Missouri State University conferred 2,941 degrees to students at its spring 2019 commencement. This was the largest graduating class of seniors to earn degrees in university history.

President Clif Smart welcomed them to MarooNation at the ceremony and in one of his famous “Clifstagram” videos on social media.

About the graduates

Missouri State conferred 2,285 bachelor’s degrees, 551 master’s degrees, 96 doctorate degrees and nine specialist degrees.

Past the standard expectations, the university recognized 116 students for their work with a more rigorous curriculum in Missouri State’s Honors College.

The university also recognized students who graduated with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher:

• 164 students graduated summa cum laude (with GPAs between 3.9-4.0 on a 4.0 scale)
• 208 students graduated magna cum laude (with GPAs between 3.75-3.89)
• 382 students graduated cum laude (with GPAs between 3.5-3.74)

First ceremony

Students graduating from the College of Humanities and Public Affairs and McQueary College of Health and Human Services participated in the first ceremony.

Jennifer Moore, the news director and content coordinator for KSMU radio, spoke to the new graduates. Catch her full speech on the Missouri State YouTube channel.

Second ceremony

Students graduating from the College of Arts and Letters, College of Education and College of Natural and Applied Sciences participated in the second ceremony.

Zora Mulligan, commissioner of higher education, spoke to the new graduates. Her speech is on the Missouri State YouTube channel.

Third ceremony

Students graduating from the College of Business, Darr College of Agriculture and interdisciplinary academic programs participated in the third ceremony.

Dr. Stephanie Bryant, executive vice president and chief accreditation officer for Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, spoke to her former students and new graduates. You can view the full speech on the university YouTube channel.