Florida State University will hold fall commencement ceremonies Friday, Dec. 12. The Honorable Lawrence McClure of the Florida House of Representatives and retired FSU Head Men’s Basketball Coach J. Leonard Hamilton will address graduates.
This fall, FSU will award 2,982 degrees: 1,946 bachelor’s degrees, 811 master’s and specialist degrees, 112 doctoral degrees, 5 Juris doctor degrees, 106 Juris master’s degrees and 2 LLM degrees. More than 2,000 graduates are expected to participate in the ceremonies.
The day will begin with a doctoral hooding ceremony at 9 a.m., followed by two ceremonies at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. for bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degree recipients. President Richard McCullough will preside over all three ceremonies at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, 505 W. Pensacola St.
2 p.m. ceremony: The Honorable Lawrence McClure
McClure, who represents House District 68 in Hillsborough County, was first elected to the Florida House in 2017. He began his career as a summer intern at the Tampa-based Streamline Environmental, where he worked on cleanup, mitigation and petroleum tank removal before rising to become a partner in the firm. He later continued this work as a consultant, helping state and local leaders address environmental, water and land-use issues. Known for practical problem-solving and bipartisan cooperation, he led the House through a difficult budgeting process this year. He currently chairs the House Budget Committee and serves as the alternating chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Commission.
McClure will address graduates from the Dedman College of Hospitality, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, College of Applied Studies, College of Motion Picture Arts, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, College of Social Sciences & Public Policy, College of Business, College of Music, and Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
7 p.m. ceremony: Coach J. Leonard Hamilton
Hamilton retired following the 2024-2025 season after 23 years as head coach of the FSU men’s basketball program. He is the winningest coach in program history, leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Elite Eight, three Sweet 16 appearances and the program’s first ACC regular-season championship. Known for his focus on developing strong student-athletes, Hamilton saw 97 percent of his seniors earn their degrees. His career has been defined by leadership, consistency and a connection to young people on and off the court.
Hamilton will speak to graduates from the colleges of Medicine, Fine Arts, Communication and Information, Law, Nursing, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Arts and Sciences.
Every Florida State University graduate is automatically a member of the FSU Alumni Association. Alumni can learn more at alumni.fsu.edu.
For more information and livestreaming links, visit commencement.fsu.edu.