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Spring 2023 Ceremony Details

Friday, May 12 2023 | Denver Coliseum (4600 Humboldt St. in Denver)

Morning Ceremony | 9:30 a.m. 
College of Health and Applied Sciences 
College of Business 

Afternoon Ceremony | 2:30 p.m. 
College of Letters, Arts and Sciences 
School of Education 
School of Hospitality

Each ceremony will last approximately two hours. It is recommended that graduates arrive 90 minutes prior to the start of their ceremony: 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony, and 1 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony. Both ceremonies will be hosted at the Denver Coliseum located at 4600 Humboldt St. in Denver. The ceremony will consist of performances, speeches, and most importantly, the moment graduates get to walk across the stage. 

The ceremony will be livestreamed to the Commencement homepage for guests who are unable to attend in person. Family and friends are not required to register in advance, and they are not required to have tickets. There is no limit on the amount of guests each graduate can bring. Graduates do not have any limitations on the amount of guests they can bring to the ceremony. Doors will open at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., and seating is first come, first serve.

Regalia

The ordering site will open early February. The primary ordering deadline to order regalia is March 17 at 9:59 p.m. MT. Herff Jones has offered a secondary ordering window, which includes a rush shipping fee, from March 18 until March 31 at 9:59 p.m. MT.

All home ship orders that are placed by this deadline, should be received on or before April 24. All other orders can be picked up at the Cap and Gown Pick-Up.

In case you miss the deadlines, regalia will also be available for purchase at Cap & Gown Pick-Up or you can purchase regalia the day of the ceremony.

All information about regalia is posted here, and you can find more information about academic honors as well. 

Cap & Gown Pick-Up in St. Cajetan’s 
Tuesday, April 25 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
Wednesday, April 26 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Find Your College or School

RSVP to Your Ceremony Through Marching Order

You should receive an email from [email protected]. The email will prompt you to RSVP for your ceremony. The RSVP deadline for the in-person ceremony is April 21 at 11:59 p.m. If you are not attending the ceremony, please still RSVP “no.” 

Once you have RSVP’d, you will receive your digital name card, called GradPass. You will need to have your GradPass on your phone on the day of the ceremony in order to have your name read. If anything needs to be changed on your GradPass, including your name, changes must be submitted before the RSVP deadline (April 21).  

Secure Your Parking Ticket

Parking is available to purchase the month before commencement, and you can purchase those tickets here. Parking tickets are $12.50 if purchased in advance and $15.00 if purchased at the lot entrance on the day of the ceremony. Only credit cards will be accepted on site. The Parking lot is located on McFarland Drive. Please be sure to give yourself enough time to navigate through traffic and find a parking spot.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Read more FAQs here.

Looking for a way to commemorate?

Friends, families and graduates are welcome to order a commemorative MSU Denver Commencement t-shirt. Or you can purchase flowers that can be picked up from the flower booth on the day of the ceremony. The flowers will be available for pick up at two tables located inside the entrance of the Denver Coliseum.

Order a commemorative shirt or pre-order flowers here.

Commencement Policies

Traditionally, Commencement is the high point of the academic year and is the most dignified of academic ceremonies. The Commencement ceremony is reserved for recognition of students completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, however you can check with individual programs to determine if they hold other recognition ceremonies for completion of certificates or other credentials.

To assure that candidates experience the recognition they deserve for the hard work required to complete their degree, the following Commencement Policies have been established by the University.

  1. All candidates, their families and friends are expected to remain for the entire Commencement Ceremony. Any unnecessary movement may prevent families and friends of those persons crossing the stage from hearing the name of the graduate read. Graduates should not leave the ceremony grounds until the appropriate time during the recessional.
  2. No one but the graduates, faculty, and members of the platform party will be permitted in the stage area of the ceremony grounds.

To preserve the dignity of the Commencement ceremony, no alcoholic beverages are permitted. A Marshal will confiscate any alcoholic substance immediately. Further, should any Marshal deem an individual unable to safely participate in the Commencement ceremony as a result of the consumption of an alcoholic beverage, that individual will be removed from the line of march and not permitted to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

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