Commencement

Commencement Information

PSC grants certificates and the following six associate's degrees:

Associate in Arts (A.A.)
Associate in Science (A.S.)
Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.)
Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.; career and technical degree)
Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.; not intended for career program or a bachelor's degree)

Specific curriculum requirements for a particular degree or certificate program are found in the catalog under DEGREES, CERTIFICATES, COURSES in section 2. Consult that section of the catalog and the index for detailed information.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a degree or certificate, you must complete the academic requirements shown in the catalog for the year in which you entered Prairie State College. If the degree or certificate requirements are changed during your attendance, you may elect to satisfy either the new requirement or the ones in force when you enrolled. If you withdraw from Prairie State College for either a fall or spring semester, you must satisfy requirements in force at the time you re-enroll.

Students planning to receive a degree and/or certificate at PSC must request an official evaluation of their credits in the Office of Enrollment Services by completing the "Transcript Evaluation Request Form" at least one or two semesters prior to degree and/or certificate completion in order to ensure correct course selections.

Graduation Petition

When submitting a graduation petition, you will be asked to identify the year of the catalog from which you are graduating. Any modifications of graduation requirements must be approved by the department. A course substitution form must be completed with the program coordinator. The dean of the department also will review the document. If approved, the course substitution form will be submitted to the Office of Enrollment Services.

Students must submit a graduation petition to the Enrollment Services Office by the following deadlines to be eligible for graduation:

October 1 for December graduation
March 1 for May graduation or August graduates participating in May ceremony
July 1 for August graduation

December, May and August candidates may choose to participate in the annual May Commencement ceremony (see Commencement Ceremony).

Graduation Petition Form

Graduation Petition Instructions:

Obtain the Graduation Petition form in the Enrollment Services Office
Complete the form, carefully printing your full name as you want it to appear on your diploma
Pay the appropriate fee in the Business Office (staff member in Business Office must sign the bottom of the form)

Graduation fee is $20 per degree and/or certificate. Petitions received after the posted deadlines are charged an additional $20.
After payment, return form to Enrollment Services Office. The staff will sign the form and give you a copy of the petition.
In approximately 2 to 3 weeks, you will receive an eligibility notice in the mail, along with additional information regarding the awarding of your degree and/or certificate.

Commencement Ceremony

The 2023 Commencement Ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, at the Victory Apostolic Church at 20801 Matteson Ave, Matteson, IL 60443. Tickets are limited. A live stream of the ceremony will be available. Be on the lookout for more information.

If you have any questions about the graduation ceremony, please contact Helen Manley at hmanley@prairiestate.edu.

No food or drink is allowed in the smoke-free premises; no balloons, flowers, glitter, or confetti will be permitted in the building.

Representatives from the PSC Alumni Group will be on site to welcome you to the Alumni Family!

If you have any questions about graduation or the ceremony, please contact Helen Manley at hmanley@prairiestate.edu.

Transcripts and Diplomas

Confirmation of the earned degree or certificate will appear the week of May 17 on the official PSC transcript. Students can order their transcripts at any time, and request 'Hold for Degree to Post'. Once posted, the transcript will be sent out. Visit prairiestate.edu, and click Order Transcripts on the right side of the page to order your transcripts. Diplomas will be mailed to student homes in early to mid-July .

Important Commencement Information

Special Recognition:
Graduating members of the college's academic honor societies may purchase regalia items as mementos of their achievement. Students with questions about ordering academic honor society regalia items can reach out to their faculty advisor. Honors stoles, cords, and tassels that are not provided by the college generally need to be purchased through the online store for their honor society.

Prospective and current Phi Theta Kappa members should complete the following:

accept your membership and pay the $80 one-time membership fee
order your graduation regalia no later than the last week of April at https://portal.ptk.org/Store.aspx to ensure delivery before commencement.

Contact Michael Massengill, Phi Theta Kappa Faculty Advisor, at mmassengill@prairiestate.edu for Phi Theta Kappa-related questions.

Student veterans and those currently serving can contact MSgt (Ret.) Georges Sanon, Coordinator of Military Student Affairs, at gsanon@prairiestate.edu for military stoles and honor cords.

Alpha Beta Gamma (Business)

Prof. Colleen Ivancic, civancic@prairiestate.edu

National Technical Honor Society

Prof. Georgia Karras, gkarras@prairiestate.edu

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Prof. Michael Massengill, mmassengill@prairiestate.edu

Psi Beta (Psychology)

Prof. Cynthia Cornejo, ccornejo2@prairiestate.edu

If the graduate or guest has special needs, contact Helen Manley at hmanley@prairiestate.edu or (708) 709-3910.

For more information regarding commencement, please contact Helen Manley at hmanley@prairiestate.edu or (708) 709-3910.

Tickets

The 2023 Commencement Ceremony will take place on May 18, 2024. Each graduate candidate will receive four tickets, children under two years of age will be permitted without a ticket. The ceremony will be live streamed for those to view, who do not have a ticket.

Graduation Honors

There are three categories of graduation honors: Cum Laude (3.30-3.64 GPA); Magna Cum Laude (3.65-3.84 GPA); and Summa Cum Laude (3.85-4.0 GPA). Certificate students are not eligible for graduation honors.

The earned GPA is used to determine the recognition of honors at the ceremony. [Please note, any courses in progress during the spring term will not be used to determine honors eligibility for the ceremony.] The official designation of honors will be applied to the student’s transcript once all grades have been received for the semester in which the degree is conferred.

For more information or clarification about the Commencement Ceremony or the above graduation honors, please contact Helen Manley (708) 709-3910, or stop by the Student Leadership center, room 1260.

Home

Student Life

Commencement

Commencement

Commencement Information

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Petition

Graduation Petition Instructions:

Commencement Ceremony

Transcripts and Diplomas

Important Commencement Information

Tickets

Graduation Honors