Commencement
Commencement at the College of Charleston is a special time. For decades, the spring commencement ceremonies have taken place in the Cistern Yard where ancient live oak trees draped with Spanish moss set the stage, and Randolph Hall – the College’s oldest building — provides a fitting backdrop.
Crossing the Cistern as graduates do in the spring is a symbolic tradition at the College. At our spring commencement ceremonies, graduates wear white; our students traditionally wear white dresses or white dinner jackets with red roses.
Class of 2020 Commencement
“Crossing the Cistern” is a tradition that has been a hallmark of the College of Charleston graduation for over 75 years. The Class of 2020 will have the unique experience of crossing the actual visible cistern for the first time since 1984. The spring commencement ceremonies originally scheduled for May 2020 will be celebrated on October 10, 2020. Every graduate's name will be proudly announced; in-person and virtual attendees will be featured as we stream the ceremonies online; special commemorative video clips will be emailed to each alum; and commencement programs will be mailed. View commencement information.
Please also join us in congratulating the Class of 2020 by sharing photos of your graduates, special yard signs, or other special celebrations and tagging @collegeofcharleston (#CofC, #CofC2020).
We welcome you to watch President Hsu's Message to the Class of 2020. Also, here are some stats on this year's resilient and accomplished graduates.
Additional Information
For details about upcoming ceremonies for the 2020-2021 academic year, please check back later this semester. A graduation application is required before a student is eligible to participate in the ceremony. View the commencement information for details on how to apply.
GO TO: Current Commencement Schedule & Graduation Information