Where's My Graduate

How to find your graduate

Hundreds of candidates for graduation will start the Commencement ceremony with the Processional, marching together with the President's Cabinet, Board of Trustees, the Alumni of Merit Award winners, College leadership, the County Executive and special guests. This Processional march is deeply rooted in academic tradition and history, and serves to remind us of the importance of graduates’ achievements.

It can be a challenge to look for a specific graduate within this large group of people, but you can narrow down the search by looking for the tassel identifying your student’s Academic School and major. Tassels are the colored fabric ornaments hanging from each student’s cap. Following academic tradition, they are color-coded by area of study.

Below is a quick reference guide to the academic tassel colors to help you during the Processional.

Academic Schools

MVCC’s 90 degree and certificate programs are offered within one of six Academic Schools, which will proceed into the ceremony in this order:

  • School of Art 
  • School of Business and Hospitality
  • School of Health Sciences
  • School of Humanities
  • School of Public and Human Services
  • School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Tassel Colors

Each graduate’s tassel denotes her or his major—note that some colors are used in more than one Academic School:

  • Apricot: Nursing
  • Brown: Fine Art
  • Drab: Graphic arts, Business, or Information Technology
  • Orange: Engineering Technologies and Trades
  • Sage: Physical Education
  • White: Humanities, Independent Study, Human Services, Psychology, or Education
  • Yellow: Math, Science, Health Services (Non-Nursing), Hospitality, Criminal Justice, or Social Sciences

For example, if you’re trying to find a Nursing graduate, look among the group of students wearing apricot tassels; for a criminal justice major, look behind the School of Public and Human Services, look among the students with yellow tassels; and so on.

For more, see the information about academic regalia and the lists of majors by Academic School found within the Commencement program.