Student Speaker

Think your efforts deserve some recognition? Apply to be the Student Speaker and be chosen to represent the graduating class. The selected student will deliver a pre-recorded speech at the Commencement ceremonies and receive a medal. Applications are due by March 31, 2025 at midnight.

Student Speaker Application 

National Anthem

Apply for a chance to sing the national anthem for Commencement. The selected students will record a video to be played during all three Commencement ceremonies and for other events at the College throughout the year. Applications are due by March 31, 2025 at midnight.

National Anthem Application 

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy in the Commencement program, deadlines sometimes prevent inclusion of a candidate's name or may result in the inclusion of names of persons not completing graduation requirements. All honors indicated in the program are tentative. Official degree honors for diplomas and transcripts will be determined after final grades are reported. The program, therefore, should not be used to determine a student's academic degree status. A student's official transcript serves as the only definitive documentation of a student's academic degree status.

Regalia

Regalia is the academic attire worn during the Commencement ceremonies that includes the cap, gown, and any special tassels, cords, or stoles approved by the College.

Graduates should remember to bring their caps, gowns, and tassels to the ceremony. Graduates who received academic or special distinctions should also bring those tassels, cords, stoles, etc.

Reserve your cap and gown - The graduate order form will be open from February 24 through March 31, 2025.

Regalia is free for all graduates and will be available to reserve online starting February 24, through March 31, 2025. After ordering closes, the College will place a bulk order for regalia to assist those students who missed the reservation deadline. We will ensure all graduates have academic regalia, but fitted sizes are not guaranteed after the deadline passes. Regalia can be picked up at one of the Grad Fairs. Graduates unable to attend Grad Fair will be able to pick up on the day of the ceremonies.

Graduates will have the option to ship regalia directly to their homes (for a shipping fee due at time of order) or pick up on campus at either Grad Fair (no shipping fee). Graduates unable to do either will be able to pick up the day of the ceremonies as directed upon checking in at the graduate line-up.

Montco Academic Costume Code

Graduates who have earned academic or special distinctions may wear approved ceremonial medals, tassels, cords, and stoles at commencement. These items will be available for pick up at Grad Fair. Graduates unable to attend Grad Fair will be able to pick up the day of the ceremonies as directed upon checking in at the graduate line-up.

The approved distinctions are:

• Alpha Alpha Alpha (navy blue and grey cord) — The navy blue and grey cord worn by some graduates indicates their membership in the Alpha Alpha Alpha Honor Society for first generation college students. Using the colors of Moravian College, where the society was founded, the colors are intertwined to demonstrate the connection we all have to each other.

• Athletics (white stole with red trim and Montco athletics logo) — Student athletes are honored by wearing a stole in the College’s primary colors, emblazoned with the Athletics logo. The Athletics stole is reserved for student athletes who maintain National Junior College Athletic Association academic standards and compete at the varsity level.
• Diversity (rainbow cord) — Available to all graduates, the rainbow cord signifies diversity and is worn as a sign of solidarity by members of the College community. The rainbow colors reaffirm the College’s continuing commitment to diversity and equal opportunity.
• GPA Honors Distinctions (red and black cord) — Students graduating with GPA Honors are represented by a single black and red cord for Summa (3.75 to 4.00 GPA), Magna (3.50 to 3.74 GPA) or Cum Laude (3.25 to 3.49 GPA) distinctions.
• Honors Program (green and gold double cord) — The green and gold double cord is worn by the College’s Honors Program graduates. Honors Program students complete a minimum of 9-12 credits of Honors coursework and participate in extensive intellectual and community service activities.
• Mu Alpha Theta (light blue and gold double cord) — The light blue and gold double cord worn by some of the College’s students indicates that they are members of Mu Alpha Theta, the National Two-Year College Mathematics Honor Society. Mu Alpha Theta recognizes students who have completed two or more math courses beyond the pre-algebra level and have a cumulative math GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• Phi Beta Lambda (royal blue and gold double cord) — The blue and gold double cord is worn by the College’s Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda graduates. Phi Beta Lambda students bring business and education together through innovative leadership and career development programs.
• Phi Theta Kappa (gold tassel) — The gold tassel worn by some of the College’s students indicates that they are members of the Alpha Kappa Zeta or Beta Tau Lambda chapters of Phi Theta Kappa, which is the international honor society for two-year colleges. Phi Theta Kappa recognizes and encourages scholarship through a variety of activities which promote fellowship, leadership and service. To be a member of Phi Theta Kappa, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA.
• Psi Beta (gold double cord with blue and gold tassels) — Students who wear this cord are members of the College’s chapter of Psi Beta, a national honor society for students attending two-year colleges, who plan to major or minor in psychology, as well as students who simply have an interest in psychology. Psi Beta students maintain a minimum GPA of 3.25 and have completed a college-level psychology course with a grade of B or higher.
• Student Commencement Speaker (medal) — The Student Commencement Speaker is selected by a committee of College faculty and staff members to represent the graduating class. The medal awarded to the Student Speaker is engraved with the College’s seal and strung from a red and white ribbon.
• Veterans (red, white and blue cord) — The red, white and blue cord worn by some of the College’s graduates indicates these students have or are currently serving in the armed forces. The tri-colored cord symbolizes our veteran students’ dedication and service to our nation.

GPA Honors Distinctions

Graduates with GPA honors distinctions receive a single black and red honors cord. GPA honors distinctions are as follows:

• 3.75 to 4.00 — Summa Cum Laude
• 3.50 to 3.74 — Magna Cum Laude
• 3.25 to 3.49 — Cum Laude

For students who are pending completion in Summer, distinctions are tentatively noted in the program. Official degree honors for diplomas and transcripts will be determined when all program requirements are complete and degrees are conferred.

The graduate line-up location will be sent to graduates from the Commencement Committee via their student email account two days before the ceremonies.

Graduates should leave any purses/bags or other personal items with their guests prior to arriving at the graduate line-up location, as they cannot carry these items with them in the processional and will be unable to leave their items at the line-up location. Graduates will not return to the line-up location after the ceremony.

Guests are not permitted at the graduate line-up location.

Graduates should arrive at the line-up location no later than one hour before the start of their ceremony time:

• 10 a.m. ceremony: All graduates should arrive no later than 9:00 a.m. to the line-up location, as specified in the email sent to them by the Commencement Committee.
• 2 p.m. ceremony: All graduates should arrive no later than 1:00 p.m. to the line-up location, as specified in the email sent to them by the Commencement Committee.
• 6 p.m. ceremony: All graduates should arrive no later than 5:00 p.m. to the line-up location, as specified in the email sent to them by the Commencement Committee.

Service dogs may process with their graduate. No other pets are permitted in the Commencement ceremonies or inside College buildings.

Children and/or other guests of graduates are not permitted to process or walk across the stage with the graduate. If graduates need special accomodations due to disability, please contact Disability Services for support at disabilities@mc3.edu.

Receiving your diploma at the ceremony

Graduates are reminded that they will receive a diploma case when they cross the stage, but their actual diploma is mailed to their home address on the dates outlined in the Apply for Graduation section above. Any additional questions related to graduation status or diplomas should be directed to the Registrar’s Office at graduation@mc3.edu.

Request a replacement diploma

Graduates may submit the Replacement Diploma Request form to order a replacement diploma if their original has been lost or destroyed, or to request reissue of a diploma after a name change.

To request that a replacement diploma be reissued in a new name, and to change that name on Montco records, submit a Student Information Update form before submitting the Replacement Diploma Request form. Documentation such as a driver’s license, passport, or marriage license is required.

Diplomas will not be released until all obligations to the College have been cleared.

Please allow 10-14 business days for your diploma to arrive after your request is reviewed and processed.