Graduation

Graduates participating in the ceremony must wear their cap and gown. Your tassel should be on the right side.

You may be standing prior to the ceremony as well as walking up stairs to the stage, so please plan your shoes accordingly. Please leave your coat or other outerwear with your family/friends.

Academic regalia may be purchased at:

• The university bookstore or 
• Various other online retailers 

The ceremony will take place in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater inside of the Michigan League. Doors will open at 1:30pm. Graduates MUST be in the green room no later than 1:45pm.

The ceremony will begin at 2pm and will last approximately one hour.

The department has hired professional photographers to get photos of each student during the ceremony. Please remain seated when your student's name is called so the photographers can make sure to get a good photo!

Tickets are required for ALL commencement activities for the 2026 ceremony. We are required to adhere to university guidance surrounding commencement. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.

Students received RSVP forms via email and will need to fill out their number of guests and guest names as part of the RSVP. 

The closest public parking structure is the Thompson/Maynard structure. It is located at 320 Thompson St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. 

Additionally, several UM Blue Lots will be free on Thursday April 30 -- however, they are likely to be full and we recommend parking at the structure listed above. The gates to the Thayer, Fletcher, Hill, Thompson and Palmer-Blue Area structures will be opened at 9:00 a.m. for commencement guests. Parking enforcement in these structures will be suspended from 9:00 a.m. to the end of posted enforcement hours.  

We will have a reception directly following the ceremony. The reception will be from 3:00-4:30pm in the Hussey Room of the Michigan League and will feature light appetizers. 

Please note that the reception venue is much smaller than the ceremony venue, and, due to space capacity restrictions, graduates may only bring two guests to the reception. Tickets are required for the reception.

We know that this can be frustrating for larger parties and appreciate your understanding. 

Graduates have the option to waitlist for extra tickets and, after the RSVP closes, we can distribute any extra tickets that we may have available from students opting out of the reception.

Please review the list of prohibited items below.

• All bags (including purses, clear bags, fanny packs, etc)
• All bottles (including all types of water bottles)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Aerosol and spray cans
• Animals (except service animals for persons with a disability)
• Apparel or signage displaying profane or abusive language
• Containers of any kind (including coolers, thermoses, cups, cans, flasks)
• Flags and flag poles
• Food of any kind
• Irritants
• Noisemakers (including, but not limited to, whistles, air horns, boom boxes, bull horns, kazoos, sirens, thunder sticks, vuvuzelas, etc)
• Projectiles (including footballs, Frisbees, and beach balls)
• Seat cushions containing any type of metal or those with pockets, storage slots, seat backs, arm rests, or attachments of any kind
• Strollers
• Video camera, tripods, and selfie sticks
• Umbrellas
• Weapons
• Any other item that may obstruct or impair the view or enjoyment of another attendee (including banners, signs, etc)