone to pick up the tickets for you. Tickets for the ceremonies are only for those students who are participating.
Tickets in Atlanta will be distributed beginning May 19 in the Student Resource Center.
Will I need tickets for my family to come watch me walk across the stage?
Yes. Students participating in the Savannah commencement ceremony will be allotted four tickets for both the Presidential Conferment of Degrees ceremony and eight tickets for the Presentation of Degrees ceremony.
Students participating in the Atlanta commencement ceremony will receive eight tickets.
How do I get photographs?
Chappell Studio Inc. will take photographs of all graduating students as they receive diplomas. A passport-size photo proof and an order form will be sent out within 14 days of the commencement ceremony. During the commencement ceremony rehearsal, students will be asked to fill out a form indicating where the photo proof should be mailed. For additional proofs or more information, visit or call 800.424.3686.
