Commencement
Introduction
Commencement is a ceremonial event that allows students to celebrate the completion of their academic degree program. It is held twice a year in May and December. UIC commencement ceremonies, including RSVP and ticketing processes, are managed by central administration; see commencement.uic.edu.
Due to capacity limitations, only students who have completed or are currently in progress to complete all degree requirements, and who have filed their intent to graduate via Student Self-Service by the campus deadline, are eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies.
Students with outstanding degree requirements are not eligible to participate until all requirements are in progress to be satisfied.
- For Spring commencement ceremonies, only students completing their degree requirements during that spring semester are eligible to participate.
- Students completing their degree requirements during the summer or fall semesters are eligible to participate in the December commencement ceremony.
For questions about your degree progress, please schedule an appointment with your LAS academic advisor. Review your uAchieve Degree Audit via my.uic.edu.
Upcoming Commencements
Spring 2026 Commencement Ceremony
General Commencement FAQ's
Who Can Participate?
What is the difference between Commencement and Graduation?
Commencement is a ceremony students may participate in for the purpose of celebrating the completion of an academic degree program. Commencement is held annually in May and December for students who graduated during the preceding term.
Graduation occurs when the student has completed all of their requirements and is awarded a degree. Graduation can occur during any semester. Attendance at Commencement is not required for graduation.
What do I need to do to participate in Commencement?
After submitting an Intent to Graduate, students must also register for the Commencement ceremony to participate. All eligible students receive a personalized invitation (to their UIC email address) with a registration code for Tassel, the registration platform. Students who do not register will not be accommodated.
Further instructions for the day of the ceremony and about guest tickets will be sent via email to those who have registered. Students will receive an email with the unique registration link.
If I filed an Intent to Graduate Form/Pending Degree List Form, do I still have to register to attend the commencement ceremony?
Yes. Only eligible students registered through the web registration platform, Tassel, may participate in the ceremony. Individualized links are sent from Tassel to eligible students to their UIC email.
I didn’t receive an email invitation. Can I still participate in Commencement?
Email invitations to Commencement are sent to eligible students in early to mid-semester. If you submitted your intent to graduate and believe that you should be eligible to participate in a commencement ceremony, you may email lascommencement@uic.edu.
Am I required to attend Commencement to receive my diploma?
No. Diplomas will be mailed to you 3 – 4 months after your graduation is certified. Only diploma covers, not diplomas, are distributed at Commencement.
Ticket Info
All eligible students wishing to participate in the commencement ceremony must register. UIC has partnered with Tassel, which will create a display that shows your name, degree, and major on screen as you cross the stage. Tassel will also have professional name readers record your name to be played while you are on stage. Students will receive an email with the unique registration link.
Due to the size of our graduating class, capacity limits of the UIC Credit Union 1 Arena, and to ensure that we do not issue tickets that go unused, guest tickets to each graduate are limited for the Spring ceremony and may be limited for the Fall ceremony. All tickets will be electronically available for graduates to reserve and assign via Tassel. Graduates may request additional tickets closer to the date of the ceremony; more information about the availability of extra tickets is sent to students via Tassel. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences does not control ticketing for the LAS Commencement Ceremony.
- Graduates are guaranteed an assigned seating ticket with their registration and do not need a separate ticket.
- If tickets are required for your ceremony, all guests over the age of 1 year will need a ticket to gain entrance to the Credit Union 1 Arena.
- Tickets cannot be purchased at the Credit Union 1 Arena on the day of the event (or before).
- Commencement ceremonies are live-streamed, see commencement.uic.edu.
Diploma Information
Diplomas represent degrees earned, not majors and minors. Majors are only listed on diplomas for students with specialized curricula. See a list of how diplomas and majors are represented (see – “Degree Conferred”). Transcripts, however, list all appropriate majors, minors, and concentrations. Educational goals are not listed on diplomas or on transcripts.
Diplomas will be ordered and sent 4-6 weeks after degrees are certified. UIC’s diploma printing group, Michael Sutter, has provided a link that shows what a student’s diploma will say and when it was mailed. Students can begin checking the website in 2-4 weeks after degrees are certified to see when a diploma was sent.
Address Change Information
Personal information (e.g., address change) and diploma information can be found on the UIC Registrar website.
Ordering Your Cap and Gown
Caps and gowns are available for purchase in the UIC Campus Bookstore. Cap and gowns cannot be purchased the day of graduation, and only those with correct academic attire are permitted to participate. Tassels are to be worn to the front-right of the cap prior to the ceremony. When degrees are conferred, graduates will be instructed to switch them to the left side. If you are receiving a Bachelor of Science, your tassel will be gold. If you are receiving a Bachelor of Arts, your tassel will be white.
Video and Photography
LAS Commencement is televised live through the University’s Commencement website, and archived audiovisual recordings can also be viewed after the ceremony through the website. Copies of the recording can be ordered here. In addition, still photographs of Commencement activities are taken for University archival and promotional purposes.
Professional photographs will be taken of each graduate as you cross the stage and as you leave the stage with your diploma cover in hand and will be available for order. Within 2 to 3 days following the ceremony, the photographs will be posted online and can be accessed via the following web page by entering the last name of the graduate and the Commencement year: http://www.gradimages.com/universityofillinoischicago. You will also receive proofs and order forms from the photography company to both the mailing and email addresses you provided on the Attendance Reservation Form within 2 to 7 days following the ceremony.