FAQ Students

There are no tickets needed for our ceremony, however, there is only enough seating for an average of four guests per graduate. 

Aside from a roped-off section for our VIP guests, grads and dignitaries, all seating is general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Yes. If you plan to participate in the commencement ceremony before your coursework is complete, please communicate your plans with the commencement director, Mark Taylor,  so your name will appear in the printed program.

You can count on it.  We highly recommend that you allot extra time to travel to campus. June is a busy time on campus; in addition to the Anderson School's celebrations, undergrads will be moving out of the dorms and there will be other end-of-year activities taking place, so many guests will be visiting the UCLA campus throughout the day.

Yes, as long as you have paid for the month of June, you'll be fine.

Yes, Wilson Plaza is ADA-compliant. Guests using wheelchairs may sit at the end of rows. There will be house staff on-site who can assist with removing seats at the ends of rows to facilitate accessibility.

Graduates and attendees should anticipate heavy traffic around campus. 

Graduates should be at the Anderson complex in their full regalia no later than 2:00 p.m. 

Ph.D. class photo: 2:00 p.m.

FEMBA class photo: 2:30 p.m.

EMBA class photo: 2:45 p.m.

MBA class photo: 3:00 p.m.

Line-up for processional: 3:15 p.m.

Processional: 3:40 p.m.

Ceremony: 4:00 p.m.

Reception: 6:00 p.m.

Please don't arrive to the Anderson complex with your regalia still wrapped in the Grad Etc. package. Take a steam iron to it at home then carefully get dressed in it when you exit your vehicle at campus.

Of course you do. The last thing we want you to do is get dressed while the rest of your class boos you for holding up their photo op.

And speaking of photo op: Please note that you will be facing into the sunlight for your class photo so try to adjust your eyes by removing your sunglasses before the photo is taken.

Each graduate must order their cap, gown, and announcements from Graduation, Etc., either online or in person at Ackerman Union (Level A).

Cap & Gown Rentals
The rental fee for the cap, gown, and hood is $43.68 est.  Full-Time MBA & Doctoral Students  may place their rental order no later than May 22. FEMBA students must place their orders directly with Jason Amorosi at Graduation, Etc. by Thursday, March 26. 

Cap & Gown Purchases

Purchase prices begin at $307.00 and orders must be placed by Friday, April 10.

Orders may be picked up as early as May 18 at the Student Cap & Gown distribution center at Ackerman Union (Level A) 10am-5pm M-F, 12pm-5pm on Saturday; closed Sundays. Please be sure to take your student ID with you for verification. For other questions, you may contact the UCLA Store at (310) 825-2587 or (310) 206-2884. 

Immediately following the ceremony's conclusion, a Graduation Etc. representative will be at the reception to process gown and hood returns (you may keep your mortarboards and tassels). If you are unable to drop off your gown and hood that day, you have until June 19 by 5:00 p.m. to return them to the Graduation Etc. store in Ackerman before a $50 late fee is applied.

There's no dress code for commencement (other than your cap, gown and hood). After the ceremony concludes you should turn your gown and hood back to Grad Etc. so make sure you're wearing something appropriate underneath for the reception afterwards.

Your degree tassel is always worn on your left side. When in doubt remember that you wear your degree over your heart.

Your name and achievement will be recognized in the program.

At 3:15, make your way to your designated lines for the processional. There is no assigned order to the processional so you can line-up in the order of your choosing. Just don't get in the wrong line!

Full-Time MBA Program

Line up on the Anderson School side of the walkway between the Anderson School and Kaufman Hall.  

Fully Employed MBA (FEMBA) Program

Line up on the Kaufman Hall side of the walkway between the Anderson School and Kaufman Hall.

Executive MBA Program

Line up on the southeast side of the Collins Building

Doctoral Program

You will enter Wilson Plaza along with the official processional party. Your line up will occur in the Executive Dining Room along with the Dean, professors, and keynote speaker.

Rather than read names alphabetically, graduates will fill out cards bearing their name and will hand them to a staff member shortly before walking across the stage. 

We want you to enjoy your day so get in line with the classmates you want to sit with. Just make sure you're in the same line as the rest of your class!

Sorry, but pets are not allowed at the ceremony. 

Everyone should remain standing during the singing of our national anthem and men should remove their mortarboards and put them on again immediately afterwards.

We will have a bottle of water at each of the seats of our degree candidates. There will also be water dispensers and cups available at Wilson Plaza for our guests. And while we understand that the consumption of alcohol may help liven up the celebratory tone of the day, it is not allowed at our ceremony and is best left at home.

Prosecco will be served at the post-ceremony reception. 

Yes.

Doctoral Candidates

Each doctoral candidate and his/her dissertation will be announced by the dean on stage. Doctoral graduates will return to their seats after being hooded. 

EMBA/FEMBA/MBA Candidates

Ushers will indicate to all graduates when to stand and when to walk towards the stage. Names will be called from both the left and right sides of the stage. Each graduate will be photographed near the base of the steps leading to the stage.

After your photo has been taken, ascend the stage and hand your card to the name reader on your side of the stage (please do not stop to shake the name reader's hand). Your name will be announced as you walk towards center stage where you will accept a certificate commemorating the day from either Dean Antonio Bernardo or the commencement speaker (depending on which side of the stage you are located).  Shake hands with the one who is stationed on your side of the stage and pause briefly for another photograph then descend the center stage staircase and return to your seat. To avoid a back-up of graduates on stage, continue walking as you are being photographed. 

If your name is not easy to pronounce by others please make sure to print it phonetically and legibly in the section provided on the reader card located on your seat.

There will be two giant screens (one on either side of the stage) which will broadcast the ceremony for all to enjoy.

Each graduate will be photographed near the base of the steps leading to the stage.

After your photo has been taken, ascend the stage and hand your card to the name reader on your side of the stage (please do not stop to shake the name reader's hand). 

The ceremony should end around 6:00 p.m. Afterwards everyone is welcome to a reception immediately following to celebrate your success.

Guests can toast to your success with Prosecco and non-alcoholic beverages. An assortment of crackers, cheeses, veggies and other appetizers will also be served.

There is no formal structure to the reception and guests may leave when they wish. In prior years, guests start making their way to their cars around 7:00-7:30pm to continue the celebrations elsewhere.

Sorry, but copies of the ceremony recording are not available for purchase or download, however, we will make the broadcasts available on our YouTube channel.

GradImages will email you based on the information provided on your reader card so make sure you print clearly. Log into the GradImages website and type in your last name when prompted, followed by UCLA and 2020 in the lower sections. 

The Registrar's office will mail out diploma information approximately six weeks at the end of your degree term (winter graduates will receive their information in June; spring graduates will receive their information in August). Diplomas can be picked up in person at the Registrar's office approximately three months after you graduate (winter graduates can pick up their diploma in June; spring graduates can pick up their diploma in September/October). If you would like your diploma mailed to you, go to UCLA's Graduation & Diploma, download and print out the form. Fill in the required information and send it to the address on the form along with your choice of payment options.