CSE Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony

You are eligible to participate if your degree was awarded in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering during one of the following semesters:

Summer 2024
Fall 2024

You may also participate if you are a University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering student and your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) in MyU is one of the following:

Spring 2025
May/Summer 2025
Fall 2025

Beginning in December, all eligible students will receive an email from [email protected] inviting them to register for the commencement ceremony. If your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) changes in MyU after the initial invitations are sent, you will receive a new invitation to register for commencement once your EGT is updated.

You must register if you wish to participate in the ceremony. 

The deadline to register is Friday, April 18, 2025.

No, students who wish to participate must register by the April 18 deadline.

No, they are different processes. 

Participation in the commencement ceremony is not automatic, so you must register if you wish to participate. The degree application is automatically processed based on your Expected Graduation Term (EGT) in your MyU account. For this reason, it is very important that your EGT is correct. If your EGT is incorrect, email the CSE Academic Advising office at [email protected] with your correct EGT so it can be updated. 

You can learn more about the graduation process and steps on the Graduation Steps webpage.

Students who graduate in the fall may attend commencement either the spring before or the spring after they complete their degree. Students graduating in fall 2024 or fall 2025 will receive commencement communications for spring 2025. If you have already attended commencement or plan to attend the following year, you may request to be removed from the list.

Most likely, yes! Contact your department directly for more information.

No, the departmental events are separate from the collegewide commencement ceremony.

By mid-March, students registered for commencement will receive an email inviting them to self-nominate for the student speaker role. 

To apply, submit the following via the form provided in the email:

• A short essay (up to one page) outlining your intended speech topic
• A copy of your resume
• The name and email address of a CSE faculty member who can serve as a reference

The Commencement Committee will review all submissions, select the student speaker by early April and notify all applicants.

Although we don’t require participants to wear regalia it is strongly encouraged. Regalia and other graduation related items can be purchased through the UMN Bookstores. 

The Bookstores will also host GradFest in March which will have information on graduation services and products. GradFest will be held at the Coffman Memorial Union location on Wednesday, March 20, and Thursday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. GradFest is the best way to prepare for commencement while saving money. For event details, visit the U of M Bookstores event page.

Absolutely! Be creative, but keep it family-friendly! Cap decorations should not include profanity, references to drugs or alcohol, nudity, or language that constitutes discriminatory harassment based on a protected characteristic.

Students who meet a specific GPA or Honors Program threshold may receive special recognition. If, at the end of the fall semester, you have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75, you will receive the “distinction” recognition. If your GPA is 3.9 or higher, you will receive “high distinction” recognition. Both distinctions come with a special cord to wear at commencement. You will receive an email from CSE Student Services with instructions for picking up your cord in late April or early May. Please note that only one set of cords will be issued, and it is your responsibility to bring them to the ceremony.

If you are in the University Honors Program (UHP) and will graduate with Latin honors, UHP will contact you with details about the medallion ceremony held prior to commencement.

At this time, we do not plan to require tickets for guests of the graduates, as we have never needed to do so in the past. All seating is general admission, and specific or consecutive seats are not guaranteed. Ticketing is subject to change based on ceremony capacity.

If a student’s guests are traveling internationally and need documentation to obtain a visa, the student may use the email inviting them to the 2025 CSE Commencement for this purpose. Students can also download a formal invitation to the ceremony (PDF).

Yes, ADA-accessible seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Wheelchair-accessible doors and an elevator are available for guests to access the main concourse, where the ADA-accessible seating is located.

All guests are encouraged to park in the lots recommended on the 3M Arena at Mariucci webpage. You can also download and print a map of the entire East Bank campus, including parking areas. An online map for the 3M Arena at Mariucci and surrounding areas is also available. For more parking details, visit the University Services Parking & Transportation Services website.

The 2025 CSE Undergraduate Commencement ceremony is at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Thursday, May 15, 1 p.m. 

Graduates should arrive at the Sundet Lobby entrance (1901 4th St.) on the southwest corner of the building by noon to begin the check-in and lineup process. 

Guests should use the main arena doors on the east side of the building (Oak St.), which will open for them at noon.

Historically, the entire ceremony lasts about 2.5 hours.

Yes, for example, balloons are not allowed in the arena (no exceptions due to fire codes). Signs, flags, banners, balloons, and other objects are not permitted in graduate seating areas or on the stage. Graduates and guests who display signs or disrupt the ceremony may face consequences, including possible removal from the venue and disciplinary action under the Student Conduct Code, up to and including expulsion. Your guests are welcome to bring flowers, and flowers will also be available for purchase in the arena lobby and for pre-order from The Commencement Group.

See the 3M at Mariucci Arena policies and general procedures for prohibited items and the bag policy. There are no camera restrictions for commencement ceremonies (the camera policy only applies to sporting events).

If you must bring a purse, backpack, coat or other personal items, please leave them with your guest(s) in the audience. You won’t be able to leave anything behind where you check in and line up for the procession.

Yes. During registration, you'll have the opportunity to record your name for professional readers to reference for pronunciation. At the ceremony, you'll scan a printed or electronic name card just before you cross the stage, so your name can be announced.

Students in the following degree programs are called to the stage in the order listed below. Within each degree, however, there is no specific order; it’s up to the graduates.

• Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
• Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics
• Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering
• Bachelor of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering
• Bachelor of Chemical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
• Bachelor of Civil Engineering
• Bachelor of Computer Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Data Science
• Bachelor of Science in Earth Sciences
• Bachelor of Electrical Engineering
• Bachelor of Environmental Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geosciences
• Bachelor of Geoengineering
• Bachelor of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Bachelor of Materials Science and Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
• Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering
• Bachelor of Science in Physics

If you are graduating with multiple CSE degrees, you may choose to sit with any of your degree programs and will walk across the stage with that degree. You’ll only cross the stage once, but your commencement slide displayed on the big screen for guests will list all the CSE degrees being awarded, along with collegiate and Latin honors.

Yes, a link to the live webcast will be added to the CSE Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony webpage. A permanent link to the recording of the ceremony will also be added to this webpage about a week after the ceremony.

Yes, we use a company called GradImages. The photographers will capture several photos of each graduate as they cross the stage, including candid shots before, during, and after the ceremony. GradImages will contact you directly at your U of M email when the photo proofs are available to view. There is no obligation to purchase photos. 

Visit the GradImages website for more information.

All commencement ceremonies will be monitored by UMPD officers and BEST Security staff. In the event of a disruption, students, staff and faculty are instructed not to intervene and to remain calm and seated. The ceremony moderator and event security will work to resolve the situation so the ceremony can continue.

If you have a question that wasn’t addressed above or need further clarification, you can email us at [email protected].