General topics
The university-wide Commencement ceremony will be held on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. (CST).
The university-wide Commencement ceremony will be held on the historic Francis Olympic Field on the Danforth Campus. Gates to the field will open at 7:30 a.m. on Monday, May 12, 2025. No food or beverage, other than water, will be allowed on Francis Olympic Field.
Commencement will begin promptly with the procession at 9:00 a.m. and will conclude around 11:00 a.m. A university-wide festival will take place immediately following the ceremony and will end at 3:00 p.m.
The 2025 Commencement Speaker will be announced at the Class Toast in the spring.
Yes, the university-wide Commencement ceremony will be livestreamed from our main Commencement website on Monday, May 12 at 9:00 a.m.
No, graduates do not cross the stage at the university-wide Commencement ceremony. However, graduates will have the opportunity to have their name called and cross the stage at individual school ceremonies.
The full Commencement schedule is on our website. Schools plan and manage their own ceremonies. Any additional questions should be directed to the school from which you’re graduating.
Commencement is a rain or shine event. In the event of rain, ponchos will be available to all graduates and guests. The Commencement ceremony may be shortened.
For the main ceremony, there is no ticket limit. Tickets will be sent to the student in an email, and those tickets will need to be shared with their guests.
For each of the School Ceremonies, please see below:
School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS): Graduates will receive an email with their ceremony logistics and check-in instructions. The email will include the ticket as an attached PDF that can be pulled up electronically or printed, whichever is easiest for graduates and their guests. We ask that the graduates forward the email to each guest or print 1 ticket per guest. Currently, we have capped graduates at 6 guests for Recognition Ceremony but will assess our total RSVPs and requests for additional guests after April 11 when the RSVP deadline has closed. If we have not reached the fire-code capacity, we will open up available seating for graduates that have requested additional guests above the 6 currently allotted. On graduation day we will ask that graduates and their guests show their ticket (1 per person) at the CAPS check-in table after they have gone through the security/bag checks.
McKelvey School of Engineering: Students will receive and email and can register for up to 15 tickets in our Tassel ticketing system. If a student needs more than 15 there will be directions on how to request those. Students have immediate access to the tickets they request and need to share them with their guests. On graduation day we will ask that graduates and their guests show their tickets (Digital or Printed) at the doors/check-in tables.
Brown School: Tickets will be required for guest entry. Within two weeks of the ceremony, tickets will be sent to graduates who have registered for this ceremony. If you intend to invite more than 10 guests, please inform us by contacting commencement@brownschool.wustl.edu.
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts: Students are being directed to Eventbrite to request tickets. They’ve been sent the following message through Tassel: Graduating students may invite a maximum of 6 guests to the Sam Fox School Recognition Ceremony. All guests must have a ticket to attend. Graduating students do not need a ticket. Students were asked to request tickets by April 1, 2025 at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2025-washu-sam-fox-school-recognition-ceremony-tickets-1221390284219?aff=oddtdtcreator Tickets are auto distributed via email at the time of the request. Students are asked to share these tickets with their guests.
School of Law: This year, tickets are required for entry. Graduates will receive a ticketing email, which should be forwarded to all attendees. Tickets can be shown on a phone or printed for entry. All guests must present a ticket to enter. Please allow extra time for the ticket check process. For the latest updates, visit the Law School Commencement page at https://law.wustl.edu/school-of-law-commencement/.
Olin Business School: All graduates and their guests will need a ticket to enter. Olin graduates will receive a copy of the ticket to their respective ceremony two weeks prior to their graduation date. Graduates will then be responsible for ensuring family and friends planning to attend receive a copy of the ticket. Questions? Email us at olin-graduation@email.wustl.edu
Arts & Sciences: All Arts & Sciences school ceremonies will require tickets for entry. Tickets will be issued by the College Office and Office of Graduate Studies to students via e-mail in May. Students should forward the tickets to their friends and family.
Audiology and Communication Sciences (PACS) @EPNEC: PACS students will receive an email from the Program in Audiology and Communication Sciences with details regarding tickets for this year’s PACS Recognition Ceremony to be held on the Washington University Medical Campus. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the PACS Office at pacs@wustl.edu
Med Masters Ceremony @EPNEC: Tickets will be emailed to students, and they are asked to share the attached ticket with those guests they RSVP’d for and ensure that they bring a copy to enter the auditorium. All guests will need a ticket (either paper or electronic) to enter the ceremony. Tickets can be shown from the email itself, downloaded, emailed easily to other guests, or printed.
Med MD Ceremony @ Stifel Theater: Be on the lookout for upcoming emails from the school with an RSVP link. You will be requested to provide your guest numbers. We plan to accommodate all guests.
Occupational Therapy (OT): Graduates may register up to 5 guests by April 4, 2025. Once initial registration has closed, and there is room in the venue, we may be able to approve requests for additional guests. Tickets (virtual or printed) are required for all participants, including graduates and faculty. Graduates may share virtual tickets with their guests but all guests must show a ticket to enter the campus.
Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS) @ 560 Trinity Building: Graduates will be emailed tickets to share with their guests attending the DBBS Hooding and Recognition Ceremony. There is no limit on the number of guests per graduate. Graduates can expect to receive electronic tickets for distribution the week of May 5th, 2025.
Student questions
Graduates are required to register themselves for the university-wide Commencement. During the registration, we ask graduates to provide us with an estimated number of guests. Nothing additional is required.
Yes, graduation regalia is required to participate in all Commencement events.
Per the Office of International Students and Scholars, invitation letters are no longer required for visa appointments. If you have further questions regarding visa applications for your family, please email oiss@wustl.edu, or you may contact your OISS advisor directly.
All student communications are posted to our website.
Information about diplomas may be found on the Office of the University Registrar website. Any additional questions or comments should be sent to diplomaservices@wustl.edu along with your student ID number.
Attending commencement
Bag Policy
Graduates may not bring any bags of any type onto Francis Olympic Field, or into the school ceremonies.
Guests are strongly encouraged not to bring bags. Only the following types of bags will be allowed:
- Clear plastic bags, not to exceed 14”x14”x4”.
- Small clutch-type wallets or purses not to exceed 4”x6”. Diaper bags are allowed for those with small children, but will be inspected.
- Medically necessary equipment is permitted after inspection.
Prohibited Items
The following items are prohibited in all university and school ceremonies and events, and are subject to confiscation:
- Air horns and other artificial noisemakers
- Animals, except assistance animals
- Banners or signs larger than 2’x3’ (no poles of any kind will be allowed)
- Food and drink (except water)
- Firearms and weapons
- Laser lights
- Balloons, glitter and confetti
- Unmanned aircraft/drones
This is the fourth year for our fun and exciting university-wide festival. Graduates and their guests will have the opportunity to enjoy local food and beverage, entertainment, music, and photo opportunities across campus. The festival will take place immediately following the university-wide Commencement ceremony from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Yes, water will be available during Commencement and throughout the festival. We will have water-filling stations throughout campus; please bring your own reusable water bottle.
St. Louis weather can often fluctuate during the month of May. Recent Commencement weekends have had weather extremes, so flexibility and practicality are good planning principles. Dress for the weather and your comfort. Low heels or flats are appropriate for navigating the turf field and walks across campus.
If you lose an item during Commencement weekend, please call the WashU Police Department at (314) 935-5555.
Parking and accessibility
Yes, parking will be available in all parking garages located on Danforth Campus. Please review our Visiting Campus in May webpage for more details.
There are several options available for accessible parking. An accessible drop off is located in the lot in front of Simon Hall. Accessible parking is available in the Danforth University Center Garage for those displaying a state-issued accessible placard or license plate. Please review our Accessibility page for more details.
Accessible seating will be available on Francis Olympic Field. When you arrive, there will be accessible seating marked towards the front of the field.
We have a limited amount of wheelchairs available to reserve for the university-wide Commencement ceremony. Please review our Accessibility page for more details.
Additional questions
Yes, there are a number of ways to honor your graduate’s achievement and celebrate the occasion.
Be sure to check the website frequently for recent communications and updates. If you still cannot find an answer to your question within this FAQ or on the website, please send an email to commencement@wustl.edu. If you are student, please be sure to include your student ID.