1. Home
  2. Colleges
  3. College of Nursing
  4. Students
  5. Ceremonies

Ceremonies

Nursing Students looking up

 

The College of Nursing recognizes the accomplishments of our nursing students and candidates for graduation through the following events. These events provide an opportunity to celebrate with friends, family, and College of Nursing faculty, staff, and administration.

BSN White Coat Ceremony 

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing White Coat Ceremony recognizes BSN students' transition into the clinical experience of the professional degree. Traditional, Accelerated, and LPN-BSN pathway students are recognized each semester. Information regarding each ceremony and the number of available guest tickets are provided to students upon completion of all first semester courses. Student registration is required. Ceremony information will be provided to students via their JagMail accounts. 

BSN Commitment to Caring Ceremony

The BSN Commitment to Caring Ceremony symbolizes BSN students' transition from the role of student to professional nurse. The ceremony recognizes BSN candidates' commitment to care for others with compassion and to serve as a leader within the nursing profession as they prepare to advance into their careers. Beginning Fall 2025, Traditional, Accelerated, LPN-BSN, and RN-BSN pathway students will be recognized each semester. Information regarding each ceremony and the number of available guest tickets will be provided to students during the semester. Student registration will be required. Ceremony information will be provided to students via their JagMail accounts. 

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Hooding Ceremony

The USA College of Nursing DNP Hooding Ceremony is a separate, special recognition ceremony hosted by the College to exclusively honor DNP candidates for graduation. During this specially-ticketed event, DNP candidates for graduation will receive their doctoral hood from a College of Nursing faculty member. The event is a smaller, more intimate ceremony but is not the official graduation ceremony; degrees are not conferred at the DNP Hooding Ceremony, but instead at University Commencement.  University-approved Academic regalia (cap and gown) is required. Candidates are not allowed to participate without the approved regalia.

Fall 2025 DNP Hooding Ceremony

Date:                    Thursday, December 11, 2025 

Time:                    1:00 p.m. Central Time

Campus Location: Student Center Ballroom

                            350 Alumni Dr, Mobile, AL 36608

DNP Candidates Students who plan to participate in the Fall 2025 ceremony should RSVP by completing the DNP Hooding Ceremony Participation Form. 

Guest Tickets:  DNP candidates for graduation will be given a limited number of guest tickets, depending on seat availability. Requests for guest tickets must be noted on the participation form to ensure seating.

THE DNP HOODING CEREMONY PROGRAM IS NOT AN OFFICIAL GRADUATION LIST. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy in the program, printing deadlines may result in omission of some names and include the names of persons not completing graduation requirements as expected. Therefore, the DNP Hooding Ceremony program should not be used to determine a student’s academic or degree status. The Office of the Registrar maintains the university’s official registry for conferral of degrees and the student’s permanent academic record.

University Commencement

The USA Commencement ceremony is hosted by the Registrar to recognize not only College of Nursing graduates, but graduates from other USA colleges, as well. Conferral of degrees will take place during University Commencement. Degree recipients will be recognized individually and walk the stage to receive a diploma cover.  Post-graduate certificate recipients are not recognized at the University Commencement Ceremony because they already hold a degree. For more information regarding Commencement, please visit the Registrar’s graduation website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recognition Event Information

The location of the recognition events are secured each semester and are subject to change. Candidates for graduation will be provided information on the date of the event through their JagMail account. 
The time of each recognition event is determined prior to each event and is based on the venue selected and other university activities. Graduates will be notified of the event start time through their JagMail account.
College recognition events often last approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours. University Commencement usually lasts approximately 2-3 hours.
Registration for graduates will begin two (2) hours prior to the start of the event. The location of ceremony registration/check-in will be provided to candidates for graduation through their JagMail account. Guests are not allowed in the registration/check-in area.
Unfortunately, we will not have the capability to live stream college recognition events.
Yes. DNP Hooding Ceremony Participants are required to wear USA academic regalia over business casual or dress clothes. Comfortable shoes are recommended. If you have not already placed a regalia order, please call the USA Bookstore at 251-460-7012 or email am8260@bncollege.com. For questions regarding your order, you may also visit Graduate Supply's website at www.gradsupply.com/usa for more information. There is a "Contact Us" button at the bottom of the home page, as well as contact information at the bottom of the website’s “Frequently Asked Questions” page. BSN White Coat Ceremony Participants are required to wear the approved USA College of Nursing clinical uniform.  The white coat should be clean and pressed.
Yes. GradImages will take a picture of you as you cross the stage, as well as in front of a backdrop after you exit the stage. Photographs of DNP candidates being hooded will also be taken. GradImages will contact you after the ceremony with information about how to view your proofs and purchase your photos. 
Yes. Every participant will walk across a stage to be recognized by the dean of the college.
Yes. Participants with physical limitations will be directed to areas accommodating access to the stage for persons with walkers or wheelchairs and for others who may not be able to ascend/descend stairs. 

Yes. DNP candidates will be hooded on stage during the DNP Hooding ceremony. See information below regarding hooding and procession with the hood over one arm.

DNP Candidates: Please follow this to view a short video with instructions for the hooding process.

If you have any issues with the link, try to copy and paste the link into a different browser as the video format may not be compatible with some browsers. 

DNP candidates may also like to view the hooding process from a previous recognition event as a demonstration. This is a link to the Fall 2022 ceremony. DNP recognitions begin at approximately the 1:43:00 mark in the video.

Parking

Participants will be provided parking information reflective of the venue selected. Parking information for participants and guests will be provided by the College through students' JagMail account. Handicap parking will be available.

Event Registration/Check-In

Registration will begin prior to the start of the event. The location will be provided to participants through their JagMail account. Participants who arrive late will be placed at the end of the recognition processional.

Registration allows the college to anticipate the number of participants to expect for the ceremony, ensuring the venue is large enough to hold all participants and their guests. 

Check-in confirms the participant is participating in the ceremony. At check-in, participants will go directly to the registration table to receive a card with their name and line-up number. This card will be carried during the processional and presented to the reader for the participant's name to be announced during the ceremony. Do not misplace this card. Participants who arrive late will be placed at the end of the recognition processional. 

Readers are volunteers who may not have experience pronouncing participants' names prior to the ceremony. Participants are encouraged to add phonetic spelling to the card to assist the reader in pronouncing their names correctly.

Information for Guests

Depending on the venue selected for the ceremony, participants will be notified of guest limits, as applicable.
The doors to the venue will open one hour prior to the start of the recognition event. Guests will not be able to enter the venue prior to this time.

Yes. Handicap parking will be available and clearly marked at the venue. The venue will have wheelchair accessibility. Once inside the venue, ushers will direct guests to handicap accessible seating areas. 

Venue staff and student volunteers will be available to direct guests to available seating areas. Guests will not be allowed in the participant registration/check-in area. No strollers, balloons, signs, confetti, silly string, streamer pops, air horns, laser pointers, weapons, alcohol, tobacco products, vaping, or noisemakers are allowed. 

Guest Behavior: To ensure all guests are able to hear and see the recognition of their participant, guests are asked to be courteous to all by not making excessive noise when their participant's name is called. 

Personal Belongings

Please leave all personal items in a secure location or with your guests. The College of Nursing faculty and staff cannot be responsible for participants'’ personal belongings. Unattended personal items should not be left in the venue (check-in or recognition areas).

Information about the Mobile Area

 

Location/Contact Information

Our mailing address is (for US postal delivery):
University of South Alabama
College of Nursing
5721 USA Drive N. Room 3068
Mobile, AL 36688-0002

Telephone: (251) 445-9400