COMMENCEMENT

Meredith College 2024 Commencement

Meredith College will hold in-person commencement ceremonies in spring 2024.

  • The Class of 2024 celebrations will be held Saturday, May 11, with two sessions – one at 8:30 a.m. and another at 11 a.m.
  • Graduates will be able to register for one of the two Commencement Ceremonies. 
  • The ceremonies will be held in the courtyard area with Johnson Hall as the backdrop for these celebrations. Graduates may choose with whom they sit.
  • The College will provide a Live Stream to allow for additional participation.
  • Each graduate will be eligible to receive six tickets for guests. 
  • Graduate students are welcome to participate in commencement.
  • To ensure proper pronunciation of their names, students can leave a message on the pronunciation hotline:  (919) 760-2020.
Share your senior portraits and commencement photos on Instagram with the hashtag #MeredithCollege and/or #MCGoingStrong to be featured on this page.

Commencement Weekend Schedule of Major Events

  • Time: 1 p.m.
  • Location: Carswell Concert Hall
  • 2 – 3 p.m.
  • Jones Auditorium
  • 4 – 5:30 p.m.
  • Amphitheatre
  • Rain Site: Jones Auditorium with line up in Studio/Carswell


Class Day Rehearsal is Thursday, May 9, 2024

  • 4 – 6 p.m. for Sophomores
    6 – 7 p.m. for Seniors
  • Amphitheatre
  • Time: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Location: Jones Auditorium
  • Reception to follow in Jones Lobby
  • Time: 6-7 p.m.
  • Location: Carswell Concert Hall
  • Reception to follow in Wainwright Lobby/Patio
  • 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
  • Courtyard
  • Time: 1:30-2:30 p.m.
  • Location: Mall between Harris and Science and Mathematics Building
  • Rain site: Kresge Auditorium
  • Reception in Harris Hall
  • Time: 11 a.m.
  • Location: Carswell Concert Hall
  • Reception to follow in Wainwright Lobby/Patio

Commencement Registration FAQs

Please visit the Academic Recognition and Graduation section of the Undergraduate Catalogue and the Graduation section of the Graduate Catalogue for more information. Graduate students may also want to ask their program director if they have any questions or concerns about Commencement.

The 2024 Commencement Ceremonies will be held in the Courtyard behind Johnson Hall. Hooding Ceremonies for graduate programs will be on various dates and locations on campus. Please check with your program coordinator for more information on Hooding Ceremonies.

Children two (2) years of age and under do not need a ticket, provided they stay in a lap. Strollers are not encouraged as they block aisles. 

Graduating students will sign up for their preferred Commencement ceremony time via SignUpGenius. A link to the SignUpGenius will be posted on the Commencement website and emailed to graduating students.

Caps, gowns, and graduate degree hoods are available for purchase through the Campus Store. Details have been provided to your Meredith email address. Please direct questions to the Campus Store at (919) 760-8545 or campusstore@meredith.edu.

Ensure you are using your Meredith student email (@email.meredith.edu or @meredith.edu). If your email still isn’t working, contact commencement@meredith.edu for assistance. 

Accessibility accommodations can be requested for graduates or graduate guests via a Google Form that will be made available closer to Commencement. Graduates will need to submit the form, regardless of whether the request is for the graduate or one of the graduate’s guests. 

  • If you are attending the 8:30 a.m. ceremony, you should enter through the Hillsborough Street entrance. You may park in Parking Lots 1, 2, 15, 16, 17, and 18.
  • If you are attending the 11 a.m. ceremony, you should enter campus through the Faircloth Street gate. You may park in Parking Lots 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, and 12.


Please see the Meredith College Campus Map for additional guidance.

Yes, when you attend the Courtyard Commencement Ceremony, you should arrive wearing your hood, since hooding ceremonies are being held separately. 

Diplomas will be, or have been, mailed to the address listed on your application for graduation.

All graduates will receive six physical guest tickets, to be picked up on campus. If you do not plan to use all of your guest tickets, you may share the extra tickets with classmates attending the same Ceremony. Graduates may request additional guest tickets by completing a Google Form. The form is a request for additional tickets, not a guarantee. Graduates will be notified by our office if their request for additional tickets is approved. Notification will take place no earlier than April.

A comprehensive rain plan will be shared with graduates prior to Commencement. Students will be notified of this decision via the Commencement website, email, and social media. Notification will only be sent in the event that the ceremony must be moved indoors.

Senior portraits have been taken. Depending on when you sign up, you may still be able to have your image taken at one of our vendor’s senior portrait studios by going to prestigeportraits.com/studio.

Academic Regalia

Undergraduate Regalia

Undergraduate students wear maroon gowns and maroon mortarboards.

The tassel worn pertains to the academic degree being received.

  • Bachelor of Arts: black tassel
  • Bachelor of Music: pink tassel
  • Bachelor of Science: gold tassel
  • Bachelor of Social Work: white tassel


Undergraduate students in regalia wear the tassel on the right side of the mortarboard. During the Commencement ceremony the students change the tassel to the left side, signifying they have earned their degrees. 

Undergraduate students may decorate the top of the mortarboard.

Many participants wear international flag patches, which are worn by students, faculty, and staff who have lived, studied, or done research abroad, including international students and faculty. These patches are the only embellishments permitted on the commencement gowns. Graduates may not embroider or otherwise decorate their gowns.

Graduate Regalia

Graduate students wear a black gown, undecorated black mortarboard, black tassel, and a hood.

Hoods, which are given during the Graduate Hooding Ceremony, reflect the color of the academic discipline.

  • Business: drab
  • Education: light blue
  • Nutrition: gold
  • Psychology: gold
  • Criminal Justice: blue


Graduate students in regalia wear the tassel on the left side of the mortarboard as they have already graduated (earned the undergraduate degree). They do not change the tassel during the Commencement ceremony.

Psychology major Sophie Lee, ’22, came to Meredith ready to take on new challenges. Identifying her strengths helped her decide on a career path, which includes pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational psychology at Meredith.

Class president and environmental sustainability major Casey Corpening, ’22, is a Meredith College and NC Teaching Fellow. After graduation, Casey is applying her strengths to the classroom as a middle school teacher in the Wake County Public School System.