Commencement is an opportunity for guests and graduates to celebrate the remarkable achievements of a student’s academic career at Tulane, and our commencement is unlike any other. The Unified Commencement Ceremony, where degrees are conferred, will be held Saturday, May 18, 2024. School-based ceremonies, where students named are called and they cross the stage are held in the days leading up to Unified Commencement. Check the schedule for the full listing of commencement-related activities.
The Unified Commencement Ceremony honors the graduating students from all of the university's schools and colleges. It features the pomp and circumstance expected of a traditional commencement celebration with a New Orleans twist. This ceremony includes the conferral of degrees, the keynote address, special musical guests and much more. This ceremony will also be livestreamed on commencement.tulane.edu on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
- Unified Commencement will be Saturday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. in Yulman Stadium.
- Doors open at 5 p.m. and guests can enter at Gates A, B and C
- Graduates must arrive no later than 6 p.m. Additional information about graduate arrival locations will be posted in the days before the ceremony.
- Please note, guests should arrive and be in their seats by 6:25 p.m. for the graduate procession. Guests arriving after 6:25 p.m. will be held in the concourse during the procession and will not be able to access the seating areas until the graduate procession is complete.
- All guests and graduates will pass through security upon arrival.
Prohibited items in Yulman Stadium include: alcohol; artificial noise makers; backpacks, book bags, knapsacks; banners (large or in poor taste); contraband; containers of any kind, thermos bottle, bottles and cans; coolers; fireworks; flammables; footballs or throwing objects; glass; large bags – maximum size 12” x 12”; laser pointers; outside food and beverages; projectiles; stadium seatback chairs with aluminum/metal; stickers; sticks, bats, poles, clubs, flags or banners with poles; strollers – (umbrella strollers that will collapse and be placed under guest seat are permitted); weapons, even with concealed weapons permit; unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones); or any other item(s) deemed unacceptable by stadium security and Tulane University.
In addition to the Unified Commencement Ceremony, individual schools host ceremonies at which graduates' names are called to cross the stage. These ceremonies are held in the days leading up to Unified Commencement. The 2024 schedule of school ceremonies will be announced six months in advance. Check the schedule for the full listing of commencement-related activities.
For school ceremonies in the spring and the Unified Ceremony, there are no tickets issued, except for the School of Medicine Ceremony. Generally, all of the venues are large enough to accommodate graduates and guests without limiting the number of guests graduates can invite. Yulman Stadium has enough capacity to accommodate all of our graduates and guests for the Unified Ceremony. Please note, some of the school ceremonies do get close to capacity depending on the size of the class, so we recommend arriving early for those events.
It can be warm and humid in New Orleans in May. Flexibility and practicality are key to a successful commencement weekend, and guests should plan their attire accordingly. While there is no set dress code, guest attire usually ranges from business casual to dressier options and is highly dependent on what other plans guests have for commencement day.
With in-person events in the outdoor Yulman Stadium, comfortable, breathable, lightweight fabrics and sensible footwear will be key to a successful commencement experience.
Unified Commencement will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Yulman Stadium and will proceed rain or shine, unless severe weather (such as lightning, tornadoes, flooding, etc.) poses a significant threat or danger to the personal safety of graduates and attendees. In the event of severe weather, graduates and their guests should plan for two scenarios if the University's rain plan is initiated:
Rain Delay: the start time of the Unified Commencement ceremony could be delayed by up to two hours, for rapidly moving weather events.
For school ceremonies on Friday in Yulman Stadium, a rain delay could occur in order to compensate for rapidly moving weather events.
If the University's rain plan is initiated, details about the changes will be communicated by:
- Updates on the Commencement website
- Text message updates will be sent by the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response. Guests can sign up for these updates by texting tugrad to 888777.
- The university’s main social media channels.
Tulane memorabilia including diploma frames are available to order from the Tulane Bookstore. Contact the bookstore at 504-865-5913 for more information or to place an order by phone.
Show your pride with your Tulane class ring and share your graduation news with official Tulane announcements! Undergraduate students who have completed 60 credit hours and graduate students who have completed half of their required coursework are eligible to purchase their Tulane Ring. Order your rings and announcements from the Balfor website or by calling 1-866-255-3687 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Tulane University strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. To be respectful of those with allergies and environmental sensitivities, we ask that you please refrain from wearing strong fragrances.
Tulane University will provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with sufficient notice.
To request disability-related accommodations at any Commencement-related event, please complete and submit this form by Wednesday, May 1, 2024. To make this request by email or phone, contact tugrad@tulane.edu or 504-865-5210.
