The University of South Carolina will welcome thousands of new alumni in a series of commencement ceremonies recognizing bachelor’s, master’s and professional degree recipients beginning May 9 at the Colonial Life Arena.
USC President Michael Amiridis will deliver remarks at all four undergraduate ceremonies in Columbia. Separate ceremonies also will be held for the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, two Schools of Medicine and doctoral graduates.
4 ceremonies at the Colonial Life Arena
- May 9 — 9 a.m.: Degrees will be conferred to students from the School of Music and Darla Moore School of Business. Lindell A. Bradley will receive an honorary Doctorate in Public Service. Bradley made history as the first Black varsity student-athlete at the University of South Carolina, joining the varsity baseball team in the 1968-69 season, and then built a successful career as an engineer and executive manager at ExxonMobil Corp.
- May 9 — 3 p.m.: Degrees will be conferred to students from the College of Nursing, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, College of Information and Communications and College of Pharmacy. Margaret M. Spellings will receive an honorary Doctorate in Public Service. During her career, Spellings served as U.S. Secretary of Education from 2005 to 2009 and as president of the University of North Carolina system from 2016 to 2019. Spellings is currently president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonprofit that assists policymakers in crafting bipartisan solutions to range of national issues.
- May 10 — 11 a.m.: Degrees will be conferred to students from the Honors College and the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. Drew Gilpin Faust, a noted American historian who served as president of Harvard University from 2007 to 2018, will receive an honorary Doctorate in Education. Faust is the author of seven acclaimed books exploring the history of the American South and is the recipient of numerous national awards for her contributions to the humanities, including the 2024 Newberry Library Award.
- May 10 — 4 p.m.: Degrees will be conferred to students from Palmetto College, Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Education and the Joseph F. Rice School of Law graduate programs (master’s in study of law, certificate of graduate study).
Additional Columbia campus commencement events
- May 8 — 9 a.m.: The doctoral hooding ceremony will be at the Koger Center for the Arts.
- May 9 — noon: The commencement ceremony for both the Columbia and Greenville Schools of Medicine will take place at the Koger Center for the Arts. Dr. Jonathan Lee Gleason will deliver a commencement address. Gleason serves as executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Prisma Health.
- May 10 — 8:30 a.m.: The Joseph F. Rice School of Law commencement ceremony will be held on the historic Horseshoe. USC alumna and U.S. District Judge Sherri Allen Lydon will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Lydon began her legal career with the Nexsen Pruet firm, now Maynard Nexsen, in Columbia and previously served as U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.
Other commencement events across the USC System
- USC Salkehatchie: 10:30 a.m. Friday (May 2).
- USC Beaufort: 5:30 p.m. Friday (May 2). Distinguished surgeon Dr. Holton Tim Pearce will receive an honorary Doctorate in Public Service.
- USC Lancaster: 11 a.m., Saturday (May 3).
- USC Union: 4 p.m. Saturday (May 3).
- USC Sumter: 10 a.m., Wednesday (May 7).
- USC Aiken: 6 p.m. Wednesday (May 7).
- USC Upstate: 6 p.m. Thursday (May 8). William Cobb will receive an honorary Doctorate in Public Administration.
By the numbers
Overall, more than 8,300 students will graduate from the University of South Carolina system.
- Columbia – 6,623
- Aiken – 404
- Beaufort – 310
- Upstate – 530
- Lancaster – 193
- Salkehatchie – 104
- Sumter – 132
- Union – 89
For more information, including parking details, visit the university’s commencement website.