Spring Commencement

The 2023 Spring Commencement will be held
May 14 at 9 a.m.

View departmental ceremony schedule

a graduation tassel

Meet your Commencement speaker

Bryan Stevenson, renowned public interest lawyer and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, will deliver the keynote address at Carolina’s Class of 2023 Spring Commencement.

Read more about Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson speaking in front of a podium

Preparing for graduation

For graduates

Main University Commencement Ceremony
9 a.m., Sunday, May 14
Kenan Stadium

  • Please arrive in the Loudermilk parking lot at 7:30 a.m.
  • Graduates will enter the stadium through the tunnels and go straight to the seating area. Staff will be on-hand to direct.

We are not requiring student registration or tickets. Our plans are based on current public health guidance, and we will communicate as soon as possible if that should change. 

View the schedule for school and departmental ceremonies. Please reach out directly to the school/department for their specific ceremony details. 

The Graduate School’s Hooding Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 13 at 9 a.m. in the Dean E. Smith Center. For more information, please go to The Graduate School’s website.

We highly encourage August graduates to attend the December ceremony. Graduates are allowed to choose to attend the May ceremony instead, but please note that you are only allowed (registration not required) to attend one ceremony and your name will not appear in the May program. 

Ceremony

The 2023 main University Commencement ceremony will be held in Kenan Stadium on Sunday, May 14 at 9 a.m. The ceremony will also be livestreamed on several platforms for virtual participation or viewing. The link will be posted the day of the ceremony. 

Students are not required to register to attend in person and there will not be a ticketing process. Guest wheelchair seating will be ticketed (see ADA section below for more details).  As keeping with years past, the main Commencement ceremony does not include graduates’ names being called or them walking across the stage. These both take place at the departmental ceremonies due to time constraints. 

Caps, Gowns, Announcements and Diploma Frames

Undergraduate and Graduate Students

Cap and gown (regalia) will be available to purchase online and in the Student Stores in March. 

Individual Stoles and Tassels will be available for purchase at the Grad Fair on March 22 in the Blue Zone.  

Customized, more elaborate doctoral regalia can be ordered in-store or by contacting graduation@store.unc.edu. Orders for custom regalia can be placed year-round and take seven to eight weeks to ship once ordered.  

Customized graduation announcements can be purchased through Balfour (balfour.unc.edu). Generic announcements in packages of 10 may be purchased at Student Stores. 

Class Ring Ordering Information – please visit balfour.unc.edu 

Diploma Frame Ordering Information – order your diploma frame through Student Stores. 

For other questions, please call 919-962-7239 or email graduation@store.unc.edu. 

Senior Campaign

The Office of University Development invites seniors to support UNC-Chapel Hill through the Senior Campaign for Carolina. As Carolina students, you have been touched every day by private gifts to Carolina that maintain and enhance the University’s tradition of excellence. You can make a gift to any part of the University that is meaningful to you — your major, a professorship, a student organization, scholarships and student aid, or campus-wide programs. To make an immediate difference where it is needed the most, consider supporting The Carolina Fund. All gifts to Carolina are included as participation in the Senior Campaign. To learn more about how Carolina benefits from private support from alumni and friends, please visit the Annual Giving website.

Make your gift today.

 

For families

  • Gates open at 8:00 a.m.
  • Gates 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 will be open for guests.
  • Clear bags are encouraged but not required.
  • Hydration stations will be available, please bring your own refillable water bottle.

Hotel Accommodations and Visitor Information

We recommend making hotel reservations as early as possible. The Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau can help you find the type of accommodation appropriate for your stay.

Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau Resources:

Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership Resources:

UNC Visitors Center Resources:

Useful Contacts

Accessibility services

General Information

To best accommodate the various needs of our visitors at Commencement, Carolina is providing two options for accessible seating. We will be following all of the UNC Community Standards.

Stadium Seating and Parking

Limited accessible seating for wheelchair users or those who cannot ascend or descend stairs is available in Kenan Stadium. ADA-accessible restrooms are located throughout the stadium. 

Parking information will be emailed the week of the main commencement ceremony but will be in close proximity to Kenan Stadium. Additional information on how to request accessible seating and parking will be posted here closer to Commencement weekend. 

Departmental and individual school ceremonies

Commencement Accessibility Services does not coordinate accessible seating or parking for departmental ceremonies. For information about individual departmental or professional school ceremonies, guests should check the Commencement Information website for information regarding on building location, available parking and building access, or please contact the school or department of your graduate. 

If students need accessible seating, please contact Commencement Accessibility Services at access@unc.edu 

Wheelchairs

Neither ARS, EOC nor the University maintains a supply of wheelchairs for Commencement ceremonies. Guests with difficulty walking are strongly encouraged to bring their own wheelchair or to rent one. Wheelchairs are generally available for short-term rental from medical supply stores and some pharmacies. 

Livestreaming

Each commencement ceremony will be livestreamed and captioned and available for viewing. The livestream link will be posted on the Commencement website the day of the ceremony.

Captioning

Each ceremony will have open captioning in the Stadium. A livestreaming transcription of the audio portion of the ceremony audio will be displayed on the large reader boards for guests with difficulty hearing.

Sign Language Interpreting

A sign language interpreter will be provided. If you or your guest require access, please contact access@unc.edu.

Commencement Accessibility Services

If you have any questions about any other accessibility-related issues, please contact: access@unc.edu

 

Additional information

  • The livestream link and digital program will be available on the Commencement website on the day of the ceremony.
  • Parking information can be found at move.unc.edu
  • If you have accessibility needs, please contact access@unc.edu

Frequently asked questions

For more information about the ceremony, please visit frequently asked questions.