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Graduation

Oglala Lakota College’s graduation ceremony celebrates our students’ academic achievements and their Lakota heritage.

Oglala Lakota College is dedicated to providing education to the Lakota people and encouraging them to use their degrees to give back to their communities.

We’re proud to say that over 4,400 students have graduated from Oglala Lakota College. 

Many of whom have returned to the Pine Ridge Reservation to help the community flourish.

Thousands of students have received a feather and plume for successfully completing two or four year degrees and some have even gone on to obtain their master’s degree from Oglala Lakota College

Oglala Lakota College’s Graduation Ceremony is held on the third weekend of June every year at the Piya Wiconi pow-wow grounds. There is a three day celebration pow-wow for all graduates, their families, and friends of Oglala Lakota College. If you have questions regarding the graduation ceremony or need additional information regarding the pow-wow, please call the President's secretary, at 605-455-6022.

**Questions regarding the completion of degree requirements should be directed to your academic advisor when possible, otherwise call the Registrar's Office at 605-455-6033.

Graduation Application Procedure

  1. It is your responsibility as a student to complete an application form for graduation one semester before you will graduate during registration and submit to the counselor with the non-refundable graduation fee of $10.00 per degree.
  2. Your district counselor and/or the advisor will make every effort to assist you in this process.
  3. Your counselor will then forward the application and a typed status sheet to the Registrar.
  4. The Registrar will schedule meetings with each district counselor to review the status sheets with your OLC transcripts to confirm that you are on the right track for graduation.
  5. The Registrar will then inform you if any additional requirements are needed to obtain your degree. If the application is received during the spring registration, the counselor will be notified and they will help make sure you are registering for the right courses needed to complete your degree.
  6. The application is due by the last day of registration to ensure you will be given enough time to register for the right classes in order to meet the course requirements. This deadline will be kept and exceptions will only be allowed in special cases at the discretion of the Registrar.
  7. When the grades have been posted after the spring semester, the Registrar shall send out confirmation letters to all graduates who have successfully completed the course requirements. Letters will also go out to those who have not received passing grades. The notice will indicate the June 1st deadline to get all change of grades into the Registrar's office in order to graduate that year.

All degree requirements must be met successfully before June 1st of your anticipated graduation year. "F's" or "Inc.'s" will not be considered as satisfactorily completed requirements for any degree program. If a student fails to complete the requirements for graduation by the June 1st deadline, you must reapply for graduation the following academic year.

A course requirement that can be used in a number of different places in a degree cannot be used more than once on one status sheet.