Congratulations Class of 2021!
Our next UNC Greensboro Commencement will take place
Although we are planning for an in-person ceremony, adjustments may be required based on evolving COVID guidance from State and Public Health officials.
Friday, December 10th at 10:00 a.m. at the Greensboro Coliseum.
To Do List for Graduating Seniors
- Apply to graduate for Fall 2021 graduation. Application is open now and closes on October 8, 2021. Your name will not appear in the commencement program if you apply to graduate after the October 8th deadline. If you have not already done so, apply to graduate at https://spartancentral.uncg.edu/graduation/apply-for-graduation/.
- RSVP! Inform the university whether or not you plan to attend the commencement ceremony at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 10th at the Greensboro Coliseum. Complete the online RSVP form by Wednesday, November 24 at https://go.uncg.edu/gradrsvp
- Purchase regalia. Undergraduate and master’s regalia purchases, or orders may be made at the Bookstore, located in the Elliot University Center, or online. Undergraduate students should purchase their regalia no later than December 1, 2021. Students who are eligible to graduate with honors according to the guidelines in the Undergraduate Catalog may pick up honors cords in the bookstore around the middle of November. The bookstore will have a list of students eligible for honors cords. The honors designation is tentative until final grades are recorded. If you have questions regarding regalia, contact the bookstore at 336-334-5563.
- Pay the graduation fee. $85.00 must be paid to the Cashiers and Student Accounts Office no later than November 10, 2021—thirty days prior to your graduation date.
- Register for your UNCG Alumni email address
Greensboro Coliseum
Commencement Updates
Commencement and COVID-19
In light of the present pandemic and changing policies from the state, the UNC System, the University, and Greensboro Coliseum we ask that you remain flexible.
We will update this site as quickly as possible if requirements change that impact the UNCG Fall 2021 Commencement.
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Faculty
- RSVP for the Undergraduate Ceremony
- RSVP for the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony
- Faculty Invitation Letter
- Faculty Parking Information
Friends and Family
What to Do and Expect Commencement Morning
The UNCG commencement ceremony is a formal, traditional, academic exercise. The ceremony will begin with a processional of all participants, followed by greetings and speeches from academic dignitaries, the conferring of degrees, tassel turning ceremony, singing of the Alma Mater, the ringing of the University Bell, and the recessional. The Commencement Brass will provide music. The ceremony lasts around 2 hours.
- Arrive no later than 9:00 a.m. Click for a map of your assembly area and entrance
- There is NO rehearsal.
- No guest tickets are required.
- Students’ names will be called as they cross the stage. In order to avoid close contact with others, there will be no hand shaking as students cross the stage.
- Commencement programs will be provided in a digital, print-ready format and distributed as a PDF on the Commencement Website. Names of August 2021 graduates and December 2021 graduation candidates will be included in the program.
- Wear your tassel on the right side of your cap unless you are a second-degree student. During the tassel turning ceremony, undergraduates will turn their tassels from the right side to the left to indicate receipt of the Baccalaureate.
- The processional begins promptly at 10:00 a.m.
- Bring a face covering.
Tips for an Enjoyable Commencement Experience
- Eat Breakfast! The ceremony will last approximately two and a half hours.
- If a friend or family member has restricted mobility or is deaf or hard of hearing, we have information listed here.
Please note that participation in the ceremony does not presume graduation from the university. Degrees are conferred only after all academic requirements are met and the Board of Trustees has taken official action. We congratulate you on your accomplishments and look forward to seeing you at the ceremony. Please contact commence@uncg.edu if you have questions about the commencement ceremony.
Parking
- Parking is free and no passes are required for students or guests.
- Expect heavy traffic on the day of the ceremony.
Shuttle Service
- As a service to the campus community, Park & Ride buses will transport volunteers, students, staff, and faculty between campus and the Coliseum on commencement day.
- Buses will depart campus every 30 minutes beginning at 7 a.m. with the final shuttle returning to campus at 1 p.m.
- Passengers may board the bus on Stirling St. in front of the Elliot University Center.
Commencement Photography
- Lifetouch Special Events Photography is pleased to provide this complimentary service for each graduate who crosses the dais during the commencement ceremony.
- There is no obligation to purchase.
- If a valid e-mail address is available to the photographer, a link to commencement photograph proofs will also be sent to participating graduates via e-mail. Students, be sure to update your preferred email in UNCGenie.
- Please do not contact the school with inquiries related to photographic service. For information about commencement photographs, go to https://events.lifetouch.com/uncg
Commencement Livestream
Check back here, https://commencement.uncg.edu/, on commencement day for information on how to stream the ceremony.
More Information for:
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
RSVP by School
We are proud to invite our 2021 December master’s degree candidates, and those who completed master’s degrees during the 2021 Summer Session, to participate in the University’s December Commencement on Friday, December 10 at 10 a.m. in the Greensboro Coliseum.
Since all graduates will receive individual recognition as they walk across the stage, it is
imperative that this office know if you plan to complete degree requirements and attend
the commencement ceremony. You can find your School’s RSVP form here:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Bryan School of Business and Economics
- School of Education
- School of Health and Human Sciences
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering
- School of Nursing
- College of Visual and Performing Arts
- Interdisciplinary Programs
Please be sure to RSVP by Monday, November 1, 2021.
Academic Regalia
Academic regalia for graduate students will be available for order in the UNCG Bookstore beginning with a two day event, October 11 & 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Staff will be available to take orders and pre-fit students for appropriate regalia sizes. Graduation announcements and diploma frames may also be ordered at this time.
If you are unable to attend the two-day event or visit the Bookstore in person, you can submit a regalia order online at: http://www.uncg.bkstore.com, beginning October 11.
To ensure receipt of appropriate hood color, master’s graduates/candidates must order by Wednesday, December 1. The cap, tassel, gown and master’s hood may be purchased from the Bookstore for $109.96 plus tax.
Doctoral Hooding Ceremony
We are proud to invite our 2021 December doctoral degree candidates, and those who completed doctoral degrees during the 2021 Summer Session, to participate in the University’s December Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on Friday, December 10 at 3 pm. in the Greensboro Coliseum.
Since all graduates will receive individual recognition and hooding as they walk across the stage, it is imperative that we know if you plan to complete degree requirements and attend the commencement ceremony. You can RSVP here: Doctoral Hooding Ceremony RSVP
Please be sure to RSVP by Monday, November 1, 2021.
You are also invited to attend University Commencement to process and sit with UNCG faculty. This ceremony is on December 10 at 10 am. If you plan to be there, you must RSVP here:
Doctoral Regalia: Though in-person regalia orders can be placed sooner, the Bookstore will host a two day event, October 11 & 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. with staff available to take orders and pre-fit students for appropriate regalia sizes. Graduation announcements and diploma frames may also be ordered at this time. All regalia purchases must be completed in person or by telephone, 336-334-5563.
Doctoral regalia may be rented online at: https://uncg.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome, beginning October 11.
To ensure on-time receipt of purchased regalia, doctoral graduates/candidates must order by Friday, November 19. The last day for online rentals is October 24, but you may rent doctoral regalia in-person at the Bookstore through November 29.
Final instructions will be emailed in November to all students who RSVP that they plan to attend. We look forward to seeing you at the December 2021 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony! Watch your UNCG email for additional messages as the date nears. Check back on this website for more updates about the commencement ceremony.
Guest Information
Guidelines for Graduates, Families, and Guests
- Commencement is both a joyful as well as dignified event. We ask that you express your excitement in ways that will not prevent others from hearing the speakers and enjoying the ceremony. Any distracting noisemakers, such as air horns, are prohibited and will be confiscated by Coliseum security.
- Alcohol is not permitted in the Coliseum during commencement. Security officers will be present to seize any alcohol and to prohibit from marching any who may have already consumed alcohol.
- Security and emergency medical personnel will be available to provide a safe environment for all commencement participants and guests.
- All electronic devices should be turned off to help ensure that all guests can hear and enjoy the ceremony.
Information for restricted mobility hearing impaired
Restricted Mobility: The Greensboro Coliseum is adequately equipped with seating to accommodate guests in wheelchairs. When guests arrive at the Coliseum, they should proceed to one of the following restricted mobility seating area sections: 106, 112, 116, 118, 124, or 128 (see map). Guests with restricted mobility should enter the Coliseum from the ground floor of the East Wing of the Special Events Center (see map). The elevator will be clearly marked. Contact the Guest Services Manager of the Greensboro Coliseum, 336.373.7461, for more information.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing: Reserved seating for guests who read American Sign Language will be available in section 127; e-mail commence@uncg.edu to reserve seats in this section.
The Coliseum offers Assistive Listening Devices—for those who are hard of hearing but do not read sign language—which work in any area of the Arena. Upon arrival, go to the Guest Services booth on the Concourse at Section 103 to secure an ALD. Guests should be prepared to leave a North Carolina Driver’s License or other form of ID, which, of course, will be returned when the device is returned.
Additional Information
For more detailed information about the ceremony please see the Friends and Family Letter
Bell Ringing Ceremony
At the end of the Commencement Ceremony, the University Bell will ring in honor of the Graduates. The University Bell sounded the opening of the State Normal and Industrial School (now UNCG) on October 5, 1892. For forty years—until electric bells were installed—it marked significant moments of the day. The University Bell hung from a belfry in the Anniversary Plaza from 1967 until 1987 when it was removed for the purpose of restoration. The Class of 1940, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of its graduation, commissioned the restoration of the University Bell.
Faculty Marshal & Mace
The Mace is a ceremonial insignia of the University in a tradition that dates back to antiquity. Hand-chased in sterling silver, it bears academic motifs depicting the history of the institution and is carried by the Faculty Marshal on official occasions. The Mace of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro was presented by the Class of 1926 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of its graduation and the bicentennial of the nation. It was first carried at commencement in 1978.
How to Wear your Tassel
Traditionally tassels are worn on the right side and moved to the left during a special portion of the ceremony for high school graduates. For college graduates, Bachelor again wear tassels on right side until their degrees are conferred, then move to left. Graduate students wear on left from the beginning.
Policies and Guidelines for participation
Accessories Policy
The Commencement Committee of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro supports the wearing of medals, medallions, stoles, and honor cords at commencement ceremonies by students representing recognized academic honors, honors programs, and honor societies; students with an international affiliation; members of UNCG-recognized Greek letter societies; NCAA-affiliated student athletes; military and veteran students; and students with service recognized by the Office of Leadership and Service-Learning. Sashes will be worn by non-graduating University Marshals assisting with the commencement ceremony. Some academic honor societies order through their chapters; otherwise, academic regalia and accessories should be ordered through the University Bookstore.
Accessories Guidelines:
- Gold cords are reserved for graduation honors (assessed by the University Registrar’s Office).
- Other cord colors are available for other honorary societies.
- Sashes and stoles are designated for international students, athletes, service and service/academic organizations, Greek organizations, etc.
If your planned use of an accessory falls outside of the guidelines above, contact your organization’s advisor or sponsor who should submit a request/justification via email to commence@uncg.edu.
The deadline to request a new accessory for the December ceremony is November 1.
The deadline to request a new accessory for the May ceremony is April 1.
Commencement Participation Policy for Undergraduates
Students completing all degree requirements by the end of the spring semester are encouraged to participate in the May Commencement. Students completing degree requirements by the end of the fall semester are encouraged to participate in the December Commencement. Students completing degree requirements by the end of the Summer Session may participate in either the May or December commencement ceremony by applying to graduate, paying the graduation fee, and notifying the University Registrar’s Office. Please note: degree candidates will not earn degrees nor be graduated from the University until they have completed all degree requirements. The names of August graduates appear only in the December commencement program.
Participation in a commencement ceremony does not presume graduation from the University. Students who do not apply for graduation before the published deadline for any semester must apply for graduation during the next semester. Students who have applied for graduation but fail to meet the requirements must reapply for graduation by the published deadline for the semester in which they will fulfill the requirements. Degrees are conferred only after all requirements are completed and the Board of Trustees has taken official action.
Commencement Participation Policy for Graduate Students
Students completing all degree requirements by the end of the spring semester are encouraged to participate in the May Commencement ceremony.
Students completing all degree requirements by the end of the fall semester are encouraged to participate in the December Commencement ceremony. Students completing all degree requirements by the end of the Summer Session may participate in either the May or December Commencement ceremony by applying to graduate, paying the graduation fee, and notifying The Graduate School. Degree candidates will not earn degrees nor be graduated from the University until they have completed all degree requirements.
Participation in a commencement ceremony does not presume graduation from the University. Only those doctoral candidates whose degree requirements are completed by the established deadlines are authorized to participate in the formal December or May Commencement ceremony. Students who do not apply for graduation before the published deadline for any semester may apply for graduation during the next semester. Students who have applied for graduation but fail to meet the requirements must reapply for graduation by the published deadline for the semester in which they will fulfill the requirements. Degrees are conferred only after all requirements are completed and the Board of Trustees has taken official action.