Commencement Day Schedule

In this Section:

Winter Commencement Day Schedule
Sunday, December 17, 2023 | 2:00 p.m.

Graduate Schedule for Commencement Day

  • 12:30 p.m. Crisler Center opens for graduate entry via Gate 1 of Michigan Stadium
    • Graduates and candidates, dressed in academic attire, enter Crisler Center via Gate 1 of Michigan Stadium beginning at 12:45 p.m. Faculty marshals will direct them and lead a student procession onto the arena floor.
  • 12:45 p.m. Crisler Center opens for guests
  • 1:15 p.m. Graduate procession begins
  • 1:50 p.m.  Graduates and guests should be in their seats
  • 2:00 p.m.  Winter Commencement begins
  • 4:15 p.m.  Ceremony ends (approx.)

Note to All Graduates:

  • If you are a graduate who would like to attend the ceremony, you will need a graduate ticket. Please follow this link to redeem your graduate and guest tickets. All graduates are eligible to redeem up to six (6) guest tickets.
  • Ticketing opens Monday, November 27 at 12:00 p.m. ET and closes on Friday, December 15 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Following December 15th, tickets will be available on commencement day at the Crisler Center Box Office.
  • All graduating students must have their MCard or government-issued ID.
  • Plan to wear comfortable shoes, as the route requires stairs.
  • Please refer to the Crisler Center’s prohibited items list included on this site or by visiting mgoblue.com
  • If you are unable to navigate steps, use a wheelchair, or require other accommodations, please visit the accessibility page so your needs can be planned for.

Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Graduates and Candidates

Those receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees will gather on the concourse of Crisler Center between sections 116 and 128. Students will process down the stairs and onto the arena floor under the direction of faculty marshals. If you are unable to use the stairs, enter through the Crisler Center Tunnel where event staff will direct you to seating or to join the graduate procession to be seated on the arena floor. Bachelor’s/Master’s graduates are seated in an open format and not by school/college or alphabetical order. During the ceremony, all degree recipients will proceed to the stage to shake hands with either the president or the provost.

Names of bachelor’s and master’s recipients are not announced.

Doctoral Degree Recipients

Doctoral degree recipients will gather on the concourse of Crisler Center near section 116. You will receive your name card with a number. Faculty marshals will direct you to seating where you will sit in a seat corresponding with the number on your card. Faculty marshals will lead doctoral recipients in the graduate procession to doctoral seating on the arena floor.

During the ceremony, doctoral degree recipients carry their hoods to the stage. Once there, they return their cards to a faculty marshal so their names may be read aloud as they are recognized.

After the dissertation chair, who has been instructed to join you on stage—or a faculty marshal—has draped the hood on their shoulders, each recipient crosses the stage to receive his or her diploma and be recognized by the dean of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and the president of the University.