FAQs

Due to the high volume of graduates in the spring semester, we hold two ceremonies for each graduate- a University Wide Commencement Ceremony and a College Recognition Ceremony.

There is no need to use this same model in the summer and fall semesters, as our graduation numbers are significantly lower in those two semesters.

We invite and encourage candidates to attend, but it is not required. Ceremony attendance does not affect graduation status or the ability to obtain a diploma.

Generally, you should plan on the ceremony lasting about 2 hours from the posted start time. The candidate processional will begin approximately 30 minutes prior to the posted start time.

Tickets are not required for any of UF’s fall ceremonies at this time. We will not restrict the number of guests per candidate at these ceremonies.

Diplomas are not distributed at the ceremonies.

Students finish taking finals on Friday, December 15th at 5pm, so grades aren’t finalized graduation weekend; they’re finalized the following week. It then takes about 8 weeks to input grades, update records, certify degrees, print diplomas, sort them for mailing and put them in the mail to graduates’ DIPLOMA MAILING ADDRESS listed in their One.UF as of December 15.

Graduates receive their diplomas in early February.

For more detailed information about diplomas, paper and electronic, visit the Registrar's Office Diploma page.

A student must apply for graduation before they can order regalia. Regalia ordered after November will incur a late fee and cannot be mailed.. 

Regalia orders should be done online here Herff Jones Regalia Order Site

• Doctoral candidates rent a tam with orange tassel, blue open sleeved robe, and hood. There is an option to purchase the hood as a memento. The tam and tassel are yours to keep. The robe must be returned.
• Master's and Specialist's degree candidates purchase a cap with black tassel, gown with slitted sleeves, and hood depicting the color of the college or program.
• Bachelor's degree candidates purchase a cap with the tassel depicting the color of the college and gown with pointed sleeves.

Regalia orders are managed through the UF Bookstore. For questions contact cap-gown@ufl.edu. Further information can be found here: Regalia Services

Please note, the commencement office cannot assist with regalia orders, they must go through the UF Bookstore.

Here are answers to the miscellaneous questions we get about grad caps-

DO THEY COME WITH A TASSEL AUTOMATICALLY?
Yes. When you buy your regalia, or even if you just buy a cap, it will come with the tassel that matches your college.

DO WE THROW OUR CAPS AT THE END OF THE CEREMONY?
No. That's more of a tv thing than a real-life thing. Most universities do not facilitate a grad cap toss.

CAN I DECORATE MY GRAD CAP?
Yes. We just ask that your decorations are family friendly.

Honor Cords
Cords that represent academic honors, such as magna cum laude, are purchased at the bookstore. A student can only purchase the level of cords they are qualified for. The bookstore is given a list from the Registrar's Office that lists which candidates qualify for which honors. They can be pre-ordered or purchased at the time of regalia pickup the week of December 12-17. Honors levels are only for undergraduates. 

Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars Cords
Cords that represent this program are purchased at the bookstore. They can be pre-ordered or purchased at the time of regalia pickup the week of December 11-16. 

Veteran's Stole
The Veteran's Stole can be purchased at the bookstore. This is to signify a candidate's military service and can only be purchased by those who have served in a branch of the U.S. Military.

The Stole of Gratitude
When you purchase your regalia, you will see the option to purchase the "stole of gratitude," this is a special stole with the express purpose of a Gator Grad passing it on to someone in their life who has played an important role in their success.

ALL OTHER STOLES AND CORDS
Stoles and cords that signify participation, completion or membership of programs or organizations are managed through those respective areas. 

For example, if you served as a student ambassador for your college and there is a stole that signifies that, the college will provide that stole to you. 

Professional photographers from University Photography take photos during our ceremonies, they’ve been our ceremony photographers for more than 30 years. Proofs of those photos are sent to the contact information provided on the name cards (students pick up these cards with their regalia). Proofs arrive approximately 10 days after the ceremony.

Contact information for University Photography:

University Photography, P.O. Box 2454, Tuscaloosa, AL 35403-2454
205-391-9500
questions@universitygradphoto.com

Family members nor privately hired photographers will be allowed in the graduate seating area or stage.

Video, film, and digital cameras are permitted, including those with interchangeable lenses. For both the safety and consideration of those around you, the following rules are in place:

• Camera bags are permitted in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, but they are subject to individual inspection.
• Tripods, monopods, selfie sticks or similar apparatuses that can obstruct aisles or others' views are not permitted in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Candidates will receive two copies of the printed university commencement program at the ceremony. These keepsake programs have the names of all students graduating this semester.

(Please note this may not be an exhaustive list, as it reflects applications by the deadline. Academic Honors designations printed in the program are based on GPAs in this timeline. We realize additional applications may be submitted after that date and may fluctuate through the course of the semester. However, due to the printing timeline, we must adhere to that deadline to ensure programs are ready for graduation weekend.)

Additional copies will be available for purchase at the bookstore for $1; proceeds go to a scholarship fund for future first-generation college students from low-income families.

Approximately two weeks before graduation weekend, the full PDF of the program will be available online at https://commencement.ufl.edu/past-programs/. This version can be viewed and/or downloaded at any time after it's up.

Graduates not attending the ceremony who still wish to have their printed copy of the program can pick them up from the bookstore during finals week. You must present your UFID.

We have two great resources:

• Email the Director of Commencements at uf-commencement@ad.ufl.edu with your name, email address and the name of the college you/your student is graduating from and you’ll be added to the weekly email list that begins in mid October. You can also sign up for these emails through the form on this page: https://commencement.ufl.edu/fall/resources/friends--family-email-list/
• The commencement website is another great tool: https://commencement.ufl.edu/fall/

Yes. About two weeks before graduation weekend, the links will appear on this page: https://commencement.ufl.edu/fall/resources/live-stream-links/

In the beginning of January the videos will be moved to the commencement archives where they will remain. The archive page is here: https://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/Channel/commencement/browse/null/most-recent/null/0/null

If a student is a double major...

COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM INFO: (if we have permission to print their name, and their applications for both degrees were submitted on time)

• If they are graduating from more than one college, they will be listed in the commencement program as a graduate of each of those colleges.
• If they are graduating with two different degrees from the same college (example: a BS and a BA) they will be listed under each heading in the commencement program.

DIPLOMA INFO: They will receive a diploma for each degree.

CEREMONY INFO:

• If they are a double major in the same college, they will walk once during their college’s recognition time in that ceremony.
• If they are a double major and both colleges are in the same ceremony, they choose which college to walk with. Everyone walks once in a ceremony.
• If they are a double major and the colleges are in different ceremonies, they choose which ceremony they wish to walk in and register for that one. They can walk in both if they wish to, but this may be a choice to first discuss with the family. Please note that, aside from which grads walk across the stage, the ceremonies are identical.

The ceremonies are rain-or-shine events.

Weather will NOT impact these ceremonies, as the Stephen C. O’Connell Center is an indoor facility.