USU confers more than 7,000 degrees

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On-campus events are planned this summer to honor Class of 2020, public health conditions permitting

SALT LAKE CITY — Public health restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic may have forced Utah State University to call off its 2020 commencement on the Logan campus this year, but USU President Noelle Cockett told graduates in a video message that they were “front and center in our minds and our hearts.”

Cockett’s message was released on Thursday, the same day graduation rites to celebrate the university’s 7,000 graduates were originally scheduled.

“Like many of you, I wish we were gathered today with family and friends in the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on the USU Logan campus,” Cockett said.

“However, we can’t let this day go by without acknowledgement and celebration of your accomplishments of a degree from Utah State University. Congratulations graduates! While physical distance separates us, you are front and center in our minds and our hearts,” Cockett said.

If public health conditions allow, the university plans to conduct graduation celebrations and ceremonies in Logan on Aug. 28-29.

USU’s graduating class includes students from 48 states and 59 countries.

The university awarded 96 certificates; 1,281 associate degrees; 4,649 bachelor’s degrees; 917 master’s and 82 doctorate degrees. USU also awarded six education specialist degrees.

“We celebrate this significant accomplishment during a time when the global pandemic has kept us apart physically, but it cannot quell our Aggie spirit of togetherness,” Cockett said in a statement.

“The class of 2020 is resilient. It is an incredible privilege and opportunity to serve as their president.”

The class includes more than 1,000 students who were first in their families to earn college degrees. Among them, 756 received bachelor’s degrees while 310 were awarded associate degrees.

Just over 2,500 males earned degrees compared to 3,483 female graduates.

The top 10 undergraduate degrees included communicative disorders and deaf education; economics; psychology; human movement science; mechanical engineering; business administration; elementary education; integrated studies; biology and marketing.

Most of the degrees — 4,239 — were earned at USU’s main campus in Logan, but 321 were awarded to students at its USU Eastern campus in Price and 130 in Blanding. Other campuses and degrees awarded include Salt Lake City, 199; Brigham City, 109; Uinta Basin, 122; Kaysville, 125; Tooele, 96; Southwest, 75; Orem, 80; Moab, 25; China program, 201 and 304 out of state.

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