Graduation and commencement student FAQs
This commencement FAQ page will continue to be updated throughout spring semester. Questions may be sent to cehdinfo@umn.edu.
Ready to graduate?
In order to ensure a seamless road to graduation, we recommend you review and follow the checklist for your degree. Know your degree requirements, and talk to your academic advisor.
Get your academic regalia
You can order your cap and gown and other graduation items at Grad Fest, March 19 and 20, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the U of M Bookstore in Coffman Memorial Union or through the Bookstore's website.
Commencement overview
2025 Undergraduate Commencement ceremonies will be returning to the college-specific format. CEHD’s Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 3M Arena at Mariucci
- Undergraduate student commencement ceremony: 10 a.m.
- Graduate student commencement ceremony: 3 p.m.
- Undergraduate students: All students who graduated in fall 2024 or are currently enrolled students who are scheduled for spring or summer 2025 graduation.
- Graduate students: All Doctoral (EdD and PhD) students who meet any one of the following criteria: Advanced Doctoral Status, Passed Oral Prelim, Registered/Completed 24 Thesis Credits, All Specialist Certificate (EdPsych, Ed S) students who completed/registered 46 credits, and all masters (MA, MED, MS, MSW) students who completed/registered 18 credits
In early March, invited students will receive an email invite from the Tassel (formerly Marching Order) system with a link to RSVP. The deadline to RSVP is April 21, 2025 at 11:59pm.
Undergraduate students are automatically applied to graduate if they have reached 75% degree completion and have an EGT of Fall 2024, Spring 2025 or Summer 2025). See OneStop for more information, including how to request to change the EGT. Graduate students work through their department to clear their degree.
Yes! If a student has a financial hardship of any kind (cost of cap & gown, travel arrangements, etc.) they can apply for a scholarship. Link is here: Commencement Scholarship application. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Preparing for the ceremony
Yes. Order your cap and gown at the U of M Bookstores. The tassel color for CEHD undergraduates is light blue and graduates is black. For graduate students, hood color is determined by type of degree.
No, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Mariucci arena has plenty of seating.
Please contact CEHD Student Services at cehdinfo@umn.edu. Heather Hagen-Mohr and the procession lead will be coordinating these requests.
Mariucci is an ADA compliant building with guest seating specified for those using a wheelchair or other mobility aids, and elevators to get to the concourse level from the entrances. Direct guests to the website for accessible seating instructions. If needs are not covered by these instructions, please contact CEHD Student Services at cehdinfo@umn.edu. Amy Pavlick will be coordinating these requests.
Each ceremony is expected to last between two and three hours.
Yes, professional photographers will photograph graduates on stage. Photographers will also take candid photos before, during, and after the ceremony. These photographs may be used in University of Minnesota print and online publications, social media, promotions, and/or shared in other ways.
ASL interpreters will be at both ceremonies. Commencement staff will direct guests to the best area for viewing the interpreter. Students should contact cehdinfo@umn.edu.
Applications for the student speaker will open in February and be due in late March. Students are asked to submit a draft of their speech and answer some questions about why they chose their major, extracurricular activities, and post-graduation plans.
Honors and distinction (undergraduate students only)
Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude) and graduation with "distinction" and "high distinction" are designations eligible only to undergraduate students at the time of bachelor's degree completion. These designations are not available upon completion of master's and doctoral level degrees.
Undergraduate degree candidates may graduate with either Latin Honors (cum, magna or summa cum laude) or with Distinction (Distinction of High Distinction) or both. Note that honors designations for the purposes of the Commencement ceremony are provisional. They become official once all requirements for the degree are fulfilled.
Students graduating from CEHD through the University Honors Program have taken part in a rigorous course of study, research, scholarship or other creative work in the major, culminating in an Honors thesis representing independent work done under the direction of a faculty supervisor or mentor. Students graduating cum laude (with Honor) have completed these expectations and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 for the last 60 graded credits at UMTC. Magna cum laude (with great honor) awards require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.66 and summa cum laude (with highest honor) awards require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 in the final 60 graded credits at UMTC.
Students are graduated “with Distinction” or “with High Distinction” based on their cumulative grade point average at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, with at least 60 graded credits completed at UMTC. Students graduating “with Distinction” must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher in UMTC coursework at the time of graduation; students graduating “with High Distinction” must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher in UMTC coursework at the time of graduation.