Office of the Registrar
Pre-Graduation To-Do List
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Preparing for graduation can feel like an overwhelming task. To ensure your celebration is both smooth and memorable, students are encouraged to utilize this Pre-Graduation To-Do List as a helpful resource in managing the graduation and commencement process.
Grad Fest
Fall 2025
Hattiesburg Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Thad Cochran Center
Monday, September 22
10:00am - 5:00pm
Tuesday, September 23
10:00am - 4:00pm
¶¶Òõapp Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Hardy Hall
Wednesday, September 24
1:00pm - 5:00pm
Click on Order Caps and Gowns below for more details!
*All students regardless of participation in Commencement ceremony MUST apply for graduation.
Optional Services
Photo Services - Students may choose to have their photos made in advance of graduation through Southern Miss Photo Services. Call 601.266.4149 to set up an appointment in Hattiesburg.
Graduates Participating in Commencement
All candidates for Undergraduate, Master's, Specialist, and Doctoral degrees are required
to indicate their desire to participate in the commencement ceremony at the time of
filing for their degree. Candidates who express a wish to participate will receive
an automatic seat confirmation from the Registrar's Office. If, however, a student
initially opts not to participate and later decides to attend, they must reserve a
seat using the seat reservation link below. Additionally, all students wishing to
participate in the ceremony must wear traditional black regalia, with the exception
of Doctoral candidates, who may purchase custom gold regalia.
Degree candidates for Fall 2025 are required to submit and pay for their degree application by August 31, 2025, in order for their names to be included in the commencement program. Candidates participating in Fall 2025 commencement may reserve a seat free of charge through October 31, 2025. Requests for seating between November 1 - November 28, 2025 will incur a $100 late seating fee. Requests for seating after November 28, 2025 will not be honored and those students will not be allowed to participate in the Fall 2025 commencement ceremony.
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Tickets will NOT be required for entry into Reed Green Coliseum for the Fall 2025 commencement ceremonies. Students are permitted to invite any number of guests.
- Commencement ceremonies will be streamed live at /university/live.php for families and friends who are not able to attend in person.
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Bachelor Cap and Gown -
Doctorate Cap and Gown -
Master's Cap and Gown -
Gold Stole -
Zipper Pull example
Southern Miss wants degree candidates to enjoy this milestone for years to come. Barnes & Noble @ Southern Miss will host Grad Fest for degree candidates to have the convenience of taking care of all of their graduation needs at one time and place. Students may purchase and receive regalia on this day, order invitations, class rings, and visit with other campus representatives. While this event is not mandatory, students are encouraged to receive their regalia early by coming to enjoy Grad Fest on the following dates:
Hattiesburg Campus (Barnes & Noble): Monday, September 22, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. or Tuesday, September 23, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
USM Gulf Coast Campus (Barnes & Noble): Wednesday, September 24, 2025 from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
If students are not able to attend Grad Fest, regalia (caps and gowns) may be ordered from Barnes & Noble at Southern Miss during regular business hours for Fall 2025 beginning September 25, 2025. A late fee will be charged for all orders placed after October 27, 2025.
Please note: All orders placed in-store after Grad Fest will be available for pick-up at your campus Barnes and Noble Bookstore on Tuesday, December 9 – Wednesday, December 10, 2025 (Hattiesburg Campus) and Tuesday, December 9 – Wednesday, December 10, 2025 (Gulf Coast Campus).
ONLINE REGALIA ORDERING AND PICK UP
Caps and gowns may be ordered at beginning Thursday, September 25, 2025. The deadline to order your cap & gown for
the Fall 2025 Commencement Ceremony is Monday, November 3, 2025. A late fee will be
charged for all orders starting Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Students are allowed to
keep their regalia after their ceremony and have the option to pick up in store or
have items shipped to them.
In-store pick up for online orders will take place at your campus Barnes and Noble Bookstore Tuesday, December 9 – Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 8:00am - 5:00pm (Hattiesburg Campus) and 9:00am – 5:00pm (¶¶Òõapp Campus). If you choose ship-to-home, your order will ship to you for arrival the week of November 21, 2025.
- Undergraduate Regalia – $77.98 not incl. tax (includes cap, gown, custom Southern Miss zipper pull and tassel)
- Master’s & Specialists – $147.98 not incl. tax (includes cap, gown, hood, custom Southern Miss zipper pull and tassel)
- Doctoral Tam Package - $182.98 not incl. tax (includes deluxe tam w/gold bullion tassel, custom Southern Miss zipper pull and gown)
- Custom Gold Doctoral Regalia Package - must visit for pricing. (Graduate School provides Doctoral hoods for their degree candidates.)
- Official University Stole (sold separately) - $42.98 not incl. tax
Caps and gowns may also be ordered in store at Barnes and Noble on both campuses starting September 25, 2025.
Hattiesburg Barnes and Noble (601) 266-4381
¶¶Òõapp Barnes and Noble (228) 214-3479
*Orders must be picked up from the campus where the order is placed. Please contact your campus bookstore to arrange a pick up time if you are unable to pick up during the designated pick up dates.
MASTER'S AND SPECIALISTS HOODS
Master's and Specialists hoods are purchased from . Click here to view the various academic hood colors (disciplines) so that you may choose the
appropriate hood color to order.
DOCTORAL HOODS
Doctoral students should not buy a hood. The cost of the hood is included in your
doctoral graduation fees. The Graduate School will provide you with your hood at Commencement
check-in on the day of Commencement. Your regalia is yours to keep. Seating cards
for doctoral students will be distributed at check in by the Graduate School on the
day of commencement.
VENDORS FOR DOCTORAL REGALIA PURCHASE
You may choose any other vendor, as long as your gown is in accordance with USM standards - black doctoral with black velvet stripes OR black doctoral with color velvet stripes to match your hood. (Hood is provided by the Graduate School.) When ordering custom regalia, orders must be placed by February 1st each Spring semester and September 1st each Fall semester.
Below is a quick reference for information on the color of your velvet stripes if you choose the Deluxe Regalia.
| Ph.D. | Navy Blue |
| D.M.A. | Pink |
| D.N.P. | Apricot |
| Ed.D. | Light Blue |
| Au.D. | Rhodes Blue |
UNIVERSITY ISSUED HONOR CORDS
To give distinction to student honor achievements, the University offers honor cords
for undergraduate candidates (and approved petitioners) that have a current cumulative
Southern Miss GPA of 3.5 or higher. A black and gold honor cord can be purchased
for $15 October 20, 2025 - December 12, 2025. All students who qualify for honor cords
are notified via Southern Miss email. Students may opt to have their honor cord mailed
to their home or can visit either campus for purchase and pickup.
Students wishing to purchase and pick up honor cords in HATTIESBURG may do so in the Registrar’s Office, Kennard-Washington Hall Room 110 Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m starting Monday, October 20, 2025.
Students wishing to purchase and pick up honor cords on the GULF COAST CAMPUS may do so in the Student Services One Stop, Gulf Coast Library, room 101 Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m starting Monday, October 20, 2025.
Students wishing to have their honor cords mailed can request and purchase using our Honor Cord Request Form. The link for the online purchase will be available to students beginning Monday, October 20, 2025.
A student’s Latin designation shown in the Commencement program is based upon the student’s cumulative USM GPA at the end of the term preceding the graduation term. The official distinction on a student’s diploma and final transcript may differ, depending upon the student’s final semester’s grades.
REQUESTS FOR COMMENCEMENT STOLES/CORDS FOR ON CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS
A commencement stole is a decorative vestment worn by students who are members of
various organizations for the purpose of denoting outstanding achievements in academics
and used to indicate membership in a professional organization. All commencement stoles
worn at graduation must be approved through the Office of the University Registrar.
Organizations must complete the along with submitting a supplemental formal letter addressed to the Academic Regalia Subcommittee of the Executive Commencement Committee by February 1 for Spring commencement and September 1 for Fall commencement. The letter will need to address justification for requesting cords and will need to include the academic requirements for joining the organization. The committee will only consider commencement stoles/cords that are associated with academic excellence. Along with attaching the formal letter to the , the organization must attach a picture of the stole/cord they’re wishing to purchase when submitting the application.
Please address memo to:
Academic Regalia Subcommittee of the Executive Commencement Committee
ATTN: Dana%20Berry
118 College Drive #5166
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
All questions regarding organizations applying for a commencement stole or cord should be directed at our Graduation%20Listserv or to Dana%20Berry.
Students may choose to have their photos made in advance of graduation through Southern Miss Photo Services. Call 601.266.4149 to set up an appointment in Hattiesburg.
Find out more about commencement photos on our Day of Commencement page
An undergraduate student who wishes to make petition to walk in a ceremony for which he/she is not an actual degree candidate, should complete the .
The Graduate School allows students to attend a Commencement Ceremony only for the term in which they are gradu