Students

Grad Fest gives all graduating students the opportunity to get everything you will need for graduation, including cap & gown, Tulane Ring, graduation announcements, diploma frame, and more. Grad Fest is typically held each year in March. 

Wave Goodbye is an annual party for graduates that is modeled after New Orleans' many springtime festivals. All graduates and their guests are invited to mingle on Gibson Quad on the uptown campus on Friday, May 1, 6-8 p.m. Wine and beer will be available for purchase (cash only). Graduates are allotted seven tickets each, one of which the graduate will need to use to enter the party. Children 10 years and younger do not need tickets. Tickets are issued to graduating students via the Gibson Online student portal in the weeks before the event.

Please note, Wave Goodbye is an outdoor, casual event that occurs rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, Wave Goodbye may be canceled and would not be rescheduled. 

The University Commencement Ceremony honors 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. At this ceremony, expect to see the procession of graduates and faculty, the conferral of degrees and hear live jazz.

The University Commencement Ceremony will be on Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 9 a.m. in Yulman Stadium. Additional information for the ceremony will be updated as details are confirmed. 

In addition to the University Commencement Ceremony, graduates are invited to the ceremony of the school awarding their degree. It is at these graduation ceremonies that your name is called and you walk across the stage. These ceremonies are at various times and locations on the Friday and Saturday of commencement weekend. Visit the Schedule page for more details about these ceremonies.

Please note, students who are receiving degrees from two different schools can choose to participate in either or both ceremonies if scheduling allows. Additionally those students receiving two degrees can purchase either or both tassels. 

Students must wear regalia at all ceremonies in order to participate in the procession and walk across the stage at commencement. Regalia will be available to purchase or order at uptown and downtown Grad Fest.

Also note, students who are receiving degrees from two different schools can choose to participate in either or both ceremonies if scheduling allows. Additionally those students receiving two degrees can purchase either or both tassels. 

Former and current students of The School of Professional Advancement with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater should contact sopa@tulane.edu to receive your Military Graduation Honor Cord; all other honorably discharged U.S. Veteran students or Active Duty service members should contact Belinda Ramie at bramie@tulane.edu, veterans@tulane.edu or call 504 865-5231.

With the exception of Doctor of Medicine students, all graduates will receive their diplomas via USPS delivery three to four weeks after commencement. The diploma will be mailed to the diploma mailing address provided by the student on the application for degree. This address can be updated via Gibson Online at the “Update Diploma Address” link found under the Student tab. Doctor of Medicine students will receive their diplomas at the School of Medicine graduation ceremony.

If you have chosen to withhold your directory information from disclosure by selecting the confidentiality box in your Gibson account, you will not appear in the newspaper listings of graduates or any other external report on Tulane Commencement. This confidentiality flag can be updated through Gibson Online.