There are designated seating areas at the ceremony for people with mobility issues. These seats are on the floor/ ground level.  People also can sit at the end of a row and ask an usher to remove a chair. Ushers will be available to assist people with mobility disabilities. 

The St. Paul bookstore will be hosting a "Grad Fest" on Wednesday, April 18, and Thursday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the bookstore atrium. Five free graduation announcements will be handed out at that time.  Additional announcements can be purchased in the bookstore.  Personalized announcements can be ordered by connecting to the following link or through the St. Thomas bookstore website after April 1.

In keeping with the solemnity of the occasion, graduates must wear university-issued academic regalia, including cap and gown. Only university issued honor cords and medallions are approved for wear during the ceremony. No other oversized personal adornments, such as flower leis, hats, signs, ribbons, or scarves are acceptable.

The cap should be worn with the mortarboard parallel to the ground and without any additional modification to the appearance. Candidates receiving their Bachelor's degrees should wear the tassel on the right side. It is moved to the left side at the designated time.

It is recommended that personal clothing include dark pants for men, dark pants or skirts for women, and comfortable dark shoes. Jeans or flip flops are not acceptable. 

The St. Paul bookstore will be hosting a "Grad Fest" on Wednesday, April 18, and Thursday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the bookstore atrium. Caps, gowns and tassels will be distributed at that time. If you are unable to attend, you can pick up your cap, gown and tassel(s) at the St. Paul-campus bookstore Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no charge for your cap and gown.  You will need a picture ID when picking up your cap and gown.

Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m.

12:30 p.m.  Faculty and staff marshals report to Schoenecker Arena to line up.  Appropriate academic regalia is required.
 
12:30 p.m.  Gates open to O'Shaughnessy Stadium for guests.

 
1:15 p.m.  Schoenecker Arena doors open and graduates must check in and be in line by 1:30 p.m.
 
1:30 p.m.  Faculty and staff members (non-marshals) are encouraged to attend the ceremony and march in the processional to show support and encouragment to the graduates.  Report to Shoenecker Arena to line up.  Appropriate academic regalia is required.
 
 2 p.m.  Commencement exercises begin with the academic procession from Schoenecker Arena.
 
4:30 p.m. President's reception in lower quad following the ceremony.  Graduates, guests, faculty members and administrators are invited.  Reception will be held in the Anderson Student Center in the event of inclement weather. 

The Commencement Mass, a long-standing tradition at St. Thomas, begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18, at the Cathedral of St. Paul.  The cathedral is located at 239 Selby Avenue.  Caps and gowns are not worn during the Mass.

You will receive your diploma when all requirements for your degree are completed. In addition, your tuition account must be paid in full and, if requested, you must complete a Perkins Loan exit interview. Your diploma will be mailed to you approximately eight weeks after all requirements are verified as completed.

All seniors who place a pre-paid order for diploma frames during "Grad Fest" on Wednesday, April 18, and Thursday, April 19, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. will receive a 10% discount on their pre-paid orders. Diploma frames will be available for pickup the week of graduation.

The size of all diplomas is 8.5x11 inches.  Information on the diploma includes the name of the university, the university seal, the graduate’s name, the degree represented by the diploma, and the date of graduation.

Please click on this link and go to "Hotel Information." Follow the directions for each hotel to get the UST rate. 

Live Streaming video will be available during the ceremonies.

Click on this link for the campus map.

Students and faculty members should not leave valuables in the field house during lineup.

Students and faculty should wear comfortable shoes with a low heel. You will be walking a distance from the line up area to the stadium during the procession.

Come prepared with hats, sunglasses and sunscreen for the outdoor ceremony.

We request that you do not bring items into the stadium that might distract from the dignity of the ceremony, or create any action that interferes with the ceremony.  Thank you for demonstrating your support and giving the ceremony the dignity and honor that it richly deserves. 

Important Note: Possession or consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited during the procession and ceremony.

Newspaper announcements of graduates are issued for all verified undergraduate and graduate students.  Please note that the list of verified students is not available until approximately one month after the end of a term.  In addition, it can take two to three weeks to process and mail the list.  Publication is at the discretion of local newspapers.  If you have questions regarding the releases, please contact Kelly Engebretson at hail9100@stthomas.edu.

Please notify Barbara Rath at barath@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-6708 if you do not plan to attend the ceremony.

Parking is available at all of the surface parking lots with red or yellow signs and two free parking ramps on campus. Click here to view the parking lots and ramps. The parking lots with red or yellow signs have red or yellow circles on the campus map. To park in the Anderson Parking Facility, enter off of Cretin and Grand avenues. To park in the Morrison Hall Ramp, enter from Selby Avenue and Finn Street at the north end of campus. The Morrison Hall Ramp has a height restrictions of 12' 6".  See "Accessible Parking" for information on parking with a handicap permit and accessible drop-off.

Beginning in March, undergraduate students can refer to this site to see if they have been cleared to participate in the May graduation ceremony.  If your name does not appear on the list, please review your degree evaluation and contact your advisor for additional assistance.

 A professional photographer from GradImages will take your picture as you receive your diploma.  Proofs will be sent to your permanent address and via email within three to five days after the ceremony.  There is no obligation to purchase.  Pictures can be ordered online, by phone or by mail.  Graduation Images can be contacted at (800) 261-2576 or via email at www.gradimages.com.

Picture taking on or near the stage is prohibited.

In the event that weather does not permit the ceremony to be held in the stadium, an announcement will be on the UST home page by noon on the day of the ceremony.  The commencement website also will be updated with this information, as well as the event line, (651) 962-7434. 

The rain plan ceremony will be held in the field house, which has limited seating. The doors to the field house will open at 1 p.m. Students participating in the ceremony will be given two tickets for guest seating in the field house. Students will receive their two tickets when they pick up their caps and gowns.  Infants and toddlers can sit on adults' laps and do not need tickets. There will be no entry to the field house for ticket holders during the procession which begins at 2 p.m. Guests with tickets need to be in the building and seated a minimum of 15 minutes before the procession begins.

Other family members and guests will be directed by ushers to video-viewing sites on both the north and south campuses. To view a list of the video-viewing sites, click here.  Campus maps can be accessed online. The ceremony also can be viewed online by accessing the UST Commencement website, then clicking on Video in the bottom-right corner.  The video can be viewed on the day of commencement. 

The president's reception will take place in the Anderson Student Center following the ceremony.  The reception would be the most convenient place for guests to meet up with graduates. 

All graduates should report to Schoenecker Arena in the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Complex by 1:30 for lineup.  Faculty marshals should report to Schoenecker Arena at 12:30 p.m., and all other faculty members at 1:30 p.m.

The president's reception will immediately follow the ceremony in the lower quad.  The reception will be held in the Anderson Student Center in the event of inclement weather.

To be determined.

Tassels will be handed out when students pick up their caps and gowns from the bookstore.  The tassel color is determined by a student’s major(s). The colors are listed below.  Tassels are worn on the right side of the mortarboard.

White: arts and letters, humanities, Catholic studies
Scarlet: theology, peace and justice
Dark blue: philosophy
Golden yellow: science
Drab: business
Light blue: education
Salmon pink: public health
Orange: engineering
Crimson: journalism
Citron: social work
Brown: fine arts
Pink: music
Sage green: physical education
Copper: economics

No tickets are needed for this graduation ceremony unless the rain plan is implemented. See "Rain Plan" information.