Graduation

2010 CSU Graduation Ceremony

Registration is now open for the 2010 CSU Graduation Ceremony. Scheduled for October 15th at The Wharf Conference Center in Orange Beach Alabama, the day will kick off at 8 a.m. with the Annual Alumni Association Meeting. The deadline to register for this year’s graduation ceremony is September 17, 2010. 

The Wharf is the Gulf Coast's premier destination resort and marina featuring luxury waterfront condominiums, superior resort amenities including The Golf Club of The Wharf which features 18-Championship holes, club house and pro-shop; The Oasis pools with a lazy river, zero-entry wave pool, and hammocks; and the best selection of shopping, dining and entertainment on the island with over 15 restaurants, unique boutiques and stores, live music every weekend and The Wharf's 10,000-seat Amphitheater!

Registered graduates are also invited to participate in other activities including an open house and graduation reception. More details about these graduation events will soon be available.

View a list of hotels for graduation

Ceremony Registration

Graduates must submit a $110 ceremony fee along with the commencement registration form to participate. Friends and family are also welcome to attend the graduation ceremony. Students may bring up to five guests. Each additional guest will have an additional cost of $10 each. We ask that you provide CSU with the number that will be attending so that sufficient seating will be made available.

For registration assistance please contact:
graduation-registration@columbiasouthern.edu

Graduation Requirements

A 2.00 GPA is required for undergraduate students, and a 3.00 GPA is required for graduate students to be eligible for graduation. A minimum of 15 credit hours or five courses must be completed through CSU to be eligible to graduate from an associate program. A minimum of 30 credit hours, or 10 courses, must be completed with CSU to be eligible to graduate from a bachelor program. Master degree program students must complete at least 50 percent of the courses that comprise the program, 18 credit hours or six courses. No grade below a "C" is acceptable for credit toward a graduate degree. The graduate course in which a grade below a "C" is received must be repeated at CSU.

Students must complete all graduation requirements in order to participate in the CSU Graduation Ceremony with the exception of students within the last six semester hours of their program. Students lacking six or fewer semester hours are required to comply with the following criteria in order to participate:

• Students must have submitted a Petition to Graduate and have received audit results.
• Students must have submitted their enrollment registrations for any remaining course(s) required for program completion at the time of graduation registration.

Students who participate in the graduation ceremony short six or fewer semester hours are not eligible to be designated as graduating with honors or high honors.

Regalia Orders

After registering for graduation by submitting the graduation registration form located in the CSU student portal, you will receive instructions for ordering your regalia.

Regalia Fees

• Associates $32.45 - Cap, Gown, Tassel – (includes shipping directly to student)
• Bachelor's $32.45 - Cap, Gown, Tassel – (includes shipping directly to student)
• Bachelor's with Honors - $38.75 - Cap, Gown, Tassel – (includes shipping directly to student)
• Master's $53.25 - Cap, Gown, Tassel, Hood – (includes shipping directly to student)

Orders for CSU international students will be shipped directly to Columbia Southern University. You will be able to pick up your cap and gown on Monday, October 11th through Thursday, October 14th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. If you need to make special arrangements for picking up your regalia, please send your assistance request to graduation-registration@columbiasouthern.edu.

Graduating with Honors

Those students who qualify for honors will be given the option to purchase a cord to wear with their regalia. For a student enrolled in the bachelor's degree program to graduate with honors, they must earn the following grade point average.

You must indicate on the online order form if you plan to graduate with honors.
Honors are based upon coursework completed at CSU.  Honor graduates must have no grades lower than "C", and must not have repeated any course at CSU.

Stay Connected to Your Alma Mater!

As a CSU graduate, you will gain automatic FREE access to our Alumni Association to stay connected with your alma mater. Alumni Association benefits include:

• A social networking site, the CSU Click, exclusively for CSU alumni
• A subscription to our quarterly student/alumni newsletter, the CSU Communicator.
• Notice of any social or career networking events.
• Discounts from companies such as Avis and Liberty Mutual.
• Opportunities to make contact with more than 10,000 other CSU alumni.
• Access to the CSU online library.

Please visit the CSU Alumni section of our website for more details.