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Graduation Ceremony 2025

The May 2025 graduation ceremony will honor graduates/graduation candidates of the current academic year (Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025). The ceremony date is TBA.

 

Regalia/Cap & Gown

May 2025 expected graduates should pick up their regalia before graduation.

REMINDER: Cap and gowns WILL NOT be available for pick-up at the ceremony.

Pick-up Dates and Times

  • TBA

Pick-up Locations

  • Fayetteville Campus: One-Stop
  • McMinnville Campus: Front Office
  • Moore County Campus: Admissions and Records, Crouch Center
  • Smyrna Campus: One-Stop, Hyatt-Spivey Building 

Your regalia bag will include a cap, gown, and tassel.

There is no fee for you cap, gown, and tassel.

 

If you are unable to pick up your regalia on the dates listed above, we encourage you to send someone else to pick it up for you. If someone else will be picking up your gown, you must provide your authorized person with a signed and dated statement from you, authorizing the pick-up of your gown.

Your note must list the expected graduate's full name, Motlow A#, your height & weight (used for gown size), the address where your diploma should be mailed to verify the information on our master list, and the name of your authorized person. Make sure your authorized person comes prepared to present their valid photo ID, such as a driver's license.

If you participate in the graduation ceremony, you must wear regalia.  It is recommended that you wear neutral color shoes and lighter, comfortable clothing as it can get warm in the graduation gown inside Murphy Center. 

Caps, if decorated, must be tasteful, cannot include lights, and décor can be no more than 1 inch in height.  Non-compliant caps will have décor removed prior to the commencement ceremony.  No embellishments are to be added to the graduation gown.

Ceremony FAQs for Expected Graduates

The student must have submitted graduation paperwork to their college advisor/graduation analyst, confirmed they are on the graduation list, and will have completed all coursework required for the degree prior to or by the end of the Summer Term of the current academic year. 

Participation in the ceremony does not signify degree conferral. Final spring grades are due at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 9. Summer Term final grades will be due at 11:00 am, Monday, August 7. Degrees will be awarded after final grades are processed and successful completion of all candidate requirements is verified by the appropriate graduation analyst.

No, tickets are not required for expected graduates or their guests.

No, there is no graduation ceremony rehearsal.

The graduation ceremony will last approximately 2 hours. Participating students are required to stay for the entire ceremony. If you are planning celebration activities, please be aware of this time commitment.

Any participating student requesting a seat placement accommodation to participate in the ceremony should contact Disability Services at [email protected] or call 931-393-1765 by April 28, 2024.

Graduates may begin arriving at the Murphy Center at 2:00pm but no later than 3:00 pm. More information will be shared closer to the time of the ceremony. Please monitor your Motlow Student email account for important updates.

Parking for graduates and guests is available in the Greenland and surrounding lots. https://www.mtsu.edu/parking/documents/parking-map.pdf 

Yes, Motlow has contracted with GradImages to take photos of graduates at the ceremonies as they cross the stage and after exiting the stage. Ceremony participants will be emailed by the photography company when proofs are ready to view and purchase.

Motlow will also be taking candid photos are also taken throughout Murphy Center and will share those photos on social media.

The commencement ceremony will be available for viewing for those friends or family members who are unable to attend in person. A livestream link will be placed at the top of this page the day of the ceremony.

Participants will receive an email approximately a week before the ceremony that will provide a link to this webpage where you will click on the button at the top of the webpage labeled Ceremony Line of March to find your assigned auxiliary gym/row/person number. It is very important that you know where to line up in the gyms when you arrive at Murphy Center! Take a picture and save it to your phone when it is posted. Ceremony participants will go directly to their assigned auxiliary gym when arriving to Murphy Center no later than 45 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony. Students may begin arriving at 2:00pm.

Information for Guests

No, guest seating at Murphy Center is general admission, and tickets are not required for guests. Murphy Center will open one hour before the ceremony begins.

No, there is no limit on the number of guests allowed per expected graduate.

The graduation ceremony will last approximately 2 hours. Participating students are required to stay for the entire ceremony. If you are planning celebration activities, please be aware of this time commitment. 

Visit the Directions & Maps webpage for Murphy Center parking and directions to campus.

View the parking map

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