School of Leadership and Church Ministry

11.1 Preparing for Graduation

Doctoral students are encouraged to remember that all financial obligations to the seminary must be paid in full before they can graduate. It is strongly encouraged to consider payment in full to include payment for the binding and microfilming and copyrighting of the dissertation. In some cases the binding fee may not be appear on the student’s account until several months after graduation. However, there have been times when it has shown up the day before graduation, requiring the student to pay the amount in order to participate in commencement.

Southern Seminary will pull students from participating in commencement if they have any outstanding balance on the student account, even if it is only a $1.00 library fine! This is not a joke!

All paper copies, the electronic copy, and microfilming forms must be in the LEAD Office on May 1st in order to graduate Spring semester, or December 1st in order to graduate Fall semester. Missing pages, paper copies, electronic copies, or microfilming forms will delay graduation to the next semester.

During the seminar registration process, students are asked what semester the targeted semester of graduation. This information is used to send students an intent to graduate form, cap and gown information, etc. Please be sure to notify Academic Records of your intent to graduate in late January (for May graduation) or late August (for December graduation).

11.2 Cap and Gown

The cost of graduation automatically includes the cost of a rented cap and gown. Information on how to be measured for the cap and gown will be sent to graduates early in the semester of graduation.

Many of the LEAD School doctoral students like to purchase their own cap, hood, and/or gown. The rented cap and gown is only a mortorboard with a basic all black gown. However, the regalia associated with the LEAD School has come to be a black tam in lieu of the mortorboard.

EdD students who purchase the doctoral gown often opt to have light blue piping (the color of education) placed around the black chevrons on the sleeves and front panels of the gown.

PhD students who purchase the doctoral gown often opt to have royal blue chevrons on the sleeves and front panels of the gown (the traditional color for PhD degrees).

Students planning to order a cap, hood, and/or gown should do so as early in the semester of graduation as possible so that the regalia arrives in time for graduation. Students who purchase the cap, hood, and/or gown are still charged the rental fee.

11.3 Hooding Ceremony

The faculty of the LEAD School have established the tradition of dissertation supervisors placing the academic hood on their graduates in a ceremony the day before graduation. Families are invited to attend, and many use the opportunity to take photos with the faculty and other graduates in a more leisurely setting.

Faculty and graduates where full academic regalia to the ceremony. The ceremony itself is short, consisting of a brief history and explanation of the meaning of academic regalia styles and colors. Graduates bring the hood to the platform during the ceremony and have their hood placed on them by their dissertation supervisor.  A reception is held after the ceremony for all in attendance.

The Hooding Ceremony takes place in the evening the day before graduation. This ceremony does not officially confer the academic degree, but is intended to honor the graduates and their families.

11.4 Commencement

Commencement is held on Friday morning in mid-May and mid-December each year. Participation in Commencement is required unless permission to graduate in absentia has been granted by the Vice President for Student Services.

In order for graduates to participate in Commencement, they must participate in graduation rehearsal. Rehearsal is held Thursday morning the day before Commencement.

Graduates who do not participate in rehearsal will be pulled from the Commencement line up.

In summary, graduation rehearsal is Thursday morning, the LEAD School Hooding Ceremony is Thursday evening, and a Presidential Reception for all graduates and their families is usually held in the President’s home late Thursday afternoon.

Therefore graduates should plan to arrive for graduation activities on Wednesday evening at the latest, and encourage family members to arrive by noon on Thursday in order to be present for the Hooding Ceremony Thursday afternoon.