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. Orders placed after Monday, April 15, 2019 will incur a $30.00 late fee. Regalia pricing can be viewed here. For more information visit the Grad Fest website.

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 17, 6-8 p.m. This year's event features local music and a variety of New Orleans food in small plates. 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. Tickets must be printed before the start time of 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. 

Arrival

University Commencement starts promptly at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. Students should arrive at the Superdome no later than 8 a.m. Everyone entering the Superdome will be subject to bag checks so please plan accordingly. Below you will find information about how to enter the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on University Commencement day and where to go once you are inside.

Arrive at the Superdome no later than 8 a.m.  Everyone entering the Dome will be subject to bag checks so please plan accordingly.

The Unified Ceremony starts promptly at 9 a.m.

Guests. Following the conclusion of the Unified Commencement Ceremony, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome will remain open and guests awaiting the start of graduation ceremonies for the School of Liberal Arts (1 p.m.) and the School of Medicine (4 p.m.) may remain in their seats or visit the concourse for concession stands/bathrooms.  Guests leaving the Superdome may re-enter prior to the afternoon ceremonies.  Participants in the Unified Commencement Ceremony are asked to clear the floor at the conclusion of the event. Guests leaving the Mercedes-Benz Superdome should exit at Gates A, B and D, while students are asked to please exit at Gate C.

UNDERGRADUATES

Where to go. Enter through Gate G (West Stadium Drive) and take the escalator up one flight to the CLUB level. Please look for the room number that corresponds with your school.

Follow the leader. A team of Tulane staff members (“line leaders”) will prepare you for the descent to the Superdome floor—please follow their directions. Line leaders will escort you from your robing room to the seating area for the Unified Commencement Ceremony.

After the Unified Ceremony.  After the ceremony, you may go backstage and either 1) report to your lineup area for the School of Liberal Arts Undergraduate diploma ceremony only, or 2) leave the building to attend your school's graduation ceremony.

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS

Where to go. Enter Gate C (facing Champions Square) and take the escalator up one flight to the CLUB level.  Please look for the room number that corresponds with your school.

Also, please do not bring small children with you to the robing rooms, as they will not be able to accompany you to the floor seating area and we are unable to watch them for you.

Follow the leader. A team of Tulane staff members ("line leaders") will prepare you for the descent to the Superdome floor—please follow their directions. Line leaders will escort you from your robing room to the staging area. Once the procession starts, line leaders will escort you to your designated seating area.

After the Unified Ceremony. After the ceremony, you may go backstage and either 1) go to the robing area for the School of Medicine ceremony only, or 2) leave the building to attend your school's graduation ceremony.

Attire

Students must wear regalia in order to participate in the procession and walk across the stage at commencement. Navigating the Superdome on commencement day will include lots of walking for graduates. Many students have difficulty navigating the steep tunnels graduates are escorted through in high heels, so plan footwear appropriately. 

All graduates shall be permitted to wear only those stoles or honor cords earned through University Honors, or recognized organizations officially sanctioned by the University, or by U.S. Military Veterans who attain the prescribed academic achievement to earn Veteran’s cords. Personal stoles or cords are not permitted. Tulane encourages students’ personal expressions of creativity in the decoration of mortar boards (robe decorating is not permitted), while reserving neck-worn stoles and cords only for officially recognized honors. Questions about cords and stoles can be directed to tugrad@tulane.edu.

Shuttles and Parking

If you plan to depart from the uptown campus, free shuttle buses will run from the Reily Center to the Superdome starting at 7 a.m. Graduates should plan accordingly to arrive at the Superdome for 8 a.m. 

Parking will be available at the Superdome for $20 (cash only). 

Security and Bag Checks

For security, bag checks and metal detectors will be located at every entrance at commencement. Students should account for time to get through security screenings when planning arrival times. There is no secure place for students to put bags during the procession. Handbags should be kept to minimal size that can be concealed under robes.

Personal Belongings

There is no secure location to store personal items on commencement day. Please make arrangements to keep personal belongings with your guests; otherwise you will need to carry those items with you throughout the day. There will be a Lost and Found at the Guest Relations Center at Gate A, Plaza level.

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 during 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. If you are unable to attend Grad Fest, contact SM569@bncollege.com or call (504) 865-5913 to place your order.

Any regalia orders placed after Friday, April 13, 2018 will incur a $30.00 late fee.

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. 

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.