The 141st Commencement Ceremony

The 141st Commencement Ceremony at the University of Southern California begins May 10, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. at Alumni Memorial Park.

Main USC Ceremony

Line up for the main ceremony at 7:30 a.m. at column F (see map on the USC commencement website). The processional will begin at 8:30 a.m. with the ceremony starting at 9 a.m. There are no tickets for the main USC ceremony, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

After the main ceremony is over, students participating in Ceremony 1 will head directly to Bing Theatre. The flag/banner bearer will lead you into Bing Theatre.

Dramatic Arts School Ceremonies

School ceremonies will last for approximately 1.5 hours. Due to the large number of graduates, USC School of Dramatic Arts holds two school ceremonies following the Main Ceremony.

Ceremony 1	Ceremony 2
11 a.m. Bing Theatre	3 p.m. Bing Theatre
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre	Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting for Stage and Screen
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Emphasis in Acting	Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Emphasis in Comedy	Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sound Design
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Emphasis in Theatrical Design	Bachelor of Fine Arts in Stage Management
Bachelor of Arts in Visual and Performing Arts Studies	Bachelor of Fine Arts in Technical Direction
	Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design
	Master of Fine Arts in Acting
	Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing

Live Webcast for the Commencement Ceremonies

There will be a live webcast of both ceremonies at their respective times accessible through the university’s commencement website.

Ceremony 1 Information

The USC School of Dramatic Arts Commencement Ceremony 1 will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the Bing Theatre. If you are not attending the main ceremony, please arrive at the Bing Theatre no later than 10:15 a.m. The ceremony will end around 12:30 p.m. Immediately following, there will be a reception in Queen’s Courtyard for participating Dramatic Arts graduates and their families.

Prior to Ceremony 1 at 11 a.m., participating graduates are to line up along the side of Bing Theatre, between the theatre and the Annenberg School in the order assigned during the mandatory rehearsal on May 9, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. at Bing Theatre.

Ticketing for Ceremony 1

Each qualified candidate in Ceremony 1 will be guaranteed up to four tickets inside Bing Theatre for Ceremony 1. Participating candidates may select between one and four tickets during the registration process and indicate if an extra ticket is needed. If any extra tickets are available, they will be allocated based on a first-come, first-served basis of registration submissions.

Ticket distribution will be managed similarly to how we run our SDA production tickets via the USC Ticket Office Mobile Ticketing system. Distribution will begin on April 15 (A-L) and finish on April 16 (M-Z) via the USC Ticket Office Mobile Ticketing system. Students will receive tickets to their USC ticket account and will be responsible for transferring them to family members and friends. A separate attachment with instructions will be provided.

Tickets not accepted by May 1, 2024, will be revoked from your student account and redistributed. Depending on the number of unused tickets, rush ticket sign-up may be available at the mandatory rehearsal on May 9, 2024.

Overflow Seating for Ceremony 1

To accommodate additional guests beyond those allowed in the Bing, we will have a remote viewing area with a live-stream feed of the SDA ceremony in the Bing back patio. NOTE: This space has limited seating for up to 200 guests, and is available on a first-come, first-seated basis.

Mandatory Rehearsal for Ceremony 1

There will be a mandatory commencement rehearsal for Ceremony 1 on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 3 p.m. in the Bing Theatre. Thanks to the School of Dramatic Arts, free Honor Cords will be distributed at the rehearsal to those undergraduate students with a 3.5 GPA in USC coursework determined after the fall 2023 posting of grades (excludes spring 2024 grades).

Ceremony 2 Information

The USC School of Dramatic Arts Commencement Ceremony 2 will begin at 3:00 p.m. in the Bing Theatre. Please arrive no later than 2:30 p.m. for line up by 2:45 p.m. The ceremony will end around 4:30 p,m. Immediately following, there will be a reception in Queen’s Courtyard for participating Dramatic Arts graduates and their families.

Ticketing for Ceremony 2

Due to the number of graduates this year, each qualified undergraduate candidate will be guaranteed four tickets for Ceremony 2 inside Bing Theatre. Participating candidates may select the number of needed tickets during the registration process and indicate if an extra ticket is needed. If any extra tickets are available, they will be allocated based on a first-come, first-served basis of registration submissions. Graduate students will be guaranteed up to ten tickets for the ceremony inside the Bing Theatre which is consistent with previous ceremonies.

Ticket distribution will be managed similarly to how we run our SDA production show tickets via the USC Ticket Office Mobile Ticketing system. Distribution will begin on April 15th (A-L) and finish on April 16th (M-Z) via the USC Ticket Office Mobile Ticketing system. Students will receive tickets to their USC ticket account and will be responsible for transferring them to family members and friends. A separate attachment with instructions will be provided.

Mandatory Rehearsal for Ceremony 2

There will be a mandatory commencement rehearsal for Ceremony 2 on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 11 a.m. in the Bing Theatre. Thanks to the School of Dramatic Arts, free Honor Cords will be distributed at the rehearsal to those undergraduate students with a 3.5 GPA in USC coursework determined after the fall 2023 posting of grades (excludes spring 2024 grades).

Additional Information

Grad Fest

The 2024 Grad Fest will be held in person at the Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom on February 14^th and 15^th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Grad Fest is your one-stop way to get all the information you need about Commencement. All soon-to-be graduates are encouraged to stop by Grad Fest for answers to questions or to purchase Commencement-related products. For more information, visit the Grad Fest website at https://commencement.usc.edu/graduates/grad-fest/

Cap & Gown Rentals

Ordering, measurement and distribution of regalia will take place at the USC Bookstore patio on the 1st floor beginning in late April or early May.

For more information and to purchase or rent regalia, sashes, or announcements online, visit the USC Bookstore commencement page.

Graduate students, please note your hood color before renting regalia:

Master of Fine Arts, Acting: Brown
Master of Fine Arts, Dramatic Writing: Brown

Baccalaureate Ceremony

Baccalaureate is a non-denominational, inter-faith celebration open to all students and their guests, taking place on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. in Bovard Auditorium. No tickets are required; seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No regalia is required for students. Learn more about Baccalaureate.

Guests With Disabilities

For guests with disabilities please visit the USC Commencement website for information regarding parking or seating. If assistance is needed for either USC School of Dramatic Arts ceremony, please indicate your guest’s needs when filling out the student registration form. You will be contacted in April to confirm any special instructions.

Parking

Parking on campus is FREE on Commencement Day, but spaces fill up quickly. Additional parking is available at the University Parking Center, located on the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue. Trams will be available to take guests from the Parking Center to campus.

More information

Additional information may be found at the USC Commencement website.

For more information call 213-740-3149 or email sdaevent@usc.edu.

Registration

If you are a student eligible to participate in either the undergraduate or graduate commencement ceremony for the USC School of Dramatic Arts, registration is required beginning Jan. 12, 2024, and ending Feb. 23, 2024. No late registrations will be accepted. If you will not be participating in commencement, please continue to register and indicate that you will not be participating. Please note: The below registration forms do not open until Jan. 12.