T
he University of Charleston honored more than 500 graduates during two separate ceremonies on Saturday. The university’s Spring 2026 Commencement brought families, friends and loved ones to the capital city on May 2 to celebrate students’ hard work.
A total of 580 students graduated from UC’s Charleston, Beckley and online campuses, according to officials. The School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Health Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Leadership and the School of Pharmacy awarded both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Undergraduate students from the Charleston and Beckley campuses were recognized at a 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday. Local anchor and reporter Amanda Barren served as the keynote speaker.
Online and graduate students were celebrated at a 1 p.m. ceremony. UC alum Ryan Moran, who currently serves as director of the Washington State Health Care Authority, delivered the featured address during the afternoon session.
Both Barren and Moran received honorary degrees from the university.
Saturday proved particularly significant for students in the university’s pharmacy program. University leadership announced in late 2024 that it would discontinue its accredited Doctor of Pharmacy program. On Saturday afternoon, the final graduating class from the UC School of Pharmacy received their degrees.
