Commencement

Please check back soon for video footage from Commencement 2012 at DAR Constitution Hall with speaker João Silva.

Commencement 2011

Click here to see all of the photos from the 2011 Commencement Ceremony.

Mandatory Commencement Rehearsal

Tuesday, May 15, 2012, North Atrium

1:30–3 p.m.

Students should report to White Walls by 1:30 p.m. to line up for the procession. Students do not need to wear their caps and gowns to the rehearsal.

2012 Commencement Ceremony and Reception

Saturday, May 19, 2012, DAR Constitution Hall

4:30 p.m.

Students should arrive at the north side entrance of DAR Constitution Hall on D Street at 3:30 p.m.to line up for the procession.

DAR Constitution Hall

1776 D Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

Guests may enter on Eighteenth Street NW

Doors open at 3:30 p.m. (guests will not be allowed entrance to the hall before 3:30 p.m.)

A reception for students, faculty, family and friends will immediately follow the ceremony at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

General Information

Graduation Requirements for Undergraduate Students

For a degree to be conferred, students must be actively enrolled at the Corcoran with good academic and financial standing during their final semester of their degree programs. All coursework must be completed, even if the coursework is not applicable to a given degree. Undergraduate students with six credits or less needed to fulfill their degree requirements can petition their chair or program director and the provost for participation in the annual commencement ceremony in May. Students will not receive their diploma until all degree requirements are met. Students fulfilling degree requirements in August or December will receive diplomas the following June.

Graduation application forms are available online on the Student Forms page and in the Office of the Registrar and must be submitted prior to the start of their final semester of enrollment, e.g. in the Fall semester for Spring graduation. Forms should indicate the term in which the student anticipates completion of all academic requirements. A graduation fee of $150 is required. The application and fee will be valid for one year (three semesters, including Summer). If academic requirements are not met within the allotted time, a graduation application must be resubmitted with fee.

Please see the Student Handbook for a complete listing of graduation requirements.

Graduation Requirements for Graduate Students

For a degree to be conferred, students must be enrolled at the Corcoran during his or her final semester of his or her degree program with good academic and financial standing. All coursework must be completed, even if the coursework is not being applied to the degree. Graduate students who need six credits or less to fulfill their degree requirements may petition their chair or program director and the provost to participate in the annual Commencement ceremony in May. Students will not receive their diploma until all degree requirements are met. In addition, official academic transcripts and diplomas will not be released until all outstanding bills and charges are paid in full. Students with due balances can petition to walk at graduation, pending the provost’s approval. Students fulfilling degree requirements in August or December will receive diplomas the following June.

Finally, all students completing a thesis must provide an electronic copy to the College Library and must submit the thesis to UMI Dissertation Publishing via the Library’s website, www.corcoran.edu/library.

Graduation application forms are available online on the Student Forms page and in the Office of the Registrar, and must be submitted prior to the start of a student’s final semester of enrollment, i.e. in the Fall semester for a Spring graduation. Forms should indicate the term in which the student anticipates completion of all academic requirements. A graduation fee of $195 is required. The application and fee will be valid for one year (three semesters, including Summer). If academic requirements are not met within the allotted time, a graduation application must be resubmitted with fee.

Please see the Student Handbook for additional graduation requirements for graduate students.

Graduation Invitations

Each student will be given fifteen (15) Corcoran College of Art + Design commencement invitations. Students may request up to five (5) additional invitations. Invitations will be available for pick-up at the Office of Student Affairs six weeks prior to the ceremony. Invitations are intended to be announcements not tickets. Invitations are NOT necessary for admittance into the Commencement Ceremony.

Caps and Gowns

All students who plan to participate in the commencement ceremony at DAR Constitution Hall are required to wear a cap and gown. Caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels will be ordered for all students who submit their measurements to the Office of Student Affairs by March 1, 2012. If you plan to participate in the ceremony but have not been measured for a cap and gown, please see Stephanie Sarvana (ssarvana@corcoran.org) in the Office of Student Affairs. Caps and gowns will be available for pick-up at the Office of Student Affairs two weeks prior to commencement.

Access for Guests with Disabilities

DAR Constitution Hall access for persons with disabilities is through the entrance doors on D Street. The ramp on D Street may be accessed by vehicles for dropping off patrons with disabilities. Please ask the ticket-taker or security officer at the entrance for assistance if needed. There is no parking on the D Street drive.

Parking

Metered street parking is available in the area around the Corcoran and DAR Constitution Hall. Guests may also take the Metro to either the Farragut West (Orange and Blue lines) or Farragut North (Red line) and walk south on Eighteenth or Seventeenth Streets to D Street.

Photography

For your convenience, the Corcoran College of Art + Design has arranged for Grad Images to provide a professional photographer to record the moment each student is awarded their diploma. Students will receive a passport-sized, full-color proof in the mail approximately one week after the ceremony. There is no obligation to purchase, and you will have the option of ordering several enlargement packages at very reasonable prices. This procedure enables each student to have a photograph of his or her graduation. Still photography by guests will not be permitted. Family members and friends are encouraged to remain in their seats and enjoy the ceremony.

Hotel Accommodations

The following hotels are located near the Corcoran College of Art + Design:
One Washington Circle Hotel
One Washington Circle, N.W.
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 872-1680; (800) 424-9671
http://www.thecirclehotel.com

Melrose Hotel
2430 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 955-6400
http://www.melrosehoteldc.com

JW Marriott Hotel Pennsylvania Avenue
1331 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-2000
jwmarriottdc.com‎

Hotel Madera
1310 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036-1502
(202) 296-7600
http://www.hotelmadera.com/

Hotel Helix
1430 Rhode Island Ave NW
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 462-9001
http://www.hotelhelix.com