Undergraduate Commencement

• If you plan to have your degree awarded at the end of Spring 2023, log into Murphy Online to review your degree evaluation and ensure that all your requirements are showing as “Complete or Complete (with classes in-progress)” If the evaluation shows “Not complete” or “Nearly complete - see advisor,” or you have any questions, please email retention@stthomas.edu.
• Grad App Details: There are three separate deadlines available for the completing the grad app:
  • March 12, 2023 – students must complete the grad app and place regalia order to guarantee regalia is available for pick up at Grad Fest on April 28th.
  • March 31, 2023 – students must complete the grad app and place regalia order to guarantee regalia arrives before commencement. For students with multiple majors, this is also the deadline to determine in which ceremony you will participate.
  • May 1, 2023 at 11:59pm – This is the final opportunity to complete the grad app to participate in commencement on May 20 and have regalia but availability of sizes are not guaranteed.

  *If you are a Summer 2022, December 2022 or January 2023 graduate, have already completed your grad app and are participating in the May 2023 ceremony, you will receive additional information regarding your ceremonies separately. Please watch your email for this information.

1. Fill out the First Destination Survey about your post-graduation plans (May 2023). Watch for an email and complete the survey as soon as possible.
2. Add the schedule of events to your calendar.
3. Request accessibility needs for you or your guests by contacting Disability Resources at disabilityresources@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-6315. ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters will be provided for all ceremonies; ASL users do not need to make individual requests for this. If you are participating in the commencement ceremony and you, or your guests, have an accessibility request, please contact Disability Resources. Please submit your request by April 28, 2023. We will make every effort to accommodate requests after this date.
4. Undergraduate 4-year degree seniors are invited to participate in Grad Fest on Friday, April 28 to pick up their regalia and participate in fun activities and giveaways. For more information on Grad Fest and Senior Days, please see the Senior Days page.
5. All students participating in commencement will receive an email with the link to order their regalia. There is no cost to students for regalia. Provided regalia includes gown, cap, tassel (for each major earned) and, new this year, a purple stole with the University of St Thomas seal. Deadlines: March 10, 2023, guarantees arrival and pick up at Grad Fest on April 28, 2023. March 31, 2023, guarantees arrival and pick up by commencement on May 20, 2023. After March 31st, we will have a limited supply of regalia on a first come, first served basis. In order to guarantee accurate sizing please order regalia before March 31 at the latest.
6. Visit the St. Thomas Campus Store to find all your graduation supplies; including diploma frames, announcements, gifts and more.
7. Ceremonies also will be video live-streamed and recorded for those who cannot attend in person. Links for the live stream will be available for each ceremony on the commencement website on the day of commencement. We will also have locations available on campus during commencement that will have the live-stream playing. Please check back the week of commencement for these specific locations.
8. Complete your student loan exit counseling.
9. Watch for more communication from the Financial Aid Office regarding loans you borrowed. Visit this Financial Aid webpage for more information.

1. Claim your ceremony tickets no later than Friday, May 12, 2023, 4:00pm CST.
2. Connect on Social Media.
   Follow @UofStThomasMN Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for up-to-date information and use hashtags #TommieGrad and #UST2023 to be featured on @UofStThomasMN Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
3. Plan how your guests will commute to and park at the St. Paul campus.
   Review details on directions and parking along with the severe weather plan.
4. March Out of the Arches on May 19.
   It is a special tradition for new students to begin their time at St Thomas by walking through the arches, into campus, symbolizing the joining of the St Thomas community. The tradition comes full circle on Friday evening of commencement weekend. Family, friends, alumni and community members are invited to line the sidewalks outside of the arches to celebrate and congratulate our graduating undergraduates as they march out of the arches. Join your classmates on Friday, May 19, to participate in the annual March Out of the Arches.
5. Attend the Commencement Mass on May 19.
   The Commencement Mass, a long-standing tradition at St. Thomas, will be on Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Paul, located at 239 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN. Caps and gowns will not be worn during the Mass. All are invited to attend.

Participate in the Commencement Ceremony - Arrival

Graduates should arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of their assigned ceremony.

Leave Prohibited Items at Home

Do not bring items into the fieldhouse that might detract from the dignity of the ceremony, or take any action that interferes with the ceremony. Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:

• Picture-taking near or on the stage by the graduates, family members or friends. A professional photographer is hired by the university to provide high quality images as the graduate receives their diploma. Proofs will be sent to you in the week following the ceremony. However, there is no obligation to purchase.
• The stage is for students only and approved faculty and staff. No children, infants, or guests are allowed on the stage at any time.
• Balloons, beach balls, and noisemakers are prohibited at all ceremonies.
• Alcohol is not to be brought to and/or consumed at the ceremony.
• St. Thomas is a tobacco-free campus and smoking, or vaping, is not permitted.
• Strollers are not permitted within the fieldhouse due to limited space. There will be a stroller corral inside the Anderson Athletic and Recreation Center where guests can leave strollers during the ceremony. Ushers will direct guests to the stroller corral. The corral will be supervised during the ceremony. However, St. Thomas cannot take any responsibility for lost or damaged strollers.

Photos and Mingling After the Ceremony

There will be several photo opportunities on the lower quad for graduates and guests to take photos. We understand and honor your desire to commemorate this occasion with photos, hugs, and greeting fellow graduates and families.

Please note: After each ceremony, guests and graduates will remain in their designated areas until each group is ushered separately out of the facilities. Guests and graduates will not be allowed to co-mingle in the fieldhouse following the ceremonies for pictures. Instead, our event staff will guide all parties to the lower quad separately to celebrate this wonderful day.

1. Provide feedback on the commencement experience to improve future ceremonies.
   A survey will be sent to graduates.
2. Consider sending a graduation announcement to your local newspaper.
3. Update your contact information in Murphy Online.
   We want to make sure any future transcript requests or other important information gets sent to the right place. Please update your address to your current mailing address or another address you will continue to have access to.
4. Receive your diploma.
   If all graduation requirements have been met, your diploma will be mailed to you beginning early July. (This is why it’s important to update your address in Murphy Online.) Be sure to complete any outstanding payments with the Business Office to ensure timely delivery.