Mississippi Public Universities - IHL News - MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES INCREASE DEGREES AWARDED DURING SPRING CEREMONIES

MISSISSIPPI PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES INCREASE DEGREES AWARDED DURING SPRING CEREMONIES

4/27/2021 - Jackson, Miss.

Mississippi Public Universities will award 12,004 bachelor's, master's, specialists and doctoral degrees during Spring Commencement Exercises. The system total for Spring 2021 represents an increase of 1,224 graduates from Spring 2020, when the total number of degrees awarded was 10,780.

"I congratulate the students who have worked so hard to earn degrees during such challenging times," said Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education. "These graduates have made a wise investment in themselves by earning a degree and this investment will pay dividends over the course of their careers and lifetimes. I would also like to congratulate the family members and university and faculty and staff that have helped them along the way."

According to the College Board's Education Pays 2019 report, published in January 2020, "individuals with higher levels of education earn more, pay more taxes, and are more likely than others to be employed:

"In 2018, the median earnings of bachelor's degree recipients with no advanced degree working full time were $24,900 higher than those of high school graduates. Bachelor's degree recipients paid an estimated $7,100 more in taxes and took home $17,800 more in after-tax income than high school graduates. (Figure 2.1)
"The typical 4-year college graduate who enrolls at age 18 and graduates in 4 years can expect to earn enough relative to a high school graduate by age 33 to compensate for being out of the labor force for 4 years and for borrowing the full tuition and fees and books and supplies without any grant aid." (Figure 2.2A)

Source: Jennifer Ma, Matea Pender and Meredith Welch, "Education Pays 2019: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society," The College Board, January 14, 2020.

2021 SPRING COMMENCEMENT SCHEDULES

Alcorn State University

Time/Date:	9:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021
Location:	Jack Spinks and Marino Casem Stadium/Dwight Fisher Field
Speaker:	Colonel Timothy "Tim" Holman, U.S. Army – MR&A, Equity & Inclusion Chief, Army Diversity

Delta State University
Graduate

Time/Date:	10:00 a.m., Friday, April 30, 2021
Location:	Walter Sillers Coliseum
Speaker:	President William LaForge, Delta State University

Undergraduate

Time/Date:	1:00 p.m., Friday, April 30, 2021
Location:	Walter Siller Coliseum
Speaker:	President William LaForge, Delta State University

Undergraduate—College of Business & Aviation and College of Education & Human Sciences

Time/Date:	3:30 p.m., Friday, April 30, 2021
Location:	Walter Siller Coliseum
Speaker:	President William LaForge, Delta State University

Jackson State University
Graduate, Class of 2021

Time/Date:	9:00 a.m., Friday, May 7, 2021
Location:	Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center
Speaker:	Dr. Erik Greene, Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools

Undergraduate, Class of 2021

Time/Date:	9:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021
Location:	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Speaker:	The Honorable Bennie Thompson, U.S. House of Representatives

Graduate and Undergraduate, Class of 2020

Time/Date:	6:00 p.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021
Location:	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Speaker:	Mr. Jordan Jefferson, Student Government Association President 2019-2020, Graduate Class of 2020

Mississippi State University
Starkville Campus
College of Arts & Sciences (Undergraduate)

Time/Date:	8:30 a.m., Thursday, April 29, 2021
Location:	Humphrey Coliseum
Speaker:	Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University

College of Education and College of Business (Undergraduates) and ACCESS Program

Time/Date:	1:30 p.m., Thursday, April 29, 2021
Location:	Humphrey Coliseum
Speaker:	Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University

All graduate students (master’s, doctoral, specialist) & the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Time/Date:	8:30 a.m., Friday, April 30, 2021
Location:	Humphrey Coliseum
Speaker:	Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University

Bagley College of Engineering; College of Architecture, Art & Design; College of Veterinary Medicine; College of Forest Resources; Academic Affairs (Undergraduates)

Time/Date:	1:30 p.m., Friday, April 30, 2021
Location:	Humphrey Coliseum
Speaker:	Dr. Mark E. Keenum, President, Mississippi State University

Meridian Campus

Time/Date:	11:00 a.m., Monday, May 3, 2021
Location:	MSU Riley Center
Speaker:	No speaker

Mississippi University for Women
Mississippi University for Women Commencement Ceremonies were held April 23-23, 2021.

Mississippi Valley State University

Time/Date:	8:00 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021
Location:	(Outside) Quadrangle between H.G. Carpenter Building and James H. White Library
Speaker:	No speaker

The University of Mississippi
Commencement 2020

Time/Date:	8:00 a.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021
Location:	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field
Speaker:	Mr. Patrick Willis, former Ole Miss Scholar-Athlete and NFL Player

Commencement 2021

Time/Date:	8:00 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 2021
Location:	Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Hollingsworth Field
Speaker:	Mr. Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity

The University of Mississippi Medical Center
There will not be a speaker for the Commencement Ceremonies. School of Nursing

Time/Date:	10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 26, 2021
Location:	Mississippi Trade Mart

School of Health Related Professions

Time/Date:	2:00 p.m., Thursday, May 26, 2021
Location:	Mississippi Trade Mart

School of Dentistry, School of Population Health, School of Medicine, and School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences

Time/Date:	10:00 a.m., Friday, May 27, 2021
Location:	Mississippi Trade Mart

The University of Southern Mississippi
All ceremonies are open to graduates from Spring 2020, Summer 2020, Fall 2020, and Spring 2021 semesters. There will not be a speaker for the commencement ceremonies. Undergraduates—School of Nursing & Health Related Professions

Time/Date:	7:00 p.m., Monday, May 3, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Undergraduate—College of Education & Human Sciences

Time/Date:	7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Graduates Earning Doctoral and Master of Fine Arts Degree—All Colleges

Time/Date:	1:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Graduates Earning Specialist and Master’s Degree—All Colleges

Time/Date:	7:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Undergraduates—College of Business & Economic Developement

Time/Date:	7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 6, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Undergraduates – College of Arts and Sciences – Schools of Communication; Humanities; Interdisciplinary Studies and Professional Development; Music; Performing and Visual Arts; and Social Science and Global Studies

Time/Date:	9:00 a.m., Friday, May 7, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Undergraduates – College of Arts and Sciences – Schools of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences; Computing Sciences and Computer Engineering; Construction and Design; Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Security; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Ocean Science and Engineering; and Polymer Science and Engineering

Time/Date:	3:00 p.m., Friday, May 7, 2021
Location:	Reed Green Coliseum, Hattiesburg

Coast – Undergraduates and Graduate Students – All Colleges

Time/Date:	3:00 p.m., Saturday, May 8, 2021
Location:	Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi

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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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