Commencement Ceremony Information

Saturday, September 28, 2024 at 4:00pm at our Costa Mesa campus.

The Commencement ceremony will be held in our Costa Mesa campus at 3333 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA

No there is no rehearsal this year.

You should arrive by no later than 1:00 PM.

You will need your purchased Cap and Gown. We will NOT have any available for purchase onsite.

Yes, you will need your Cap and Gown in order to walk across the stage.

You can order your Cap and Gown from Jostens . Click here

Note: Order your cap & gown prior to the deadline listed below:

(Master/Doctor) cap/gown/tassel/hood online order deadline:  8/22/24

(Bachelor) standard cap/gown/tassel online deadline:  9/5/24

**orders placed after online deadline are not guaranteed to arrive before graduation**

There is plenty of free parking on our Costa Mesa campus. Upon arrival, you may park in the designated parking lot area on the left side of the building. Signs will be posted. For directions, click here. Make sure you turn into Law Court, see photo here

You will not be limited to the number of guests you invite. Attendees will not need tickets. Please confirm how many guests will attend on your Graduation form.

Yes, we provide accommodations for guests with special needs, however student.services@Sofia.edu needs to be contacted in advance.

Guests may arrive starting at 3:00pm. 

The closest airport to the Sofia University Costa Mesa campus is 11 miles away: John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) https://www.ocair.com/.

Other options include Long Beach Airport (LGB) https://www.longbeach.gov/lgb/ and Los Angeles Airport (LAX) https://www.flylax.com/

Online sites for motel/hotel reservations generally have the best deals. There are many hotel & some Airbnb options in the Costa Mesa campus area.  You will need to make room reservations on your own. Suggested hotel: Crowne Plaza. 

Note: The University has made arrangements for a block of discounted rooms ($164) at a nearby hotel, the Crowne Plaza which is only 10 minutes from Campus. There are few discounted rooms available through Thursday, September 5th on a first-come-first-served basis. You may need to adjust the dates for your stay. For the discounted rate, make sure to click on the link here.

The hotel will include a breakfast (2 breakfasts included with a 2 Queen bedroom) and a $12 discounted daily parking rate at the Crowne Plaza. See link

Hotel to Campus: 3.1 miles (7-8 minutes). 

Airport to Hotel: 3 miles (5-10 minutes, without traffic)

This year’s Commencement venue will be held outside at our Costa Mesa campus. Please check the weather and dress accordingly. If the weather becomes extreme, we will have a viewing room that will be live streaming in room 14.

It may get warm during the ceremony so wearing something cool under your cap and gown is suggested.

Yes you may wear flowers with your cap and gown.

If you purchased (not rented) your cap you may decorate it.

If you purchased (not rented) your cap and gown it is yours to keep.

For the Procession, you will line up by degree level, then program. Staff will be there to assist. For example: Bachelors, then Master’s (Global, Residential, Counseling, Computer Science, MBA).

You will be given a card to write down your name with phonetic pronunciation.

On Commencement Day you will receive a diploma cover with a place holder.

You should receive your diploma 4-6 weeks after your last day of class. It will be mailed to the address provided on your Graduation application form. Please note that your Graduation application will not be processed until your student account balance is paid in full. Further questions should be directed to registrar@sofia.edu

While we are celebrating our achievements during this event, we should always remain professional during the Commencement and while at the venue.

You are asked to participate in the entire Commencement ceremony. We ask that you return to your seat after you cross the stage. The conferral of the degrees will be done after all have walked across the stage.

Yes there will be photos taken before, during, and after the Commencement ceremony by a professional photographer. Afterwards the photographer will send a link out for purchasing the photos.

A small reception will be held immediately after the ceremony.