You will be required to register to watch the Ceremony.
Welcome to the commencement website for the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), and congratulations to the Class of 2023!
USC's Commencement consists of one main ceremony for all degree candidates and their guests, followed by smaller ceremonies for each academic school throughout the day. The main ceremony includes the formal conferring of degrees that marks the moment when members of the current graduating class officially become USC alumni.
The SCA Commencement Ceremony is an opportunity for graduates to celebrate as a cohort, hear remarks from distinguished guest speakers, and walk across the stage to receive their diploma and congratulations at the Shrine Auditorium.
There is no registration required for students to march in the USC Ceremony, but it is required for the SCA Ceremony.
Graduating students must register online for the SCA Ceremony in March 2023. Details about registration will be sent to all eligible graduating students.
2023 USC Main Commencement Ceremony
Friday, May 12, 2023
Alumni Memorial Park
8:30 AM Processional
9:00 AM Ceremony
For more info see: https://commencement.usc.edu
Checklist for Graduates: https://commencement.usc.edu/graduates/
2023 USC School of Cinematic Arts Commencement Ceremony
Friday, May 12, 2023
Shrine Auditorium, 665 West Jefferson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007
2:30 PM Ceremony
GUEST SPEAKERS
Commencement Speaker: Ron Howard and Brian Grazer. Partners. Imagine Entertainment
Mary Pickford Alumni Award Recipient: Tracy Oliver. Alum and trailblazing creator of Girls Trip
GRADUATE LINE-UP
Graduates enter the Shrine Auditorium and line up at 1:30 PM at the Expo Hall entrance on 32nd Street. Please be on time! Bring
your cap and gown with you.
Backpacks, air horns, and balloons are not permitted inside the Shrine Auditorium. These items will be confiscated at the door.
GUESTS
Guests enter the Shrine Auditorium through the main entrance on Royal Street. Doors open at 1:30 PM. Guests must have a ticket to
enter. Please HOLD ON TO YOUR TICKET for entry to the SCA Reception. Children under 2 years old and graduates do not need tickets.
As is standard with events in large venues, all guests must pass through a metal detector to enter the Shrine Auditorium. The following items are prohibited: backpacks, air horns, and balloons. These items will be confiscated at the door.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
Currently, there are no restrictions or limitations for visitors coming to campus or the Shrine Auditorium.
All COVID policies are subject to change.
All attendees must conduct a self-health screening prior to attending this event. If they have any symptoms or are currently in their isolation/quarantine period due to a recent infection or exposure, they may not attend.
While masks are not required for this event, we ask that attendees, vaccinated or unvaccinated, consider wearing them for their own protection and the protection of others.
Please note that protocols are subject to change. Information on protocol updates will be communicated by email or other appropriate mechanism.
CAP & GOWN RENTAL
Rental of regalia is available through the USC Bookstore.
Click here for more details.
Return your gown and hood after the SCA Ceremony at the drop location outside the Shrine Auditorium (on Royal Street) or at the Bookstore on May 12, 2023.
COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM
The Commencement Program lists every graduate's name who is
eligible to graduate in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, or Summer 2023 provided they verified their information with Degree Progress prior
to printing. It is the program for USC's main ceremony which begins at 9:00 AM on May 12, 2023. These programs will only be
available at USC's Main Commencement Ceremony (at information booths on campus), and NOT at the SCA Ceremony.
DVDs
DVD recordings of the SCA ceremony will not be available.
GRAD PHOTOS
GradImages will be photographing all graduates at the SCA Ceremony as each one crosses the stage. GradImages will email
complimentary proofs to graduates within 24 hours after the ceremony, provided they completed a Commencement reader card before
the ceremony. Everyone's photo will be taken. No obligation to purchase.
Visit www.gradimages.com for more information or to pre-register online.
HONOR CORDS
Honor cords are provided by the SCA and will be available for pick up in your Division office Monday, April 24 - Thursday, May 11,
2023. Honor cords may be worn by undergraduates who have earned a minimum 3.5 university GPA by the end of the Fall 2022 semester.
Note: Eligibility to wear honor cords is not an indication that academic honors (cum laude, etc.) will be designated on your
diploma/academic record since these honors will be awarded after final grades are determined after Commencement.
MISCELLANEOUS
No backpacks, air horns, or balloons are allowed inside the Shrine Auditorium.
PARKING
Parking in any USC parking structure is free on
Commencement day. The closest structures in which to park near the Shrine Auditorium are the USC Shrine Structure (directly behind
the Shrine) and the Royal Street Parking Structure (formerly PS-D) on West Jefferson Boulevard at Royal Street. Parking is extremely
limited on campus, and due to the large crowd expected at Commencement, parking facilities will fill up early. Please
arrive early to obtain parking.
RECEPTION
The SCA Commencement Reception immediately follows the SCA Ceremony and is held at the School of Cinematic Arts at 4:30 -
6:00 PM. Tickets are required. One ticket admits a guest to both the SCA Ceremony and the Reception. Graduates and
children under 2 years old do not need tickets to enter either event.
SPECIAL NEEDS / WHEELCHAIR ACCESS
A Special Needs entrance on Royal Street at the corner of Jefferson Boulevard will open at 1:30 PM at the Shrine
Auditorium. Any guests in wheelchairs should enter at this location. Only one other person may enter with the special needs guest
at this entrance and sit with that guest in the wheelchair seating area.
If a guest requires a Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter for the ceremony, graduates can request that when registering for ceremony tickets on SCA Community. These guests may enter at the Special Needs door. Only one other person may enter with the special needs guest at this entrance and sit with that guest in the sign language interpreting area.
STROLLERS
Please check in all strollers at the Special Needs entrance of the Shrine Auditorium on Royal Street at the corner of Jefferson
Boulevard. No strollers are allowed in the theatre seating area.
TICKETS
Tickets are required for entry to BOTH the SCA Ceremony and the SCA Reception. One ticket admits a guest to both events. Children
under 2 years old and graduates do not need tickets to enter either event. Limit of 8 tickets per graduate. If additional tickets
are desired for guests, students should see a staff member in their Division office during the SCA Commencement registration period.
Students can register online and order SCA Ceremony tickets from March 1 - 31, 2023 at https://scacommunity.usc.edu/. Click on Commencement Registration and complete the online form.
Tickets will be available for pick up in the Division offices Monday, April 24 - Thursday, May 11, 2023. Lost tickets cannot be replaced.
Any questions can be directed to your SCA Division office staff/advisor.
DIVISION OFFICES
Division of Cinema & Media Studies
mediastudies@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3334
SCA 320
Division of Media Arts + Practice
map@cinema.usc.edu
213.821.5700
SCI 101
Film & Television Production Division
productionoffice@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3317
SCA 434
Interactive Media & Games Division
usc_interactive@cinema.usc.edu
213.821.4472
SCI 201
John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts
animation@cinema.usc.edu
213.821.4396
SCB 210
John Wells Division of Writing for Screen & Television
jtischler@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3303
SCA 335
Peter Stark Producing Program
pstark@cinema.usc.edu
213.740.3304
SCA 366