Spring 2024 Commencement

The Smith School's commencement ceremonies are on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at the XFINITY center. The undergraduate ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and the graduate ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m.

View Commencement Guidelines

Commencement Speakers

To be announced

Tickets

Campus Ceremony

Tickets are required for all graduates and their guests. More information can be found on the UMD Commencement website.  

Smith School

Tickets are not required for the Smith School ceremonies in Xfinity Center on Wednesday, May 22. The undergraduate ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. and the graduate ceremony will begin at 12:30 p.m.

Location and Parking

XFINITY Center

Commencement will be held at the XFINITY Center on campus. General guest parking is in lots 4, 6, 9 and 11. Anyone with an ADA permit or otherwise needing accessible parking should park on the 2nd floor of Terrapin Trail Garage. Drivers should go in through the middle entrance of the garage. 

View directions for:

Please note that some items are prohibited in the XFINITY center. A few examples include balloons, noisemakers, strollers and backpacks. More information on prohibited items can be found here.

Accessibility

Those with limited mobility should park in Terrapin Trail garage. Wheelchair seating will be available at the top of section 120. There will be Xfinity staff near the garage entrance to help direct people who need help finding section 120.

Those who need the ASL interpreter should sit in the first few rows of section 114. Xfinity staff will reserve the first three rows for those who need this service.

Regalia Information

Commencement Regalia

Academic regalia are the traditional dress for degree candidates participating in college, school and department convocations, as well as the university-wide commencement ceremony.

On Campus

University Book Center

Academic regalia is available for purchase from the University Book Center (UBC). The UBC will continue to provide regalia services up until commencement. Gown sizing and hood colors may be limited after April 20. Along with full regalia packages, the UBC will stock individual pieces, including the tassel, stole, and hood.

 

Contact Us

Office of Smith Programs & Events
4570 Van Munching Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
smithcommencement@umd.edu

Undergraduate and graduate students who are close to completing their degree requirements may be permitted by their college, at the request of the student, to participate in spring departmental, college, and/or campus commencement activities if they can demonstrate that they intend to complete all degree requirements before the first day of classes in the next fall semester. Colleges may define criteria for summer graduates to be considered for participation in May commencement ceremonies, such as the number or type of credits or courses left to complete the degree. Students should consult school or college commencement websites for details.

Participation in commencement activities (including the main commencement ceremony) does not imply degree completion or graduation, nor official degree completion in that particular spring semester. All degree requirements must be completed before a degree and diploma can be awarded.
Undergraduate students who are pursuing a double degree, and who intend to complete all graduation requirements for one of the degrees before the first day of fall classes, may participate in the ceremonies for that degree. Students who are pursuing a double major must complete all degree requirements for both majors before the first day of fall classes to be able to participate in these ceremonies.

Procedurally, students who plan to complete their degree requirements in summer and wish to participate in spring commencement ceremonies must contact their academic college (in the case of undergraduate students) or academic department (in the case of graduate students). If the request is approved, the college or department will notify the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) as soon as possible by sending the student’s name, UID, and email address to Diploma Services (diploma@umd.edu). OUR will then communicate with the student and the ticketing office accordingly. Once this process is completed, the student will be eligible to receive tickets for the main ceremony and may participate in the department or college ceremonies.

In the interest of having the printed main commencement program be as accurate as possible, students’ names will be included in this printed program only if they are expected to graduate in the spring. Depending on the timing of when OUR receives notification, however, late additions and deletions may not be accurately recorded in the printed program. Colleges and departments have the discretion to include the names of summer graduates who participate in the spring ceremonies in their printed programs if they wish.

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