Celebrating Students

Commencement ceremonies are congratulatory events hosted by the university to publicly and formally
recognize students’ success. Actual diplomas are not awarded at commencement ceremonies.
Students must apply for graduation to be considered for degree completion. A degree becomes official when it is
posted to a student's transcript, not by participating in commencement. A student does not have to be
present at commencement to receive their degree.

Participating in the ceremony does not guarantee the degree will be awarded. Degrees can only be
awarded if the student applies online for graduation, the application is approved by the academic advisor
and all degree requirements are met by the end of that semester. For more information on applying to
graduate, click here.  

Commencement Schedule

Ceremonies are scheduled at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. Summer undergraduate applicants
can request permission to walk in the Spring commencement by applying online before the spring deadline. 
All Summer graduates are invited to attend the Fall ceremonies. To view the official commencement
ceremonies schedule, go to https://commencement.unt.edu/.

RSVP for the Ceremony

Approved students may RSVP for the commencement ceremony online approximately three weeks before
the ceremony. RSVP’s should be submitted no later than the Monday of finals week.

Disability Access

Detailed information about the ceremony will be mailed to approved students approximately one month before the ceremony.
All ceremonies will include:

• A ramp for the stage
• A sign language interpreter
• Priority seating for guest with mobility impairments (available on a first-come, first-served basis)
• ADA parking

Other concerns of access should be included in the student’s RSVP. For more information please call us at
940-565-4625, or email at Registrar@unt.edu.

Invitation for Commencement

Students with international guests may request a formal invitation to their commencement ceremony.
The invitation will state the student's name, when their ceremony is, and that all invited family and friends are
welcome. This letter is intended only as helpful supplemental information. Consular officials from the U.S.
Department of State have stated that an invitation letter from the school is not required to process a visa
application. For more information on inviting international guests, please go to
https://international.unt.edu/content/invite-family-visit.

Formal invitations are only available for students who are participating in their ceremony and whose
graduation application is approved by their advisor. Students may check the status of their graduation
application on their MyUNT.

To request an invitation to commencement, download the Invitation Letter for International Students Form. 

Expectations for Degree Candidates

Students are expected to arrive one hour before their ceremony begins. There is no rehearsal for the
ceremony. Please give announcers, marshals and staff your complete attention before and during the
event to ensure you have all the necessary instructions. All candidates are expected to remain for the
conclusion of the ceremony.

There is no limit to the number of guests you may invite to the ceremony. There is no admission charge,
no ticketing system, and seating is not reserved. Please allow extra travel time for traffic and parking.

Unable to Attend?

Students may request to participate in commencement ceremonies outside of their major or semester of
graduation. Undergraduate students should contact their academic college. Graduate students should
contact Toulouse Graduate School. The Spring Commencement program will only have the names of spring
applicants and “advisor approved to walk in spring” summer applicants for that year.  The Fall
Commencement Program will have all the Summer graduates and the Fall applicants for that year. 
Extra programs will be available in the Registrar’s office the week after commencement.

All Summer graduates are invited to attend the following Fall commencement ceremonies.

For guests that cannot attend, a live stream of the ceremonies will be available at
https://commencement.unt.edu/.

Additional Resources

For more information, contact the Registrar's Information Counter by calling 940-565-2111 or visiting Eagle 
Student Services Center (ESSC)