Order of the Engineer Ceremony – Spring 2025
The Order of the Engineer was initiated in the United States to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer.
Venue: Laidlaw Performing Arts Center (Students must arrive at least 30 minutes prior to
ceremony)
5751 USA S Dr, Mobile, AL 36608
Start times:
Chemical & Mechanical Engineering - 1:30pm (with reception to follow)
Civil, Computer, Electrical, & Systems Engineering - 4:00pm (with reception to follow)
All candidates for initiation may invite guests to attend their Ceremony and the Reception, subject to ticket availability (see below). Each Ceremony is expected to last no longer than 60 minutes. If the participation level drops, the Ceremony may be changed to a single starting time for all.
Things to do for the Order of the Engineer Ceremony:
- By Monday, April 14, 2025, Order of the Engineer candidates must visit the Engineering Dean’s Office (SH 2114) to be sized for their ring and pay the participation cost.
- By Monday, April 14, 2025, all candidates for graduation must complete the Order of the Engineer Participation Form (even those not planning on participating)
The cost for participation is $20.00 (paid either at ring sizing by cash or check payable to USA College of Engineering, or by credit card here). No late requests will be accepted after the deadline for visiting the Dean’s office for ring sizing. If you don't sign up and pay by this deadline, you cannot participate in the event.
If you have any questions, contact Ronda Girardeau (rgirardeau@southalabama.edu).
The Order fosters a unity of purpose and the honoring of the Order’s pledge lifelong.
Candidates participating in this Ceremony will be inducted into the Order of the Engineer and receive a ring and certificate. Initiates voluntarily pledge to uphold the standards and dignity of the engineering profession and to serve humanity by making the best use of Earth’s precious wealth. This obligation should not be taken lightly.
The Engineer’s Ring in the United States is a stainless steel ring, worn on the fifth finger of the working hand by engineers who have accepted the Obligation of an Engineer in a Ring Ceremony.
Attendance at the Ceremony is required to be inducted into the Order and to receive the ring and certificate.
Each guest invited by a candidate will need a ticket to attend the Ceremony and Reception. Each candidate will be issued with three complimentary tickets, which may be collected at ring sizing. Candidates who do not need all of their issued tickets are requested to kindly return them to the Dean’s Office or share them with others who need extra. Candidates who wish to invite more than three guests may ask other candidates for unneeded tickets or check with the Dean’s Office for returned tickets.
Please be sure to ask your guests to bring their tickets to the Ceremony as they will be required for entrance and collected at the door. Once all seats are filled, no more can be admitted for safety reasons. If we have additional tickets on May 1st, we will issue them on a case by case basis.
Business attire is appropriate.
Gentlemen should wear a dress shirt, tie, dress pants or slacks (not jeans or shorts), and dress shoes; coat optional.
Ladies should wear a dress, skirt, or slacks (not jeans or shorts), and dress shoes.
Graduation regalia is not worn at the Order of the Engineer Ceremony. The event will include standing and sitting, so make sure you are dressed comfortably for both.
- Smoking and drinking of alcoholic beverages is prohibited
- Valuables should not be brought into the building
- Purses, cameras, and other personal items should not be brought onstage so they should be left with guests or elsewhere
- Cellphones brought onstage should not be visible and must be turned off throughout the Ceremony
- Guests’ cellphones, if turned on to take photographs or videos, must be in silent mode to prevent distractions
- It is important that each candidate receives recognition, so please be considerate and mindful that excessive and prolonged cheering and applause can drown out the name and the moment for the next candidate
A professional photographer will not be present at the Order of the Engineer Ceremony, but guests may take photographs or videos as they wish.
Tentative honors, based on students’ academic records through the end of the last term completed, will appear in the printed Order of the Engineer Ceremony program, but this does not confirm being awarded those honors. Final official honors will be computed after all grades are processed at the end of the last term of attendance, and will appear on student diplomas and transcripts.
Undergraduate students who have at least 60 GPA hours in residence with a grade point average of 3.50 or better at the University of South Alabama are graduated with distinction. Transfer credit hours are not included in the determination of academic honors. Academic honors are not awarded for graduate degrees or professional degrees.
Cum Laude: GPA 3.50 - 3.69
Magna Cum Laude: GPA 3.70 - 3.89
Summa Cum Laude: GPA 3.90 - 4.00
Undergraduate students who successfully complete the FE Exam will be notified by the Dean's Office to pick up their cord. Other cords and stoles for Commencement are obtained from the relevant authority.
The Order of the Engineer Ceremony is not Commencement and so graduation regalia is not worn at the Order of the Engineer Ceremony. Commencement is Friday, May 9th at 9:30am in the Mitchell Center and the website for Graduation regalia is here. For all questions regarding the University’s graduation ceremony, please visit the University Commencement website here.