Graduates

Graduates must wear regalia (cap and gown) in order to participate in the University Wide Commencement.

The doctoral degrees ceremony and some of the college recognition ceremonies require regalia, others will not. Check with your college's ceremony webpage or the College Recognition Ceremonies page for this information to ensure you're prepared for your college's ceremony.

For questions about regalia, including ordering and deadline information, contact the bookstore directly:

Please note, the commencement office cannot assist with regalia orders. Orders MUST be managed through the UF Bookstore.

Students graduating in a given semester must apply to graduate. The deadlines for applications for the Spring 2025 semester can be found in the catalog of the Registrar's Office Registrar Spring Deadline Page. The deadline this semester is February 2.

The application for graduation can be found in a student's OneUF: https://registrar.ufl.edu/services/degreeapp

In the application, there is a box that asks the degree applicant whether UF has permission to print their name in the commencement program. If the box is not marked "yes" by the applicant, we are legally prohibited to print the name of the candidate in the commencement program.

Please note, due to printing deadlines, we gather names for the commencement program the week after the degree application deadline. This is also when we collect the honors status of our candidates (cum laude, etc.). If a candidate does not apply for graduation on time, or if their honors status changes during the second part of the semester, we cannot guarantee them to be accurately reflected in the commencement program.

6pm- Arrive under Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Arrive at the stadium, entering underneath Gate 18 in full regalia.

Full regalia: Cap with tassel, gown (and hood if you are earning a doctoral, master's, or specialist's degree). Cords and sashes may also be worn.
Bachelor's candidates should have their tassels on their right; doctoral, master's, and specialist's candidates should have their tassels on their left.

Families can begin entering the stadium at 5:30pm. Gates open are 1, 2, 18, 15, 16, and 12.

6pm-6:45pm- Security Check 

As candidates arrive, you will be checked for bags. Bags must be clear and no larger than 12"x6"x12". We will not have a place for you to store anything you bring with you that does not meet this criteria.

Candidates will then go through a security check point which will include metal detection devices.

Once in the stadium, candidates will receive a bottle of water and be guided to their college's seating area. 

6pm-6:45pm- Seating

Once candidates have gone through security check, they should find the seating area designated for their college. Candidates will not be seated in a specific order by major or name, so they can sit with whomever they'd like within their college.

A seating diagram for candidates will appear here in April.

7pm- College Processional

• The college banners will be carried onto the field in alphabetical order: Agricultural and Life Sciences; Arts; Design Construction and Planning; etc.
• Behind each banner will be the dean of the college.
• Colleges will be announced with their dean.
• As the colleges and deans are called, candidates of the respective college should stand.

Example: When "College of Public Health and Health Professions, Dean Beth Vernig" is announced, the doctoral, master, and bachelor degree candidates from the college of Public Health and Health Professions should stand. When the next college, the college of Veterinary Medicine, is called, the Public Health and Health Professions candidates would sit and the Veterinary Medicine candidates would stand.

7:15pm- Platform Party Processional

The President, Provost, Trustee Members, celebrity speaker and other members of the stage party process in. It is appropriate for all candidates and guests to stand at this time.

7:20pm-8:20pm (approximately)-University Wide Commencement Ceremony

President Ben Sasse will preside over this ceremony. The celebrity speaker, TBD, will give the commencement address. Each college dean will present their college, and a Board of Trustees member will confer the degrees (this is the moment where bachelor's degree candidates turn their tassel from right to left). The president of the UF alumni association will welcome you as alumni for the first time.

8:20pm (approximately)- Exiting Stadium

Following the platform recessional, candidates will exit the field through the tunnel they entered while guests exit through other locations. Due to large crowds leaving the stadium at once, plan plenty of time for egress and establish a meeting point.

HINT: Choose less-common locations to meet your party. The Bull Gator or Heisman Trophy statues are where most people choose to meet.

Diplomas are ordered for all graduates by the Office of the University Registrar. This takes place at the end of the term for a term's graduating class. Once colleges have posted grades (which takes place the Tuesday after the ceremony weekend), it takes approximately 8 weeks for graduates to receive their diplomas.

Diplomas are mailed to the graduates' DIPLOMA MAILING ADDRESS as it appears in their ONE.UF. Students are responsible for correcting or updating their DIPLOMA MAILING ADDRESS before the close of their final semester.

More information about diplomas can be found on the diploma page of the Office of the University Registrar's website.

Graduates will receive two copies of the printed university commencement program at their respective ceremonies. These keepsake programs have the names of students graduating this semester. Candidates must approve their name to be printed in the program within their ONE.UF graduation checklist.

(please note this may not be a fully exhaustive list, as it reflects applications at a given point in the semester; academic honors designations are also determined at this time and may fluctuate through the course of the semester)

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 appears.

Some colleges will also have printed programs for their recognition ceremonies.

If you are an international student who may need assistance with the proper documents for family or friends to come to your ceremony, you should contact UF’s International Center for assistance.

• Forms page: International Center
• Location: 1765 Stadium Road, Suite 170 Hub Gainesville, FL 32611
• Phone: (352) 392-5323