All KU and KU Medical Center students with plans to graduate must complete an Application for Graduation. A complete application does not grant graduation approval. You must contact your respective school to confirm that requirements have been met and to finalize details. (Note: Graduate degree requirements may not be due until late April.) To complete your Application for Graduation, follow these instructions:

• Log into Enroll & Pay.
• Access the “Degree Progress/Graduation” page.
• Click on “KU Apply for Graduation.”
• Confirm the name that will appear on your diploma and in the Commencement book.

If you completed your Application for Graduation by/on March 1st, your name will be included in the Commencement book, unless you checked the Commencement Book Hold box on your application.

Confirm your personal information

While in Enroll & Pay, please confirm contact information for yourself post-graduation and for an emergency contact on the “Personal Details” page.

Determine honors

The top 10% of undergraduates, as calculated by GPA, graduate with distinction. Roughly a third of those students graduate with the highest distinction. An average of 10 seniors also have their academic, volunteer, and leadership accomplishments recognized with a University Award.

Ask your advisor any graduation-related questions about distinction and honors. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restricts parents or guardians from access to this information.

It is suggested to purchase your regalia by March 28th to ensure it arrives in time before the ceremony as regalia can take several weeks to ship. 

Caps & gowns, tassels, hoods, rings, and announcements can be found at:
KU Bookstore 785-864-4640 or 1-800-458-1111
KU Med Center Bookstore 913-588-2548 or 1-800-262-7509

IPCD Regalia:

• Master of Liberal Arts Studies, (MA SLP)
• Au.D.
• SLPD
• Ph.D.

Participants must wear academic regalia at the KU Graduation ceremonies. Regalia include mortarboards, tams, gowns, tassels, and hoods. (Commemorative crimson and blue tassels and Jayhawk zipper-pulls are also available.)

Commencement participants can attend one of KU’s Grad Fairs to purchase their cap and gown, graduation announcements, diploma frames, and other Commencement needs. Cap and gown portraits will also be available, and KU staff will be on hand to answer any questions.

LAWRENCE CAMPUS GRAD FAIR
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25 and Wednesday, March 26
Kansas Union Ballroom, Level 5
1301 Jayhawk Blvd.
Lawrence, Kansas

EDWARDS CAMPUS GRAD FAIR
2-7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 12
Regents Center, Hawks Nest
12600 Quivira Rd.
Overland Park, KS

KU MEDICAL CENTER GRAD FAIR
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Thursday, February 27 and Tuesday, March 11
Orr-Major Building, Room G005
3901 Rainbow Blvd.
Kansas City, KS

Invitations are student responsibility. Graduation announcements can be ordered from the KU Bookstore. 

KU Bookstore 785-864-4640 or 1-800-458-1111
KU Med Center Bookstore 913-588-2548 or 1-800-262-7509

May 17, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.

Main Auditorium Lied Center, 1600 Stewart Drive, Lawrence 

More information

Friday, May 16th 2025 at 3-4:30PM

Regnier Hall, Edwards Campus. Invitation Only.  

KU Medical Center Graduation Information

Graduate Studies Student Hub

Saturday May 17, 2025 at 1PM-3PM 

Budig Hall Auditorium, Room 120. 

1455 Jayhawk Blvd, Lawrence, KS 66045

Students need to arrive by 11:45pm. 

Ceremony is for both undergraduate and graduate students. 

See more information below for ceremony specifics. 

Sunday, May 18th, 2025 at 10:30am. 

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence Campus. 

More information (includes important guest, parking and navigation details) 

• All graduates are to wear proper academic regalia (see Regalia section above). Please wear gowns to the venue for registration because photos will start immediately after check in.
• Graduate students, bring your hood but do not wear it. You will leave square hats and programs in your seats for hooding and receiving scrolls.
  • Overview of hooding at 2 minutes in this instructional video.
• You will be marching and standing a good part of the time and some of the aisles are at an incline. Therefore, low-heeled, comfortable dress shoes are recommended. Wearing appropriate clothing under you gown is also recommended: business casual or Sunday best. 
• When your regalia arrives, hang it up to remove wrinkles. You can also steam the gown to remove wrinkles. 
• There are no secure areas to leave personal belongings, so it is recommended that jackets, purses, and other personal items be left with your guests.
• Please be respectful of others and silence all cell phones.

• Any number of guests may attend and there are no tickets required. Please encourage your guests to avoid standing/sitting in the aisles to take picture as the professional photographer and graduates may be moving around in all the lower aisles.
• Accessible seating: We have an area designated for mobility limited guests. These seats are limited so large families won't be guaranteed that they can all sit together based on demand. An ASL interpreter will be present. To reserve the accessible seating please email: splh@ku.edu in advance. When you arrive at the ceremony, check in with the front desk at the West entrance to be shown your seat. 

• When you arrive, check in at the registration table in the lobby of Budig. You will receive a copy of the printed program and a name card. You may write in the phonetic spelling if needed. You must keep this name card and hand it in to the faculty member standing at the podium next to the speaker. The speaker will read your name as you cross the stage. These cards are important because they are how the photographer assigns the photo proofs.
• After filling out your name card, you can have an individually posed photo in front of the photographer’s backdrop in the alcove next to the registration table before going outside towards Wescoe Hall (weather permitting) where a photographer will take a group photo of all graduating students in regalia. Six student group photos will be taken (#1-Undergraduates, #2 MA-SLPs #3- AuDs #4- SLPDs #5- PhDs # 6 Faculty.) Staff and volunteers will be assisting each group.  
• Make sure you have a program and go immediately to the signs marking your degree and line up and remain there.
• Student line leaders and staff members will organize each column into order within their degree. All students should be lined up and ready for the processional 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony by 12:45pm.
• Processional line leaders will lead you from the assembly area at approximately 10 minutes prior to the beginning of ceremony and into the auditorium. Please take mental note of your row letter and seat number upon arrival at your seat. You will come back to the same seat after you receive your scroll. There will be guidance from staff and signage. 
• You will be directed to assigned seating and will remain standing until you are asked to be seated. 
  • For students being hooded, please remove your square cap at this time and leave it off for the remainder of the ceremony. It is difficult to hood you while you are wearing your square cap.
• The undergraduates are the first group to receive their scrolls. You will be asked to stand by row and will be directed by a staff member that will guide you to the stage. You will give your name card to the faculty member on the right of the podium. The speaker, at the podium will then announce your name. You will walk to the faculty member at the table and receive your scroll with your left hand and shake hands with your right hand. Holding that pose and smiling towards the photographer: The photographer takes a photo. The next student is announced and continues. You will walk back on the outside of the seating section and return to your original seat. 

• Processional
• Welcome and introductions
• Presentation of Individual Awards and Departmental Honors. Including top 3% and 10% honors. 
• Acknowledgement of Scholars & Departmental Student Groups
• Student Speakers
• Presentation of the Graduates by the Faculty
• Baccalaureate
• Master of Arts Speech-Language Pathology
• Doctor of Audiology
• Doctor of Speech- Language Pathology
• Doctor of Philosophy Speech- Language Pathology
• Doctor of Philosophy Audiology
• Individual photos then walk back to original seating after you receive your scroll.
• Singing of the Alma Mater
• Dismissal & Announcements 
• Reception following on Wescoe Hall Patio. Clinic will be open after refreshments for family & friends to tour.  

The length of each ceremony differs by the number of graduates attending and receiving diplomas. All graduating students are to remain in the auditorium for the duration of the ceremony.  

The Grad Team is the official Commencement photographer for the University of Kansas. They will be photographing school and department recognition events throughout the weekend, as well as the Commencement ceremony on Sunday. To preregister for your graduate’s photos, please visit TheGradTeam.com/KU and select the first event under the Future Events section they will be attending. Enter their contact information and upload a selfie, then select each event they will be participating in.

• We will have QR codes with information at the registration check in table for ordering photos.
• Please take the time to fill out the form online and register with the photographer. There will be multiple photo proofs of each graduate.