Current Students

In order to be invited to attend a Judy Genshaft Honors College graduation ceremony, you must first be approved to graduate with Honors distinction and have applied for graduation with USF by the appointed deadline for your graduating semester.

• Complete the following Honors College forms:
  • Academic Completion Form: List all IDH courses taken. You may turn this in once registered for your final needed IDH course. 
  • (For students entered Spring 2022 or earlier) 1 Community Service Form and 2 Global Experience Forms. 
  • (For students entered Summer 2022 or later) 2 Experiential Learning Forms.
• Maintain Overall and USF GPAs in good standing with Honors Policies (3.25 or higher), even after your last semester’s final grades.
• Pass all IDH courses, even after your last semester’s final grades. 
• Apply for graduation with USF by the appointed deadline for the term.

Yes! Students can track their progress and access the necessary forms in the Judy Genshaft Honors College student portal. 

We recommend finishing all requirements/forms prior to your final semester.

Yes. Even if you do not wish to participate in the ceremony, please let our records coordinator (honors-records@usf.edu) know so we can manually adjust your record. Otherwise, you risk incorrect processing of your student status. 

Once you have fulfilled all your Honors requirements, you will receive an email inviting you to fill out an Honors graduation form. This form is required to reserve your Judy Genshaft Honors College medallion, and will include questions that allow you to RSVP for the Honors graduation ceremony. 

Please note that these emails are not sent until six weeks into the semester. If your Honors requirements are fulfilled and approved after that, please allow approximately one week to receive your email invite.

If you haven't received an invitation to fill out the form within the above timelines, please email honors-records@usf.edu to verify your Honors graduation status.

No. Though encouraged, attendance is not required. If you do not wish to attend, RSVP "no" in the Honors graduation form. This will ensure that a Judy Genshaft Honors College medallion is reserved on your behalf.

If you are attending an Honors graduation ceremony, you will receive your medallion there. If you are not attending, you will receive an email with pickup instructions in the days leading up to USF commencement. 

Yes. Prior to your ceremony, you will receive a script and slide for review. Upon reviewing, you will be asked to approve or deny both the script and the slide. If you wish to change your slide photo, deny the slide and make the requested changes using that form.

We ask that you hold your request for any changes until after receiving your draft script and slide. If any of the information mentioned in the script or on the presentation is no longer accurate, please deny the script or slide and make the requested changes using that form.

Ceremony lengths vary by semester. You can expect a ceremony to last no more than 90 minutes.

Please arrive 30 minutes earlier than your scheduled ceremony time. Be sure to budget time for parking and graduate check-in.

Honors commencement is typically held in the USF Traditions Hall, located in the Alumni Center.

The graduates will be required to sign in at the front desk by the doors, while guests may enter and find their seats. Guests will be seated in the audience chairs facing the podium, while graduates take the seats that are alongside the podium and facing the guests. Every graduate will be handed two programs. There is a limited supply, and only the graduates will be given programs. Seats for guests are first-come first-serve. Standing room is available once all seats have been taken.

There are a few wheelchair-accessible parking spots in Lot 23A. Should you need special accommodations for yourself or your guests, please contact us at honorsgraduation@usf.edu as soon as possible.

The maximum number of guests will be listed in the graduation form. If you wish to change the number of guests you listed in the RSVP form, please email honorsgraduation@usf.edu.

Please dress in business attire. Caps and gowns are not worn at these ceremonies.

The Honors College will gift you with a Judy Genshaft Honors College Medallion at the ceremony. This is a medallion earned for graduation from the Honors College. This is often confused with another medallion, which is earned for graduating with a certain GPA and is available for purchase from the USF bookstore (they also call it an Honors medallion). Any other regalia you wish to have you must purchase from the bookstore. We do not give cords, stoles, or cap and gowns.