2024 Hooding Ceremonies
Each May, the School of Medicine Columbia hosts hooding ceremonies for eligible certificate, master's, and doctoral students.
Graduate Professional Students Hooding & Awards Ceremony
(Biomedical Sciences, Genetic Counseling, Physician Assistant, Nurse Anesthesia, and
Rehabilitation Counseling)
- Date: Thursday, May 2, 2024
- Time: 11:00 a.m.
- Location: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Graduates, arrive at check-in by 9:30 a.m.
Medical Doctorate Military Promotion, Awards, & Hooding & Ceremony
(Doctorate of Medicine)
- Date: Thursday, May 2, 2024
- Time: 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Graduates, arrive at check-in by 1:30 p.m.
Guest Invitation
View and/or download the event invitation by clicking here.
Guest Accomodations
No more than three guests per graduate are permitted to attend and be seated in their specific pods during the hooding ceremonies. However, there will be extra guest seating provided during the hooding ceremonies in a separate block at the back of the Exhibit Hall. Pod assignments will be emailed to graduates by Monday, April 29, 2024. Event guests will be admitted into the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center beginning at 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.
The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center provides over 250 parking spaces free of charge. There are also parking garages nearby (Discovery, Park Street, and Lincoln Street) that can be utilized for a minimal fee.
Sign language interpreters will be provided during both Hooding & Awards Ceremonies.
Hooding Instructions
A member of each graduates’ pod will serve as the special hooder. For more information, review “How to Hood Your Graduate.”
Please plan to dress professionally and comfortably under your regalia. Make sure you have your cap, gown, tassel, and hood. The durations of both ceremonies will be about one and a half hours. The ceremonies will be a combination of standing and sitting, so make sure you are dressed comfortably enough for both.
Graduates will arrive at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center before the start of the ceremonies for rehearsals. Further information will be sent to graduates via email.
2024 Commencement Ceremony
The University of South Carolina School of Medicine will be conferring degrees to Columbia and Greenville campuses on Friday, May 3, 2024. This ceremony is open to the family and friends of the Class of 2024 as well as faculty and staff. No tickets are needed, and the number of additional guests is unlimited.
- Date: May 3, 2024
- Time: Noon
- Location: Koger Center for the Arts
1051 Greene St. Columbia, SC 29201
Commencement Parking
Street, garage, and lot parking are available across the University of South Carolina campus on commencement days. Shuttle services will run from parking lots to the commencement exercises. The nearest parking facility to the Koger Center is the Discovery Parking Garage located at 821 Park Street. As there are multiple commencement ceremonies in that area, students and guests may have to find alternate parking in other garages and lots on campus. For additional parking, please refer to the parking map for the Columbia campus.
Rehearsal
Graduates will arrive at the Koger Center by 10:30a for rehearsal. Further information will be sent to graduates via email.
Arrivals
Students must arrive by 10:30 a.m. for robing in the large rehearsal room. Please be sure to bring all academic regalia with you to the ceremony.
Faculty should plan to arrive by 11:00 a.m. for robing. All faculty looking to participate in the ceremony must be dressed in full academic regalia.
Guests should plan to arrive at 11:30 a.m. when the house opens. The ceremony will begin promptly at noon in order to ensure all campus ceremonies remain on schedule.
At the Koger Center guests will find two sets of stairs and elevators near the entrance and the Orchestra level (ORC)/ground floor.
Ushers are available to assist with accessing stairs and elevators. There is designated handicap accessible seating on multiple levels of the theater.