Frequently Asked Questions

The University Commencement ceremony is a campus-wide celebration that broadly recognizes all graduates from each college as a whole. During the event, graduates will enter the Huntsman Center with their college as they hear words of congratulations from campus leaders, receive a welcome from the Office of Alumni Relations, and sing the fight song one last time as a student. 

Each college and school at the University of Utah recognizes the achievements of its graduating students in a smaller, more intimate setting at each individual College Convocation ceremony. Please visit the College Convocation webpage to see the date, time, and location of your college or school’s convocation event.

No. The University Commencement event and College Convocation ceremonies occur once annually in May after the end of each spring term. 

Yes. If a student graduated the previous fall semester or plans to finish their degree in the upcoming summer semester, they can participate in the University Commencement event. Students can refer to the Student Information webpage as they plan to participate in the event.

There may be a separate registration process set in place by each college hosting its individual College Convocation event. Please refer to the College Convocation webpage to learn more about each event. 

There is no registration process for graduates to participate in the University Commencement ceremony. Students can learn all necessary information to attend the event on the Student Information webpage. 

There may be a separate registration process set in place by each college hosting its individual College Convocation event. Please refer to the College Convocation webpage to learn more about each event. 

The duration of the University Commencement ceremony varies each year, but guests can anticipate roughly ninety minutes in length from beginning to end. It is suggested for guests to be seated by 5:45 p.m. as the processional will begin at 6:00 p.m. and the program at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Each College Convocation event is hosted by the individual colleges or schools across campus and vary in length. Please refer to the College Convocation webpage to learn more about each event. 

No, students' names are not individually announced or recognized at the University Commencement ceremony.

The College Convocation events do call each student on stage to receive their diploma individually. Please refer to the College Convocation webpage to learn more about each event.

Yes, the University Commencement ceremony will be streamed in real-time online at utah.edu/live beginning at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, May 4, 2023. 

Please visit the College Convocation webpage regarding streaming information for each individual convocation ceremony. 

Please review this webpage for detailed parking and transportation information for the University Commencement and College Convocation ceremonies. 

To ensure safety for all attendees, be advised graduates and guests are required to walk through a metal detector prior to entering the Jon M. Huntsman Center for the University Commencement ceremony. Guests are discouraged from bringing bags with them to the event or encouraged to place their belongings in a clear bag.

Please refer to the College Convocation webpage to learn more about possible event policies set in place by the college hosting the event. 

No, children or other family members cannot sit in the reserved student seating areas at the University Commencement ceremony. 

The University Commencement ceremony is not a ticketed event and there are no limits to the number of guests in attendance. 

There may be a separate ticketing process set in place by each college hosting its individual College Convocation event. Please refer to the College Convocation webpage to learn more about each individual event. 

Yes, candid images of the University Commencement ceremony will be available for download at bit.ly/UUgrad23 after the date of the event. Please note: Individual photographs of students will not be taken at the campus-wide University Commencement ceremony. 

Visit the College Convocation webpage for more information about photography services at each convocation ceremony. 

Please see the Jon M. Huntsman Center 2023 college seating map. 

Guests may bring items to the graduation ceremonies that are not prohibited at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. 

Prohibited items inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center include:

• Alcohol
• Artificial noise makers 
• Backpacks (clear bags are encouraged in the Jon M. Huntsman center)
• Confetti
• Drones
• Fireworks
• Outside food/drink
• Umbrellas 
• Weapons

Items allowed inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center but not in the arena bowl are:

• Balloons
• Strollers

If guests need to store large items (such as wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, balloons, etc.) outside of the arena bowl, they can be temporarily stored at two separate locations in the Jon M. Huntsman Center:

• Lounge located next to Door 2 near Portal 3
• Inside the ticket office next to Door 1 by Portal 24

Security will not be present in these storage areas and the Jon M. Huntsman Center is not responsible for loss or theft of personal items. Guests are advised to secure personal items in their vehicles.