Please contact your academic advising office for details on degree progress and your expected graduation term.

See also the OneStop graduation information for undergraduate students and for graduate and professional students.

Conferral ceremonies are where degrees are formally granted by a Regent of the University of Minnesota. At the ceremony, graduates will participate in the processional into the stadium to their seats on the floor, remarks will be made by University officials, a student speaker, keynote speaker, and others.

After formally having their degrees conferred, undergraduate students will move their graduation cap tassels from right to left, ceremonially completing their degree. Graduates will also receive their official University of Minnesota diploma covers at their conferral ceremony (diplomas are mailed to graduates at a later date).

The undergraduate conferral ceremony will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Huntington Bank Stadium. Doors to the stadium open at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony is expected to run about two hours.

The graduate student conferral ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 12, 2023 at Huntington Bank Stadium. Doors to the stadium open at 3:00 p.m. The ceremony is expected to run about two hours.

Some colleges and schools are able to host individual ceremonies in smaller spaces. If yours is not listed in this FAQ, details of your commencement will be communicated to you directly. If you would like to also participate in the campus-wide ceremony, please contact [email protected].

Graduates who earned their degree in Fall 2022, Spring 2023, or Summer 2023. For questions about ceremony eligibility, Honors, or distinction requirements, please contact your college advising office.

• The undergraduate ceremony will include bachelor’s degree graduates from the College of Biological Sciences, College of Continuing and Professional Studies, College of Design, College of Education and Human Development, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Carlson School of Management, and the College of Science and Engineering.
• The graduate ceremony will include master’s and doctoral degree students from the College of Continuing and Professional Studies, College of Design, College of Education and Human Development, College of Liberal Arts, Carlson School of Management, and the College of Science and Engineering.
• Some colleges and schools are able to host individual ceremonies in smaller spaces. If yours is not listed above, details of your commencement will be communicated to you directly.
• If you would like to also participate in the campus-wide ceremony, please contact [email protected].

Final registration deadline for conferral ceremonies and stage crossings is Monday, April 10 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Please refer to emails you’ve been receiving from our commencement registration site Marching Order and/or [email protected] to sign up today!

Graduate ceremony

Keynote Speaker
Peggy Flanagan
BA ’02, Child Psychology
American Indian Studies minor
Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota

Student Speaker
Neil Mendonca
MA '23, Sport Management

Alumni Speaker
Ann Sheldon
BS '88, Mechanical Engineering
Vice President Product Security at Medtronic

Undergraduate Ceremony

Keynote Speaker
Stéphane Bancel
MS ’95, Chemical Engineering
Founding Chief Executive Officer, Moderna

Student Speaker
Aarohi Shah
BA ’23, Human Physiology, BA/MD Program

Alumni Speaker
Emilia Ndely-Ogundipe
BA ’11, Economics
White House Presidential Innovation Fellow

The deadline to submit applications was April 2, 2023. From that pool of applicants, we will select one speaker for the graduate student ceremony, and one for the undergraduate ceremony, to address the graduates, faculty and guests at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Speeches are evaluated based on the following criteria: Relevant and timely to the audience; inspiring; consistent with University's mission and values. 

A campus-wide committee will review applications, invite finalists for an interview, and select the finalists for each ceremony by the end of April. We will also offer coaching to the finalists to prepare for delivery of this important address. Announcements will be made to the public after May 1.

If you have further questions about this process, contact [email protected].

Yes, the ceremony will be streamed online at the following links:

Undergraduate ceremony livestream >>
Graduate student ceremony livestream >>

The ceremony will also be recorded and available to view online after the ceremony.

Yes, conferral ceremonies will be ticketed events and all seating will be general admission. Tickets are free and everyone over the age of 2 will need a ticket to enter Huntington Bank Stadium.

Tickets for conferral ceremonies will be made available on Monday, April 17. An email will be sent to all students that have registered for a conferral ceremony with instructions on how to access the ticket portal. Ceremony tickets will be e-tickets and are transferable to your guests. Only tickets that have been claimed can be transferred to your guests.

Students will need to claim their tickets by May 1. Each student will be allowed to claim 10 tickets. Any remaining tickets will be made available on Friday, May 5 and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets will be transferable to other students or others who wish to attend.

If you have guests planning to attend from outside the U.S., please see these guidelines.

Students can transfer any tickets they have claimed. See these detailed instructions for how to transfer tickets.

The event will take place rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, we will follow the safety policies of Huntington Bank Stadium and may delay or cancel our in-person ceremony.

Huntington Bank Stadium has a list of prohibited items for their facility. Please check their guidelines here.

If you are unable to attend the in-person conferral ceremony, all graduates are able to participate in a separate virtual ceremony. A professional recording of your name will be added to a personalized slide that will be available online at the time of our in-person ceremony and will display to virtual attendees your name, approved photo, degree, major, minor, and Latin honors/distinction (if applicable).

Graduates should respond to the message they received from MarchingOrder, our ceremony registration vendor, to register and upload and verify all information needed for the virtual portion of the ceremony.

To request that a diploma cover be mailed to you, please fill out this form.

Official commencement regalia can be purchased from the University Bookstore. 

3M Arena at Mariucci, the site of several past collegiate commencement ceremonies, is undergoing needed renovations. These could not wait to begin until after commencement season if they were to be completed in time for the hockey season beginning in October.

We have gathered extensive information from our peers and input from students, families, alumni, and other groups, including the Undergraduate Student Government, Council of Graduate Students, and undergraduate collegiate boards. This feedback informed commencement activities that provide new ways to collectively and individually recognize and honor the achievements of our graduates. We are excited that the variety of options gives graduates the flexibility to choose a level of engagement that is right for them and their guests.

Both on-campus and off-campus venues were considered (Williams Arena, the Pavilion, Northrop, Ted Mann, US Bank Stadium, the Armory) but the spaces were already booked, had accessibility issues, would not hold the number of students and guests needed, and/or were prohibitively expensive for an individual college.

With several thousand undergraduate students expected to graduate, it would be prohibitively long to have each individual cross the stage

Before making any decisions for future commencements, we will carefully evaluate the feasibility of making this change permanent, taking into consideration how well this year’s activities met the needs of our graduates and their guests.

Please email [email protected] and we will reply within 3-5 business days.

Individual students will have the opportunity to cross a stage while their guests have a front-row viewing experience to cheer and take photos and video. Our vendor MarchingOrder will contact graduates directly beginning on February 16 to offer the opportunity to make an appointment for a stage crossing.

After checking in at their chosen check-in time and location, graduates and their guests will go to a stage where the graduate will have their name announced, cross the stage, be congratulated by a University official, and have their photo taken by professional photographers. Additional photo opportunities will be available.

Graduates may choose to coordinate with their friends and colleagues to cross the stage together. For example, friends in student organizations, fraternities or sororities, sports teams, or other groups with graduating members might choose to cross sequentially. Graduate students may choose to invite their advisors and bring their hoods to their scheduled stage crossing time.

Stage crossing opportunities are currently scheduled in the Field House at the following days and times:

Thursday, May 11: 3:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 12: 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 13: 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.

Stage crossing dates and times are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We will continue to monitor the interest level during the most popular times and add openings if needed.

If being congratulated by a representative of your college is an important part of your stage crossing experience, please see this schedule of which colleges will have their leaders available.

Please plan to arrive with all your guests during your scheduled 15-minute window, and plan to be at the stage crossing location for 15 to 30 minutes.

Our vendor MarchingOrder will contact graduates directly beginning on February 16 to offer the opportunity to make an appointment for a stage crossing. If you graduated in summer or fall 2022 or are expecting to graduate in spring or summer 2023 and have not received a message from MarchingOrder, please contact us at [email protected].

There is no limit to the number of guests a graduate can bring to the stage crossing. We strongly encourage groups to carpool or use public transportation to reduce traffic congestion and occupancy of parking facilities on campus.

Graduate students may choose to invite their advisors and bring their hoods to their scheduled stage crossing time.

Professional photos will be taken by GradImages. Those photos will be made available for purchase two weeks after commencement and will have a variety of photo options. Your guests may also take photos and videos as you cross the stage.

Graduates can select any stage crossing time slot that they wish. We are excited to provide the opportunity for graduates to celebrate with friends from any college, school, or department across the entire University. With this flexibility, students can coordinate stage crossing times with friends in student organizations, fraternities or sororities, sports teams, and any other groups with graduating members.

If being congratulated by a representative of your college is an important part of your stage crossing experience, please see this schedule of which colleges will have their leaders available.

Please email [email protected] and we will reply within 3-5 business days.

Colleges, schools, and departments that are planning independent ceremonies or other celebratory events will send information about those activities directly to graduates and/or post to their collegiate websites as those details are finalized:

• College of Biological Sciences
• College of Continuing and Professional Studies
• School of Dentistry
• College of Design
• College of Education and Human Development
• College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
• Law School
• College of Liberal Arts
• Carlson School of Management
• Medical School
• School of Nursing
• College of Pharmacy
• Humphrey School of Public Affairs
• School of Public Health
• College of Science and Engineering
• College of Veterinary Medicine

Details will also be added to the campus events calendar as they are finalized.

Commencement information is available on each campus website:

• Crookston
• Duluth
• Morris
• Rochester

Saturday, May 13th, 2023
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
McNamara Alumni Center

The University of Minnesota Alumni Association invites you and your supporters to the ConGRADuation Celebration, the OFFICIAL pre-graduation celebration, at McNamara Alumni Center. Join us anytime from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13th to celebrate your milestone moment and explore ways to stay connected after graduation. Enjoy some light refreshments, take a celebratory photo in your cap and gown, and toast with your loved ones.
Learn more and RSVP

Wednesday, May 3, 2023
4:30–6:30 p.m.
McNamara Alumni Center
Open House hosted by the Alumni Association with food, gifts, dignitaries, and more!
The Send Off website

Please email [email protected] and we will reply within 3-5 business days.

• Up to 3 complimentary parking passes are available per graduate. Park in any designated facility with available space.
• Park once and walk or shuttle between destinations as parking will be limited. 
• Consider using public transit, ride-share, or carpooling. 
• Plan to arrive early. Roadway projects and other major events may impact regional traffic volumes and your travel time.
• Public parking without a parking pass will be limited

If you are driving to campus, reserve up to three complimentary parking passes for East Bank or the St. Paul campus (with free shuttles), in advance, for the Undergraduate Commencement or Graduate Commencement.

You will be able to park in any designated facility with available space. Vehicles with a state-issued disability credential may obtain a parking pass in stadium-adjacent lots. Parking passes are good for all commencement-related events, including if used on different days.

Download the QR code to your phone and scan it at the parking equipment when payment is requested.

St. Paul campus (Saturday only)

You may park in State Fairgrounds Lot 108 at no charge and ride the free campus shuttle bus to and from Huntington Bank Stadium. Stop locations will be have signage.

East Bank

If you do not reserve parking passes in advance, $10 parking will be available on the East Bank (very limited on Saturday). Credit card only.

West Bank

West Bank day of parking will be available at regular rates. Parking on the West Bank allows you to take validated free transportation to the stadium via the METRO Green Line. If you plan to park on the West Bank on Saturday and would like a transit pass, please email [email protected] by 4 p.m. on Monday, May 8 with your full name and email address. You will receive an email with the pass information. You may receive a maximum of 5 passes per graduate. Board at the West Bank station and get off at the Stadium Village station.

All campus shuttles are free and open to the public.

View shuttle map here. 

• The Connector shuttle will transport St. Paul and West Bank parkers to Huntington Bank Stadium. It will follow the same route and stops as the regular Campus Connector.
  The hours of operation are:
  • Thursday from 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday from 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• The Circulator shuttle will assist with moving attendees between Huntington Bank Stadium, Fourth Street Ramp, and Field House.
  Hours of operation are:
  • Friday from 11:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
  • Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
    • Note: due to road closures, Circulator service will be suspended Saturday between 1:30-3:30 p.m.
• The State Fairgrounds Lot 108 overflow shuttle will run between Lot 108 and Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Use your reserved parking passes.
• A drop-off for guests with limited mobility will be located adjacent to the stadium along the north side of University Avenue and on Oak Street between 4th Street S.E. and 5th Street S.E.

Ride-share drop-off locations are on University Avenue adjacent to Huntington Bank Stadium and Oak Street between 4th Street S.E. and 5th Street S.E.