Graduation Information

Ordering a cap and gown? For online and pick up options, click the “Order Your Cap and Gown” green tab to order your regalia. In store purchases are now available at the Pensacola and Warrington Campus Bookstores.

Bookstores

Pensacola Campus, Bldg. 5-Student Activities Building, (850) 616-0836

Warrington Campus, Bldg. 3600-Student Affairs Building, (850) 801-3360

Graduates must be attired in full academic regalia (cap/gown) to participate in the ceremony.

• Bachelor of Applied Science and Bachelor of Science graduates wear black gowns.
• Associate in Arts and Associate in Science graduates wear green gowns.
• Advanced Technical Certificate, Advanced Technology Diploma, and Career and Technical Certificate graduates wear navy blue gowns.

Remember to purchase honor cords and/or stoles from the bookstore, if applicable.

Tassels

Tassels should be worn on the right side. At the end of the ceremony, once you have officially been conferred your degree, you will be directed to move your tassel from the right to the left.

Suggested Attire

Be mindful when choosing your attire as it will be chilly in the arena due to the ice rink. Graduates should also prepare for the possible chance of inclement weather. Business attire underneath the robe is suggested and preferred. Wear comfortable shoes, as you will be standing before the Ceremony. High heels are not always functional for standing for long periods. There is no storage for purses, backpacks, etc. Small water bottles will be provided, so make sure to bring anything else that you may need (medication, candy, snacks, etc.).

Contact the Graduation Staff at graduation@pensacolastate.edu with any questions.

Graduation Protocol

The Commencement ceremony is a dignified event; therefore, decorum and courtesy are very important for graduates and their guests. All members of the general audience should stand and remove hats following the lead of the stage guests.

Out of respect for all graduates, no air horns, balloons, bubbles, beach balls, or similar items are allowed in the ceremony. The use of noisemakers may be intended to show one person’s pride in a graduate, but it can also ruin the chance for another family to hear the name of their graduate announced.

Rehearsal

There is no rehearsal at Pensacola State College for commencement. Therefore, it is very important for students to arrive on time to check in and receive instructions. Students should arrive at the Bay Center no later than 2:30 p.m. to be placed in line for pre-seating according to degree type. Students will be guided to and from the stage by degree type by Commencement Marshals. Students should pay attention to these Marshals immediately following the ceremony for details on the recession (how graduates walk out of the facility).

Name Card

At registration, you will be given a card with your name on it (if you saved your seat in advance). If you did not save your seat in advance, you will need to complete a card – each graduate must have a card! When you approach the stage, you will release your card to the college representative so that they may announce your name. Please keep the card in good condition so that it is easily read by the Emcee. The photographers will also use this card to keep the graduate photos in the proper order.

Special Assistance

If you require special assistance, please contact graduation@pensacolastate.edu so that accommodations can be made before the ceremony. Please keep in mind that this support is only available to graduates. Accessibility seating is available on all floor levels. Small water bottles will be provided, so make sure to bring anything else that you may need (medication, candy, snacks, etc.).

Photography

Professional photos will be provided by GradImages. Photos will be taken as you receive your diploma cover on stage. Photo proofs will be sent by email or mail to the email account or address provided on your name card and packages will be available to purchase. Please make sure your mailing address and email account are listed correctly in Workday. You may pre-register so that photo proofs will be provided promptly after the event. Pre-register at http://www.gradimages.com/Preregistration to receive a 20% discount. For additional inquiries, you can contact their Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. They have a large team of customer care representatives ready to help graduates and family members with their needs.

Diplomas

Digital diplomas will be available approximately a week after the Final Grading deadline of December 14, 2026. Please be sure to check your PSC email for the link to your digital diploma. Hard copy diplomas will be mailed to the address on file in Workday 4-6 weeks after graduation.

Printed Program

Please note that if you do not RSVP by November 30, 2026, your name will not appear in the printed program.

Security

Due to changes in security at the Pensacola Bay Center, all attendees will be required to go through security screening with metal detectors. Please only bring essential items to graduation. Plan to arrive with enough time to go through Pensacola Bay Center security.

Departing

Graduates are expected to stay for the duration of the ceremony. The ceremony will last approximately two hours. At the end of the graduation ceremony, graduates will exit behind the stage guests and faculty. PSC staff will direct graduates to the appropriate exits.

Parking

All graduates who arrive from 9th Avenue and park in the back of the building will walk down the Gate #3 & 4 stairwells. All others will walk down the North Fire Lane to the back of the building. All students must be screened in order to enter. Please note that friends and family members are not able to accompany graduates to this level. Please see this map for additional information.

Patching & Pinning Ceremonies

These ceremonies are separate from Commencement. Contact the program directors for details.

Contact the Graduation Staff at graduation@pensacolastate.edu with any questions.

Robes

The academic regalia including robes, caps or mortarboards, and medallions found in most colleges and universities is derived from the academic and clerical dress common throughout the medieval universities of Europe.

The modern academic gown is a garment resembling a long black cape. In early medieval times, all students at the universities were required to wear the robes to class. The colors of velvet and piping on robes represent the degree or discipline of the wearer.

The hood was originally a functional garment, worn to shield the head from the elements. It has developed to an often bright and decorative garment worn only on special academic occasions. The interior lining of the hood displays the colors of the institution from which the wearer received a degree.

• Bachelor of Applied Science and Bachelor of Science graduates wear black gowns.
• Associate in Arts and Associate in Science graduates wear green gowns.
• Advanced Technical Certificate, Advanced Technology Diploma, and Career and Technical Certificate graduates wear navy blue gowns.

Presidential Chain of Office

The chain of office worn by the President is a celebration of the College’s history. From September 1948 to July 2010, the College was named Pensacola Junior College. In July 2010, the College became Pensacola State College. The large bronze medallion on the center of the chain is the College seal. The right side of the chain recognizes the past presidents of Pensacola Junior College, and the left side of the chain recognizes the current president of Pensacola State College.

The Mace

The ceremonial academic mace originated in 1385 at the University of Vienna. An academic mace is traditionally carried in ceremonial occasions at colleges and universities. In commencement exercises, the mace indicates the authority of the College’s president to confer degrees, certificates, and diplomas. The Pensacola State College mace was crafted by Mr. Fred Bond of Pensacola. To commemorate the history of the college, one side of the ornament at the top of the mace has the Pensacola Junior College seal which was taken into space aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery that was launched in April 2010, and commanded by deceased Alumnus Alan Poindexter. The other side of the ornament displays the seal of Pensacola State College.

Caps

The academic cap, commonly known as the mortarboard, is symbolic of academia. It is a flat square hat with a tassel suspended from a button in the top center of the board. Graduates wear the tassel on the left side. Holders of doctorates and the current and past chairs of the District Board of Trustees wear a rounded headpiece known as a Tudor bonnet or tam.

Academic Honors

All students are eligible for academic achievement recognition during the appropriate Commencement Ceremony. Grade point averages are based on all credit hours attempted at Pensacola State College combined with transfer credits from other institutions attended, including courses not used for the degree awarded.

Baccalaureate and associate degree students will graduate with honors according to three (3) honors categories:

• • • Cum Laude will be awarded to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 – 3.74.
    • Magna Cum Laude will be awarded to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 – 3.99.
    • Summa Cum Laude will be awarded to students with a cumulative GPA of 4.0.

Career certificate students will graduate with honors according to two (2) honors categories:

• • • Honors will be awarded to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 – 3.74.
    • High Honors will be awarded to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 – 4.0.

The determination of these honors categories for the Commencement Ceremony is based on the cumulative grade point average at the end of the student’s last term of enrollment prior to the term of graduation. Students who have met the criteria for honors prior to their term of graduation will be eligible to wear honors cords at the Commencement Ceremony.

The commencement program is printed prior to the recording of final grades. For this reason, the commencement program, as well as eligibility to obtain honors cords from the bookstore, will be based on the cumulative grade point average achieved at the end of the term prior to the ceremony.

The transcript is the final and official record of a student’s standing at the time of graduation. A student meeting the honors criteria at the time of graduation and after the official analysis of eligibility for graduation will have the appropriate notation affixed to the official transcript and on the degree, certificate, or diploma awarded.

Stoles and Honor Cords

• • • African American Student Association — green, red, and black honor cord
    • Alpha Beta Gamma — gold stole
    • Dental Hygiene — purple and white honor cord
    • Kappa Delta Pi — teal and purple honor cord
    • Military Veterans — red, white and blue honor cord
    • National Technical Honor Society — purple stole and white and purple honor cord
    • Phi Beta Lambda — blue and gold stole and honor cord
    • Phi Theta Kappa — gold stole and blue and gold honor cord
    • Presidential Scholarship Award — medallion with gold ribbon
    • Robinson Scholars — gold stole
    • Sigma Beta Delta — gold and green stole and honor cord
    • Student Ambassadors — silver stole
    • Student Government Association — blue stole
    • TRIO Student Support Services — red and black honor cord

Contact the Graduation Staff at graduation@pensacolastate.edu with any questions.