Tickets are required for all family and guests at all ceremonies.
All Commencement ceremonies have assigned seating. Section, row and seat location is specified on each individual ticket.
Only graduating UCI students can reserve tickets for their family or guests. All graduates can reserve a maximum of 5 tickets for the June Commencement Ceremony when registration opens on April 1. Graduates will then download their guest tickets in May. Graduates will receive an email with information on how and when to download tickets in May.
Guests must obtain tickets from their graduate PRIOR to the graduate’s ceremony line- up time. Tickets are not available at the door, nor will any be held for guest pick-up. Your graduate will be able to print copies of reserved tickets to distribute to their guests.
Graduates do not need a ticket. However, they must register to participate in their ceremony when registration is open in April. All guests do need tickets.
If a child or baby occupies a seat of their own, they will need a ticket. Children who are young enough (under the age of 2) to remain on a parent’s lap for the duration of the ceremony do not need a ticket.
Guest tickets are free for all Commencement ceremonies, but are limited and must be reserved by the graduating student in early to mid April.
UCI students can log in to reserve guest tickets if they have met the graduation eligibility requirements and have completed an Application to Graduate form by the respective school deadline. Ticket reservations will be available online via the Registration page. Ticket registration begins on April 1st at 10 a.m and closes April 11 at 5 p.m.
Reserved guest tickets must be printed by the graduate. Tickets will be available for printing after the graduate completes the download process in May.
Unfortunately, Additional tickets are not available. Tickets are evenly distributed to all graduates.
If you would like to split your guest seats to be in different areas, you will be able to do this when you download your tickets in May.If you have the maximum amount of 5 total tickets, you can split them into a set of 3 and another set of 2. You will complete the process to download one of the sets first and then go back into the system and download the other set in a different area. This will give you the full set of 5 tickets and in different areas of the arena.
Purchase your cap and gown and tassel through UCI Alumni Association.
Cap and Gown Sales:
Online sales are expected to start in mid April.
Attend Grad Expo to pickup your online regalia order. Grad Expo will be April 22- April 25, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. daily at the Newkirk Alumni Center
For questions regarding cap and gown, please email alumni@uci.edu.
No. Caps and gowns must be purchased online and picked up at Grad Expo. Dates to be released soon for online purchasing. Appropriate regalia is required for a graduate to be able to participate in a ceremony.
Caps can be decorated but must not block the view of audience members and other graduates that may be seated behind the graduate.
Regalia gowns may not be altered or decorated. Gowns must remain in the state they were purchased as that is the appropriate and approved regalia for our ceremonies.
UCI graduation sashes and stoles representing UCI organizations or proclaiming a vocational aspiration may be worn with cap and gown. Wearing multiple stoles is permitted.
Recognition cords, pins and medals awarded by UCI organizations and academic departments may also be worn with cap and gown.
Participation in Commencement is not mandatory. Graduates must be in approved regalia to participate in a ceremony.
Members of religious orders or commissioned U.S. military officers may wear their customary habit or dress uniform.
Graduates must report to their line-up location no later than 75 minutes (one hour and fifteen minutes) prior to the start time of the Commencement ceremony in order to allow adequate time to check in, clear security, verify name card information, and to line up.
Traffic will be heavy so plan to arrive 90 minutes before the ceremony. UCI event staff will direct traffic to the closest available parking lots. Please follow directions from event staff on–site.
For additional parking information, please review the Travel Guide before heading to campus. An updated link to the travel guide will be added in May.
The Bren Events Center is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all patrons. Safety protocol will include a walk-through metal detector screening along with a standard clear bag check for all attendees prior to entering the facility. For security purposes, all clear bags are subject to search prior to entry for any event. Guests should plan their arrival accordingly to allow ample time for the screening process.
*This list is not exhaustive. List of prohibited items subject to change.
For those that have not attended a UCI event on campus, please review the Full code of fan conduct »
Only clear bags will be permitted with a maximum size of 12″x12″x6″ — the size of a one-gallon freezer bag.
Bags, backpacks, large purses, etc., are not permitted with the exception of bags carried for medical reasons or manufactured diaper bags that accompany infants and young children.
Items Not Permitted:
*This list is not exhaustive. List of prohibited items subject to change.
For security purposes, all guest clear bags will be searched prior to entry for any event.
Ushers are located throughout the venue and can provide guest assistance such as:
A variety of concessions are available. Outside food or drink, other than a water bottle, are not permitted.
No. Guests should inform the parking attendant upon arrival at the parking structure of any assistance needed.
If parked at the Student Center Parking Structure (SCPS), golf carts will be available to transport elderly/disabled guests to the Bren Events Center.
Shuttles are available for assistance to/from parking structures.
Guests should not contact UCI Parking & Transportation to request a disabled parking space.
Each ceremony will be approximately one hour and 45 minutes, depending on the number of graduates. Grad Hooding is expected to last approximately 2-2.5 hours.
Guests should designate a place to meet their graduate after the ceremony!
Out of respect for the graduates and their guests, attendees are asked to remain for the duration of all of the events.
UC Irvine and Commencement will align with the latest state guidance regarding indoor events as well as county, city and campus directives. Please note that guidelines may be updated at any time. Throughout your visit to campus please be sure to always follow campus guidelines.
No. UC Irvine is proud to be a smoke-free campus. Additionally, marijuana, vape pens and e-cigs are not permitted.
With the passing of Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana use in the State of California, there may be confusion about what is allowed on UCI’s campus. While the new law allows for the purchase and recreational use of marijuana, UCI abides by the policies of the University of California, as well as federal law. The applicable policy, viewed here, clearly states that the use, possession and sale of marijuana, in all forms, is prohibited on campus property, including all university-owned and leased buildings, housing and parking lots.
All Ph.D., D.N.P. and M.F.A. candidates who have completed or are expected to complete their degree during Fall 2024- Fall 2025 quarters who have not previously participated in a Graduate Hooding Ceremony.
PLEASE NOTE: The School of Law and the School of Medicine M.D.s hold their own ceremonies. They are not included in the Graduate Hooding ceremony.
An announcement is used to formally communicate with friends and family that a graduate will be completing their degree.
Graduation announcements, thank you notes and a variety of paper goods can be ordered from Jostens.
An invitation invites people to come to Commencement and is usually given to those who have made the greatest investment in a graduate’s education. Graduates inviting people to attend their Commencement ceremony should be sure to inform guests that tickets are required for entry, in addition to providing them with their tickets prior to the ceremony.
More UCI and graduation-related items are available for purchase at The Hill.
The Commencement Office cannot provide information about individual graduates, their status or their reservations to anyone that is not the graduate. The office can only communicate directly with graduates to assist them with their registration and ticket questions.
Graduates wishing to opt out of being listed in the digital program should do so in early May by emailing the University Registrar at registrar@uci.edu.
Undergraduate students who have completed their course work in Summer ’24, Fall ’24, Winter ’25, Spring ’25, or will complete their coursework in Summer ’25 are eligible to participate in the June 2025 Commencement events.
Undergraduate students completing their course work in Fall ‘25 would NOT be eligible to participate in the June ceremonies.These graduates will participate in the December 2025 ceremony.
Graduate students receiving their Master’s, D.N.P, or Ph.D. may be able to participate if they plan to complete their degree before or during Fall ’25. Please check with your academic advisor to determine if you are eligible.
Graduates can write their own invitation letter for their family members. Also, the International Center encourages graduates to obtain an enrollment verification from the Office of the Registrar.
UCI does not write these letters, nor are they required by the U.S. Consulate. For additional information, please contact UCI’s International Center.
For more information on inviting family members to the U.S.A. and a sample letter of invitation, click here.
If you have any questions regarding the UCI Yearbook please contact info@yearbook.uci.edu or visit their website’s FAQ page here.
Diplomas can have either your legal or preferred name. You may set your preferred name via StudentAccess. Requests for a preferred name may be submitted only by the student.
You may submit a Request for Name Change to ask that your name be changed on university records. The form is also available at the University Registrar’s office.
Minors are not noted on diplomas. Minors are posted to academic transcripts.
Diplomas are typically available four months after the end of the quarter in which the student graduated. Degrees are posted on official transcripts approximately six to seven weeks after the end of the quarter in which they are awarded. The degree award date is the last day of the graduating term, or for Summer Session, the last day of Summer Session II.
https://www.reg.uci.edu/services/diplomas.html
Graduates can email the Registrar’s Office directly to see if they can assist you with an update specific to your diploma. They can be reached at Registrar@uci.edu.
Degrees are noted on official transcripts approximately six to seven weeks after the end of the quarter in which they are awarded.
Diplomas measure 8 1/2 inches high by 11 inches wide.
School of Law diplomas measure 11 inches high by 17 inches wide.
Medical Doctor (M.D.) diplomas measure 11 inches high by 17 inches wide.
The digital Commencement Program lists the names of all qualified students who applied on time for graduation.
Undergraduate students who earn their degrees in Summer Session, Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters, and the following Summer Session are eligible to have their name and major included in the online Commencement Program. Graduate students who earn their degrees in Fall, Winter and Spring Quarters, and the following Summer and Fall sessions are eligible to have their name and major included in the online Commencement Program.
Undergraduate students that APPLY to graduate past the deadline will not have their name listed in the program.
Graduate students that REGISTER LATE will not have their name listed in the program.
Deans are responsible for certifying that students have met GPA, unit, residence, breadth, university, minor, school and major requirements. Awarding a degree signifies completion of coursework on or by the degree certification deadline. Transcripts of work taken at other institutions must be received by the university and posted to the academic record by the deadline. Any necessary last-minute grade changes and/or post-quarter add/drop/changes must be processed by the deadline or accompany the degree certification list.
When UCI course work is completed after the deadline or credit is given for course work completed elsewhere after the degree certification deadline, the degree should be awarded for the following quarter.
