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May 9, 2024
Stegeman Coliseum

As the birthplace of public higher education, the University of Georgia has fostered a tradition of academic excellence, intellectual inquiry, and service to others since 1785. For our graduates, Commencement is a beginning, the start of the next chapter in their lives.

Whether you’re participating in the graduate Commencement ceremony or supporting your graduate, this information will help you prepare for and navigate graduation day.

 

Announcements

General

Date:
Thursday May 9, 2024

Ceremony Location:
Stegeman Coliseum

Master's/Specialists Ceremony:
Start Time: 10:00 a.m.
Doors Open: 8:00 a.m.

Doctoral Ceremony:
Start Time: 2:00 p.m.
Doors Open: 1:00 p.m.

Commencement Speaker

photo of Jenna Jambeck in front of a river

Dr. Jenna Jambeck is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Environmental Engineering at the University of Georgia, a 2022 MacArthur Fellow, Founder of the Circularity Informatics Lab in the New Materials Institute, and a 2018-2021 National Geographic Explorer. She has been conducting research on solid waste issues and marine debris/plastic pollution for two decades. Her work has been recognized by the global community and translated into policy discussions by the High-Level Panel for the Ocean, testimony to Congress, in G7 and G20 Declarations, and the United Nations Environment program. She has conducted public environmental diplomacy as an International Informational Speaker for the U.S. Department of State since 2017. This has included multiple global programs of speaking events, meetings, presentations to governmental bodies, and media outreach around the world including Chile, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, Jordan, Israel, South Korea, India, Taiwan, and China.

She has won awards for her teaching and research in the College of Engineering, the UGA Creative Research Medal, and was named a Public Service and Outreach Fellowship. In 2014 she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean with 13 other women in eXXpedition to sample land and open ocean plastic and encourage women to enter STEM disciplines. In 2019 she co-led the first-ever women-led expedition team for National Geographic conducting comprehensive research on plastic pollution in the Ganga River Basin. She and her research team lead the science component of the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative along with the Mayors along the Mississippi and UNEP North America. She is co-developer of the mobile app Marine Debris Tracker, a tool that continues to facilitate a growing global citizen science initiative. The app and citizen science program has documented the location of more than 8 million litter and marine debris items throughout the world. She is the host of a podcast called Aquathread on the WUGA NPR station and co-author on a book from MIT Press Essential Knowledge Series titled Plastics.

Tickets

Tickets are not required for the graduate ceremony.

Assembly Instructions

Graduate degree candidates will report to the basketball practice gym on the second floor of the Stegeman Coliseum Training Facility 1 hour prior to the ceremony start time. Enter through the doors closest to the Carlton Street Parking Deck.

Hooding professors for the Doctoral ceremony should also assemble in the basketball practice gym by 1:00 p.m.

Seating Chart

Graduates are seated by degree.

Seating charts will be available one week prior to Commencement. 

Vewing Options

In addition to watching the ceremony in person, the graduate ceremonies will be broadcast live on the Commencement homepage  starting 5 minutes prior to each ceremony.  

Eligibility

Graduate Commencement ceremonies are held in May and December. Students completing graduate and doctoral degree requirements during summer must participate in the fall Graduate Commencement ceremony.

For general information regarding graduation requirements, consult the Graduate Bulletin. To ensure that all the requirements for graduation have been met, contact the Graduate Coordinator’s office in your academic department or email gradinfo@uga.edu.

Graduate Recognition

Master’s/Specialist degree candidates will cross the stage when their name is called.

Doctoral degree candidates will be hooded on stage by their major professor.

The information submitted through Marching Order will be used during the ceremony on the video boards in Stegeman Coliseum in recognition of the graduates’ achievements. Doctoral candidates sit in the doctoral graduate section along with their hooding professor.

Graduates’ personalized slides will not be displayed but will instead be available for download on the Commencement website for personal use.

The University of Georgia understands that not everyone will be able to attend the ceremony in person. Graduates who are not attending the ceremony will not have their name shown or read during the event. However, they will still be able to create and download the slide for personal use, and they may view the livestream of the ceremony.

In order for a graduate’s information to be included in the ceremony, they must remove their FERPA restrictions.

Graduates who submit their information to Marching Order by the deadline of Friday, April 12 will have their information displayed on the video boards. Recognitions will be grouped by degree.

Keepsakes

Programs

Digital programs will be available to download for the Graduate Commencement Ceremony.

The names of students who applied to graduate with a master’s or specialist degree in Spring 2024 by March 10 will appear in the program. The names of students who applied to graduate with a doctoral degree in Spring 2024 and submitted their doctoral Commencement information form in GradStatus by March 10 also will appear in the program. The deadline to submit the doctoral commencement information form is March 10.

If you would like to receive a printed copy of the full 2024 Spring Commencement program, please fill out this form by June 14, 2024. Limit is two per graduate.

A summary program featuring the order of events will be handed out at the ceremony.

In order to appear in the program, candidates for degrees must remove their FERPA restrictions when applying for graduation.

Download Program

Photos

Photos from the Graduate Commencement ceremony are available through GradImages.

Diploma Frames and UGA Merchandise

UGA merchandise, including diploma frames, can be purchased from the University of Georgia Bookstore located next to Sanford Stadium as online at Jostens.

UGA Bookstore

Jostens

UGA Balfour

Lost & Found

For items believed lost at Stegeman Coliseum, please contact the University of Georgia Police Department at detectives@police.uga.edu.

First Aid

First Aid and ambulance services will be on-site to assist with emergency needs. First Aid is located behind Section NN in the Stegeman Coliseum concourse.

Helpful Tips

  • Please follow the Clear Bag Policy.
  • On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair. 
  • Graduates should leave purses, coats, and other belongings with family members.
  • Remain standing in front of your seat during the entire procession of the Platform Party. Do not stand in the aisles.
  • In advance of the ceremony, graduates should pick a place to meet family and friends once the ceremony is completed.
  • Please be respectful of those around you and the fact that this is a formal academic ceremony.  Beach balls, air horns, and other similar distractions may be confiscated.
  • Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at any UGA Commencement ceremony.

Permitted/Prohibited Items

Security has the right to inspect any item at any time for the purpose of safety.

Prohibited items must be returned to cars or disposed of before entering and will not be accepted by employees or stored at the gates.

Permitted Items

  • Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and do not exceed 12" x 6"x 12"
  • One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags
  • Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5" x 6.5"
  • Bags that contain necessary medical items, which must be inspected and approved at a designated gate
  • Food: items must fit inside the permitted-sized bags
  • Beverages, including water, in sealed plastic bottles; items must fit inside the permitted-sized bag
  • Umbrellas
  • Cameras and video recorders (Clear Bag Policy applies to camera bags)
  • Strollers

Prohibited Items

For the safety, security, and experience of all guests, the following items are prohibited:

  • Backpacks
  • Wrapped gifts or packages wherein the contents are not visible
  • Alcohol
  • Glass and aluminum containers
  • Tobacco: UGA is a tobacco-free campus.
  • Large items, such as balloons, banners and posters, or amplification equipment, such as bullhorns or megaphones

Bag Specifications

Inclement Weather Policy

Stegeman Coliseum is an indoor arena. In case of inclement (severe) weather affecting UGA’s Graduate Commencement ceremony a notice will be placed on the University’s homepage.

Inclement Weather Operations Policy

Parking

Parking for the Graduate Commencement ceremony is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Suggested parking areas include South Campus Deck (S11), Carlton Street Deck (S15), and Foley Field Lot (S14).

McPhaul Lot (S10) and Coverdell Lot (S16) are reserved for designated participants by permit only.

Parking Map

For disability parking, see disability access.

For additional parking questions, please contact Parking Services at 706‑542‑7275.

Disability Access

Visitors with disability concerns are strongly encouraged to arrive early to Stegeman coliseum. Doors open approximately 90 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.

Main entrances to Stegeman Coliseum along Sanford Drive and Carlton Street are wheelchair accessible.

On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair. Wheelchairs are commonly available for short-term rental from medical supply stores and some pharmacies.

Disability Parking

Parking for guests with disabilities is available in the Hoke Smith Annex lot (S12). The lot is adjacent to Stegeman Coliseum. The main entrances to Stegeman Coliseum along Sanford Drive and Carlton Street are wheelchair accessible.

Parking Map

Disability Seating

Seating for guests in wheelchairs is very limited in Stegeman Coliseum. Disability and companion seating is located along the top row of the lower level. Disability seating allows access for one person in a wheelchair and one companion. Additional family members will need to sit separately in general seating. Please plan accordingly.

Captioning and Interpreting Services

Real time-captioning will be accessible it on personal devices via the livestream. Should an individual need assistance with technology, please contact ADARSVP@uga.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.  

Individuals who need to request an ASL interpreter may do by contacting ADARSVP@uga.edu. Requests should be made two weeks prior to the event to ensure service is available.  

The Arch

For University of Georgia alumni with mobility impairments who choose to pass through the Arch after graduation, the University will have a temporary platform in place on Saturday, May 11, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, contact Qiana Wilson, director of the Equal Opportunity Office at (706) 542‑7912 or ugaeoo@uga.edu.

Academic Regalia (Cap & Gown)

Appropriate academic regalia must be worn by candidates in order to participate in the Graduate Commencement ceremony.

Program-Specific Colors

With the exception of the honors tassels, the color of tassels are indicative of the academic subject area.

The color of the velvet on the hoods worn by PhD candidates is dark blue regardless of academic subject.

The colors associated with these subject areas are as follows:

Subject Area Color
Agriculture maize
Arts, Letters, Humanities white
Business and Accountancy drab
Education light blue
Engineering orange
Fine Arts and Landscape Architecture brown
Forestry and Natural Resources russet
Family and Consumer Sciences maroon
Journalism and Mass Communication crimson
Law purple
Music pink
Pharmacy olive green
Public Administration peacock blue
Public Health salmon pink
Science golden yellow
Social Work citron
Veterinary Science gray

Regalia Orders

Caps, gowns and hoods may be purchased online from Jostens.  Please click the button below for  purchasing information. Announcements can be ordered online from Jostens.

Jostens

Please note: If you order your academic regalia from someone other than Jostens, they will not be able to assist you with missing or replacement items.

The grad fair will be hosted by the UGA Bookstore March 20 and March 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The online ordering deadline is February 11 for delivery and pick up at the grad fair.

Diplomas

Diplomas are mailed six to eight weeks after the official graduation date.

Please see the Registrar’s Office website for complete information regarding applying to graduate and diplomas.