Commencement Program Keepsake
December 2023 Commencement
Take a look at a few memorable moments from our May 2023 ceremonies.
Complimentary Tickets Required
The commencement ceremony is held in the Benson Auditorium and will be live streamed at streaming.harding.edu. Tickets are required for all guest seating.
Complimentary reserved tickets for May 2024 commencement will be available beginning March 18 at 1 p.m. at hardingtickets.com. There is no limit on the number of tickets any graduate may order, but we do ask that you coordinate with your family prior to ordering to determine any accessibility needs.
View Recent Ceremonies
Celebration Reception
All May graduates, family members and friends are invited to join the Harding faculty and administrators for this informal, come-and-go hamburger meal and reception in the Charles M. White Dining Hall following the ceremony. Please RSVP the number in your party. This is your opportunity to introduce the special people in your life!
Class of 2023
Fall Commencement
candidates for graduation
participants from summer
nations and territories represented
states represented
Resources for our newest class of alumni
Commencement Schedule
Congratulations to those of you who have completed this milestone in your formal education! All commencement ceremonies are held in the Benson Auditorium, and each ceremony will be live streamed at streaming.harding.edu and on Harding University's Facebook page. We look forward to seeing you and your families!
Fall | December 14, 2024
All colleges will gather at 10 a.m. to celebrate together. There is only one ceremony time in December. Line up for candidates will be in the science building at 9:15 a.m. Benson doors will be opened at 9 a.m. for guest seating.
Spring | May 4, 2024
9 a.m. — College of Bible & Ministry, College of Business Administration, College of Education
12 p.m. — College of Arts & Sciences
3 p.m. — College of Allied Health, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy
IMPORTANT: Commencement Ceremony Information, Line of March, and Instructions for Graduates
It is important that you find your name on the Line of March (see links below) to assure we have not overlooked anyone. If your name is on the list but you do not plan to attend, please notify graduation@harding.edu, or call 501-279-4328. If your name is not on the list but you do plan to attend, please notify the office.
Alphabetical LOM - Spring 2024 (to be posted the week prior to commencement)
Line of March - Spring 2024 (to be posted the week prior to commencement)
There will be no rehearsal for the commencement ceremonies. Rather, students will be led in by faculty marshals.
Instructions for Candidates - Spring 2024 (to be posted the week prior to commencement)
Where to be for fall 2023 Commencement (December 14, 2024)
- Line up for candidates will be in the Pryor-England Science Building pdf at 9:15. (Guest seating will begin at 9 a.m.)
Where to be for spring 2024 Commencement (May 4, 2024)
9 a.m. — College of Bible & Ministry, College of Business Administration, College of Education
- Line up in the Pryor-England Science Building pdf at 8:15 a.m.; doors to the Benson Auditorium will be unlocked at 8 a.m. for our guests to begin seating.
12 p.m. — College of Arts & Sciences
- Line up in the Pryor-England Science Building pdf at 11:15 a.m.; doors to the Benson Auditorium will be unlocked 45 minutes after the 9 a.m. ceremony concludes.
3 p.m. — College of Allied Health, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy
- Line up in the Pryor-England Science Building pdf at 2:15 p.m.; doors to the Benson Auditorium will be unlocked 45 minutes after the noon ceremony concludes.
What to wear:
- Men, wear a dress shirt with dark slacks, socks, and shoes.
- Ladies, wear dark clothing and dark shoes.
- Please do not chew gum.
- Please do not decorate your cap or gown in any way or add anything to your regalia other than approved honor cords. Failure to comply could lead to your removal from the line of march.
- Undergraduates should place the tassel on the RIGHT side of the cap; Master’s and Specialist candidates should place the tassel on the LEFT side of the cap. Place the cap on the middle of your head so that the point is lined up with the middle of your forehead. Adjust the mortarboard so it is parallel to the ground – don’t wear it to the side or to the back. You may need some bobby pins or clips to keep it securely on your head.
- Master’s and Specialist candidates should be wearing hoods. The dean or marshal can help during line up if you have a question, but the following are a few helpful tips regarding how to wear your hood:
- Make sure your hood is not inside out; the satin should be on the inside and the black material mostly on the outside.
- Put the hood on over your head with the velvet side up and the small tapered end pointing down in front. There may be a loop on the front point of the hood to secure it to a shirt button, or you may wish to pin the loop to a blouse or dress, under your gown.
- Drape the hood around your neck with the largest portion of the hood hanging down your back.
- Flip the middle of the back of the hood, where the Harding colors are, outward to show the gold and black satin; roll the velvet edge out a bit as well so that the inside colors show. When you’re done, the end of the hood will look somewhat like a shark fin.
- Doctoral candidates should place the tassel on the LEFT side of the tam and will be hooded on stage.
Are you approved for graduation? Review the requirements.
Please review your catalog for specific degree requirements. University graduation requirements are also posted in the catalog and may be found at www.harding.edu/catalog.
By university policy, to be approved to walk in the May commencement ceremony, candidates must have all degree requirements completed by the date of commencement. As the only exception, candidates who will complete degree requirements by enrolling at Harding in their final class during the Harding Intersession term are allowed to participate. Students who complete their degree during Intersession, while they may participate in the May commencement ceremony, their degrees will be awarded after Intersession and they are considered summer graduates.
Students who complete degree requirements after May degrees are verified will participate in the December ceremony, with the exception of pharmacy students who complete degree requirements after May degrees are awarded, and they will participate in the next May ceremony. Similarly, students who complete degree requirements after the December degrees are checked and verified will participate in the upcoming May commencement ceremony.
Why do I need to attend Grad Fest?
Get professional: Students will be able to visit a booth set up for resume building and interact with the variety of career services the university has to offer.
Get connected: The Office of Alumni Relations and Generation HU, the university’s young alumni program, will be set up with stations to meet students and begin relationships with them as they step into their new Harding roles as alumni.
Get swag: Students will have the opportunity to shop for a frame for their diplomas and pick up other various Harding apparel and souvenirs before they leave campus.
Get robed: This will also serve as the location for students to pick up their caps and gowns for commencement ceremonies.
Get excited: Grad Fest will not only provide one place for students to take care of their requirements before graduating, but it will also facilitate fun and excitement among graduates as they celebrate this milestone in their lives together. Throughout the event, we will encourage all students to participate in every opportunity involved in Grad Fest and celebrate their academic achievements as college graduates.
How do I order and receive my Regalia?
Regalia information:
- All students, who the degree audit identifies as being complete, will receive an email inviting them to order their academic regalia for Commencement.
- The cost of your cap and gown is included in your graduation fee; there is no extra charge.
- Please verify you are on track by running your degree audit (Pipeline > Student > Degree Evaluation).
- All undergraduate and graduate students will receive a black and gold tassel with a Harding medallion attached. Doctoral students who receive a tam as part of their regalia receive a gold tassel.
- If you did not pick up your cap and gown at Grad Fest but already placed an order, please contact the Alumni Office at 501-279-4276 or alumni@harding.edu. For those who did not order before the deadline, you should contact the Alumni Office who will have a limited amount of regalia on hand, and these gowns will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis through commencement.
- If you have any questions, please email commencement@harding.edu.
What programs do the different colored hoods represent?
Degree | Department | Hood Color |
D.P.T. | Physical Therapy | TEAL |
Ed.D. | Education | LIGHT BLUE |
Ed.S. | Education-Educational Leadership | LIGHT BLUE |
Ed.S. | Education-Clinical Mental Health Counseling | LIGHT BLUE |
Ed.S. | Education-Professional School Counseling | LIGHT BLUE |
Ed.S. | Marriage & Family Counseling | LIGHT BLUE |
M.A., M.A.T., M.Ed., M.S., M.S.E. | Education | LIGHT BLUE |
M.A. | History | WHITE |
M.A. | Organizational Leadership | WHITE |
M.Arch. | Architecture | BLUE-VIOLET |
M.B.A. | Business | KHAKI |
M.S. | Applied Dietetics Practice | KELLY GREEN |
M.S. | Education-Clinical Mental Health Counseling | LIGHT BLUE |
M.S. | Education-Professional School Counseling | LIGHT BLUE |
M.S. | Education-Student Affairs | LIGHT BLUE |
M.S. | Cardiac Function & Interventional Technology | KELLY GREEN |
M.S. | Kinesiology & Sport Administration | SAGE GREEN |
M.S. | Speech-Language Pathology | SILVER |
M.S. | Strength & Conditioning | SAGE GREEN |
M.S.I.S. | Business | KHAKI |
M.S.M.F.C. | Marriage & Family Counseling | LIGHT BLUE |
M.S.N. | Nursing | APRICOT |
M.S.P.A.S | Physician Assistant | KELLY GREEN |
PHARM.D. | Pharmacy | OLIVE GREEN |
What do the different colored honor cords represent?
Organization | Colors | Pick-up Location |
Alpha Chi National Academic Honor Society |
GREEN/BLUE | Sears Honors House |
Alpha Psi Omega Theatre |
GOLD/BLUE | Reynolds C101 |
American Studies Institute | RED/WHITE/BLUE | Heritage 211 |
Armed Services | RED/WHITE/BLUE | submit request to veterans@harding.edu |
Chi Sigma Iota Counseling |
BLUE/WHITE | order from www.csi-net.org |
Delta Mu Delta Business |
PURPLE/GOLD | Mabee 100 |
Honors College Graduates | WHITE/GOLD/BLACK | Sears Honors House |
Kappa Delta Pi Education |
PURPLE | Thornton Education Center 130 |
Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathemetics |
PINK/GRAY | Pryor-England 100-D |
National Student Nurses' Association Leadership University Honor Society | LIGHT BLUE/ BROWN/GOLD | Swaid 106 |
Nu Delta Chapter of Kappa Omicron Nu Family & Consumer Sciences |
MAUVE/IVORY | Hendrix 210 |
Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society |
LIGHT BLUE/BLACK | Heritage 211 |
Phi Alpha Theta History |
RED/LIGHT BLUE | Holland-Waller 101 |
Phi Sigma Iota Foreign Language |
PURPLE/WHITE | order in Holland-Waller 102 |
Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science |
RED/WHITE/BLACK | Holland-Waller 101 |
Psi Chi Psychology |
DARK BLUE/ PLATINUM | order from www.psichi.org/ |
Sigma Nu Tau Business/Entrepreneurship |
GREEN/GOLD | Mabee 202 |
Sigma Tau Delta English |
RED/BLACK | American Studies 300 |
Sigma Theta Tau Nursing |
PURPLE/WHITE | order from www.nursingsociety.org |
Student-Athlete Honor Roll | BLACK/WHITE/OLD GOLD | Ganus Activities Complex main office |
There are no honor cords for cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude. These honors are designated in the program, on the diploma and on the transcript.
How do I access my electronic diploma?
Harding uses an external vendor, Parchment, to provide access to your electronic diploma. Within two weeks of the awarding of your degree, you will receive an email from Parchment containing a link for viewing, downloading, and/or printing your electronic diploma. Receipt of this electronic diploma is the confirmation that your degree has been awarded. Your paper diploma will arrive a few weeks after the electronic version.
What size will my paper diploma be?
For students who are awarded a Bachelor's or Master's degree, the paper diploma size is 8.5" x 11".
For those who are awarded a Doctoral degree, the paper diploma size is 11" x 14".
Contact Us
Fax: 501-279-4388
Location: Administration 106
Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Mailing address:
Harding University
Registrar's Office
HU 10766
Searcy, AR 72149-5615