Spring Undergraduate Ceremony

Ceremony start time:
7:30 p.m. - Graduates should arrive by 6:45 p.m.

Doors open:
5:30 p.m.

Guests should enter using Gates 2, 3 4, 5, and 6.

Graduates should enter using Gate 10. 

Tickets are REQUIRED for all graduates at the Spring Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony to sit on the field. More information will be posted to the website under Tickets. Tickets are not required for guests to attend the ceremony.

Jarryd Wallace is a four-time Paralympian and winner of two bronze medals.

Born and raised in Athens, Wallace was a state champion cross country runner and was attending UGA on a track scholarship when complications from compartment syndrome changed his plans. During his junior year in 2010, he started feeling pain in his right shin then ultimately underwent 10 surgeries over two years. After those surgeries, he made the decision to have his leg amputated from the knee down.

The surgery gave him a second chance, and less than a year and a half later, he set a world record in the 100-meter sprint at the Parapan American Games. Now he is a three-time gold medalist in the World Para Athletics Championships and has competed in the past four Paralympic Games.

After years of professional success in sprinting, including a bronze medal in the 2020 Paralympic Games, Wallace decided to shift to the long jump. The transition, while difficult, proved to be an energizing challenge for him. And a successful one. In the 2024 Paralympic Games, he won a bronze medal for the long jump.

Wallace is the CEO and founder of the RIVL Foundation, which focuses on prosthetic innovations, amputee rehabilitative research and community outreach. He has also collaborated with prosthetic companies to help make running blades more cost-effective and accessible.

He graduated from UGA with his bachelor’s degree in 2019 and lives near Athens with his wife, Lea, and two sons.

Student Speaker

Kate Willow Hall, UGA '25

Kate Hall has been selected by her peers to deliver a speech on behalf of her graduating class. Each semester, a Student Government Association committee reviews applications and speeches from prospective student speakers before inviting select applicants to come and give their speech in person. From there, the committee selects the student to speak at Commencement.

Graduate Ticket registration is now CLOSED

Students who registered received a Commencement Ticket Confirmation email from ugatickets@sports.uga.edu. All digital tickets will be sent separately on Wednesday, April 16. 

Please note tickets are digital and are non-transferable. Tickets will be delivered electronically and must be presented at Gate 10 via smartphone (iPhone, Android, etc.) to be scanned for field access.

Questions regarding eligibility for graduation: Please contact the Office of the Registrar at reghelp@uga.edu.

Questions regarding digital tickets: Please call UGA Ticket Office at 706-542-1231.

FAQs regarding digital tickets

Sanford Stadium gates will open at 5:30 p.m.

Graduates should arrive by 6:45 p.m. Please be prompt. Graduates arriving after 6:45 p.m. will not be guaranteed a seat on the field and/or with their school or college.

Enter through Gate 10.

As you enter, your ticket will be scanned, and you will be given a wristband to access graduate seating on the field. Please proceed directly to the field. Only graduates with a wristband will be allowed to sit on the field. 

Graduates will be seated by their schools or colleges. Marshals will assist students in finding their correct section.

Each graduate may bring a sealed bottle of water into the stadium. 

There will be no graduate processional for the Spring Undergraduate Commencement ceremony.   

Graduates will be seated by their schools or colleges. 

Seating charts will be available one week prior to commencement. 

In addition to watching the ceremony in person, the Spring Undergraduate Commencement ceremony will be broadcast live on the Commencement homepage starting at 7:25 p.m.

Undergraduates who apply to graduate for the Spring or Summer 2025 semesters by the February 28 deadline will be allowed to participate in the Spring Undergraduate Commencement ceremony.  Students who have applied for graduation, or who have graduated, in another semester are not eligible to participate.

For general information regarding graduation requirements, consult the UGA Bulletin. To ensure that you have met all the requirements for graduation, check with a degree program specialist in the dean’s office of your school or college. You should also be checking your progress via DegreeWorks. All undergraduates must apply to graduate for the semester in which they will take their last course(s) toward their graduation requirements using the graduation application in Athena.

Apply to graduate

Undergraduate degree candidates will rise with their school or college when degrees are conferred.

Degree candidates earning Latin honors will be recognized during the ceremony. Degree candidates who meet the following GPA criteria and who do not have a  will be noted in the commencement program. Latin honors distinctions effective for Spring and Summer 2025 undergraduates are found below:

First Honor Graduates have maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average on all work attempted at the University of Georgia as well as all college-level transfer work attempted prior to or following enrollment at the University. These students are celebrated for their high standards of academic excellence and their outstanding achievements. Their regalia includes a fourragère, a braided cord, worn on the shoulder.

For the purposes of the commencement program, Latin honors recognition is based on the student’s overall undergraduate GPA going into the student’s last semester. Final Latin honors will be determined following the conclusion of the student’s last semester.

Programs

Digital programs will be available to download for the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony.

The program will contain the names of those who applied for Spring and Summer 2025 graduation. In order to appear in the program, candidates for degrees must when applying for graduation.

If you would like to receive a printed copy of the full Spring 2025 Commencement program, please fill out this form by June 6, 2025.  Limit is two per graduate.

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

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 well as online at Jostens.

UGA Bookstore

Jostens

UGA Balfour

Guests are permitted to bring in one, unopened bottle of water and food items. Food items must fit inside the permitted-sized bags.

For items believed to have been lost in Sanford Stadium, please contact the University of Georgia Police Department at detectives@police.uga.edu.

First Aid and ambulance services will be on-site to assist with emergency needs. First Aid stations are located at Section 119 and on the Field Level at the East End Zone Lounge.

• Please follow the Clear Bag Policy.
• On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair. 
• Wear comfortable shoes. You will be walking and standing for long periods of time.
• Leave purses, coats, and other belongings with your family members.
• Remain standing in front of your seat during the entire procession. Do not stand in the aisles.
• Pick a place to meet your 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.

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.

The Undergraduate Commencement ceremony is held rain or shine and will only be rescheduled in the event of severe weather. Severe weather is defined as rain accompanied by high wind, thunder, and lightning. The alternate ceremony time is 10 a.m. the following day.

If it is raining on the morning of commencement, but not declared severe weather, the ceremony will be held as planned in the stadium. Each student will be provided a poncho to wear.

Any changes to the commencement ceremony will be announced by 10:00 a.m. the day of commencement, and the information will be placed on the UGA homepage by 10:30 a.m.

We will provide the information to major local radio stations, but please be aware that many stations rely on computerized programming and are not able to broadcast special announcements.

If weather is a concern for you or a member of your party, you may wish to consider a different viewing option.

Parking for commencement is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Suggested parking areas include, Hull Deck (W05), South Campus Deck (S11), East Campus Deck (E04), and Performing Arts Center Deck (E20).

The Tate Center Deck and lot E12 are reserved for designated participants by permit only.

For disability parking, see disability access.

If you have additional parking questions, please contact Parking Services at 706‑542‑7275.

Undergraduate Commencement Parking Map

Stadium Gates open 2 hours prior to the start of the ceremony.

Visitors with mobility concerns are strongly encouraged to arrive early and be prepared for the exertion required of the day. Even with disability seating and the shuttle transportation options, the stadium is large and will require a fair amount of walking to enter the gates and reach the seats

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.

Please review the following for seating reservation information.

Disability Parking and Transportation

Parking for guests with disabilities is available at the East Campus Deck (E04). An ADA accessible shuttle will be available from those areas to the stadium. Personal vehicle drop offs are NOT permitted near the stadium, please plan accordingly.

Parking Map

Disability Seating Reservations

To better accommodate the various needs of our visitors at commencement, UGA is providing two options for wheelchair accessible seating which may be reserved online. Reservations may be made for one person in a wheelchair and one companion. Guests who do not have a reservation will be directed on-site to the section that has available space.

Field Level Wheelchair Section — East End Zone

• Allows access for one person in a wheelchair and one companion (two individuals per reservation).  Additional family members will need to sit separately in general seating. Please plan accordingly.
• This section is located near the East End Zone. It faces the main stage and provides a direct view of the event; however, this seating area will not be covered or enclosed.
• Guests must access this section from the elevators located between Gate 5 and Gate 6 on East Campus Road.
• Vehicles are not allowed to drop off and pick-up near the stadium. Shuttles will run from the East Campus Parking Deck. Parking Map.
• Please be advised that Sanford Stadium does NOT provide wheelchairs. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair.
• Please prepare appropriately for direct sun — sunscreen and hats are highly suggested. Umbrellas are permitted in the stadium.
• Water is available, and ADA accessible portable restrooms are located nearby.

Interior Covered Wheelchair Section — Level 200

• Allows access for one person in a wheelchair and one companion (two individuals per reservation).  Additional family members will need to sit separately in general seating. Please plan accordingly.
• Guests must access this section from the elevators located between Gate 5 and Gate 6 on East Campus Road.
• Vehicles are not allowed to drop off and pick-up near the stadium. Shuttles will run from the East Campus Parking Deck. Parking Map.
• Please be advised that Sanford Stadium does NOT provide wheelchairs. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair.
• Water is available, and ADA accessible portable restrooms are located nearby.
• NO FIELD VIEW – anticipate watching the ceremony on television screens.

Disability Seating Reservations

Disability seating is limited, and requests will be processed as they are received.

On-site wheelchairs are NOT available. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair.

Any graduates or guests needing any accommodations for a disability please email ADARSVP@uga.edu by May 1, 2025 so that we can best accommodate your needs the day of commencement.  Questions can also be directed to the Disability Resource Center by calling 706-542-8719.

Disability Reservation Form

Captioning and Interpreting Services

The undergraduate ceremony will have open captioning in Sanford Stadium. A live streaming transcription of the audio portion of the ceremony will be displayed on the large reader boards for guests with difficulty hearing. 

Real time-captioning will be displayed on the large reader boards and will also be able to access it on their 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 10 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For related questions, contact Qiana Wilson, director of the Equal Opportunity Office, at 706-542‑7912 or ugaeoo@uga.edu.

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

Candidates should wear their tassels on the right side prior to their degree being conferred and on the left side afterward. The mortarboard on the cap should be parallel to the ground.

Program-Specific Colors

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

The colors associated with these subject areas are as follows:

Honors Tassels

Review complete information regarding respective standards for honors graduation.

Undergraduate students who anticipate graduating with honors may wear an honors tassel:

Regalia Orders

Order your University of Georgia Cap & Gown, Personalized Announcements & Diploma Frame at Jostens.

ORDER DEADLINE 3/30/2025

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.

UGA Grad Fair March 19th & 20th: 10:00am – 4:00 pm

UGA Bookstore Representatives available to answer questions and assist with ordering. 706-542-3171

The online ordering deadline is Februrary 9 for delivery and pick up at the grad fair. Last day to order for ship to home is March 30.

Students will be issued a printed diploma that will be mailed to the student’s provided address as well as a Certified Electronic Diploma, or CeDiploma, to their UGA email account. Both the printed diploma and CeDiploma will be issued approximately 8-10 weeks following the official graduation date. The printed diploma will be shipped via the USPS and should arrive at the provided address within 4-6 weeks of mailing if delivered within the U.S. and up to ten weeks for international shipments.

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