commencement

Commencement FAQs

Have questions? We are here to help.

Here are the most frequently asked questions before, during and after the commencement ceremony.
  • Commencement specifically refers to the ceremony, planned by the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion, where students can share the joy and excitement of their academic accomplishment with peers, family and friends. It is also a time for the university, president, deans, faculty, and staff to appreciate students for their outstanding efforts in completing their degree requirements. Participation in the commencement ceremony is not a guarantee of degree completion and official degrees are not awarded as a part of the commencement ceremony.
  • Graduation is the process of submitting an online application that confirms all academic requirements for your degree and financial obligations to the institution have been completed. The Office of Records and Registration oversees this process. To officially graduate from UBalt, you must apply for graduation by the posted deadline. 
Yes. Students may apply to graduate when registration opens for the term when they are graduating/completing credits (see here for information on Commencement vs. Graduation). Deadlines and important information will be sent to students through their UBalt e-mail and is available on the Commencement Ceremony Information Page. Contact the Office of Records and Registration for more information.
There is not a process in which to obtain extra tickets. As stated on the here, tickets will be available for graduates to claim electronically on Tassel the week of Grad Fest in March.  Please be attentive to the commencement ticket deadlines. If you do not receive the e-mail from Tassel, please check your spam and junk folders, and then e-mail engagement@ubalt.edu for asisstance if you are still unable to locate the message.
  • Note: You must have the unique message sent to you in order to access your tickets. A message forwarded from another graduate will not work.
  • Graduates are not required to have a ticket in order to enter the venue. They will need to present photo ID and must have an active application to graduate.
  • If graduates do not claim your tickets online by the posted deadline tickets are not guaranteed to be available.
  • Please note that graduation tickets are not to be sold. Any report of tickets being sold will be referred to the Office of Student Support as a possible conduct violation.
  • If additional tickets become available, graduates will be emailed to claim additional tickets within their Tassel portal. Extra tickets will not be disbursed until after the general allotment period ends.
  • Please do not attempt to request additional tickets outside of the ticket system.
  • All ticket disbursement will end 7 calendar days prior to the ceremony to allow the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion to prepare for the ceremony.  

In rare instances, due to extreme, special circumstances, a student may request to participate in commencement during a time that they are not originally eligible for participating in. A Commencement Appeals Committee will review these requests and make a determination during the appeals period. Requests outside of this time period will not be reviewed.

To request an appeal, please complete the Commencement Appeal Form during the commencement appeals period (date can be found on the Commencement Ceremony Information Page).

Most graduates dress in business casual attire. Business casual dress includes slacks or business dress pants, khakis, chinos, knee-length skirts, button-down shirts, sweaters, blouses, polo shirts, knee-length or maxi dresses, cardigans, blazers, or sports coats. Please take into consideration both the weather and comfort, because you will be wearing your robe for several hours.

o   Undergraduate students should have a black robe, optional stole, black cap, and tassel.

o   Graduate students should have a black robe, black cap, tassel and a hood that corresponds with the appropriate program.

We encourage you to bring as little with you as possible on the day of the commencement as there will be no location to store these items during the ceremony.
A live stream of the ceremony will be on the YouTube channel at The University of Baltimore - YouTube and will be linked at the Commencement - University of Baltimore (ubalt.edu) main page.
The ceremony will last approximately two hours.
Parking will be available for graduates and their guests in the garage below. Graduates’ student parking accounts will still be active on the day of the ceremony, and we have arranged for guests to be able to park at a discounted rate of $7.

          Fitzgerald Garage          
          (closest to the Lyric)         
          80 W. Oliver St.

There are a limited number of persons with disabilities parking spaces available directly outside of the venue and on Mount Royal Avenue. If you choose to park on these streets, please be aware that all cars must be moved from these areas before 4 p.m. Any car remaining after that time may be towed. In order to avoid timing issues and to reduce stress before and after the ceremony, it is recommended for guests with difficulty walking to be dropped off outside of the Lyric and the driver to continue over to the Fitzgerald Garage to park

The main doors at will open up to one hour before the ceremony begins, and the theater doors will open up to 45 minutes before the ceremony begins. Upon entering, seating for guests is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please advise your guests to arrive to the ceremony ahead of time to ensure they will get their preferred seating location. There are many seating choices, and no seat is a bad seat! If guests require accomodations, they can speak to an usher or commencement staff member in the theater who are overseeing the box seats for accomodations.  
Guests can take pictures and video of the ceremony, but they must do so from their seats and cannot block the view of those around them.

Since final grades will not yet be submitted, current coursework cannot be considered when making the honors determination for the ceremony. Therefore, Latin honors are assigned using the student’s record from the previous semester. The final designation earned will be awarded based on the student’s entire record and will appear on the official transcript and diploma. Students awarded honors have the appropriate GPA and at least 48 credits earned at The University of Baltimore. For more information about honors, contact Office of Records and Registration at 410.837.4825.

Latin Honors
Summa Cum Laude: 3.9 GPA and above
Magna Cum Laude: 3.75
Cum Laude: 3.5

In order to assist international guests with their B-2 Visitor visa applications and travel arrangements to attend commencement, the university provides complimentary letters of invitation to commencement. This letter does not guarantees a successful B-1/B-2 visitor application.

Guests are encouraged to see the website of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their home country and review the US State Departments Visa Visitor website for more information. 

Please download the attached letter in a writable PDF here. If you are unable to open the writable pdf, email engagement@ubalt.edu for the word document. The letter includes all of the necessary places to be filled in, including a signature from the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion.

If you are a UBalt international student and you require visitor visa assistance, please e-mail Kara Kauffman in Diversity and International Services at kkauffman2@ubalt.edu.

Students do not receive their diploma at the commencement ceremony. It takes several weeks for final grades to be posted, accounts to be checked, etc. Diplomas will be mailed to students at the address listed on MyUB approximately 6-8 weeks after degrees are awarded.

         Questions? Contact:
         Office of Records and Registration
         records@ubalt.edu
         410.837.4825

Within a month of commencement, you will receive information directly from the photography company that includes photo proofs and order information.

Questions? Contact:
GradImages®

  • GradImages® is proud to support one of the biggest moments in a graduate’s life: walking across the stage and into the next chapter. With over 40 years of experience, we understand the importance of this moment and the desire to preserve these memories for a lifetime. Finding your graduate’s photos after the ceremony is easy. Visit www.GradImages.com to view and purchase custom photo products like prints, plaques, specialty gifts, and more. If have any questions or concerns regarding your photos, please get in touch with our Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. We have a large team of customer care representatives ready to help graduates and family members with anything they need.

You can access archived recordings here. The Office of Technology Services can provide a copy of a webcast in DVD format for a fee of $5 so long as you provide a DVD disc. E-mail av@ubalt.edu to request a copy.

Don't forget to apply for the Alumni Bee Card, your official alumni identification. 

Questions? Contact:
Office of Alumni Relations
alumni@ubalt.edu
410.837.6131

For specific information about this semester, please consult the Main Commencement Page. For any other questions, please contact  the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion.