Students

Tulane students smile at the commencement ceremony

From the pop and sparkle of fireworks to the buzz and beat of New Orleans jazz, Tulane's Commencement is an experience unlike any other. In New Orleans and at Tulane, we march to the beat of our own drum, and that spirit is infused into every part of Commencement weekend. We look forward to celebrating the Class of 2027 at the Unified Commencement Ceremony, where degrees are conferred, as well as at individual school ceremonies and other Commencement activities in May 2027.

Unified Commencement

The Unified Commencement Ceremony will be held in May 2027. At this special milestone event, which will feature an academic procession, keynote speaker and live jazz, President Michael A. Fitts will officially confer degrees upon all Tulane University degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate and professional students.

The Unified Commencement ceremony will be livestreamed on this website.

School Ceremonies

In addition to the Unified Commencement ceremony, graduates are invited to the ceremony of the school awarding their degree. At these ceremonies, graduates’ names are called individually as they cross the stage. Visit the Schedule page for the full list of school ceremonies.

For questions regarding individual school ceremonies and events, please contact the following:

Check back in May for the school ceremonies' livestream information.

Parking & Shuttle Service

Parking is available for purchase at Caesars Superdome both Friday (school diploma ceremonies) and Saturday (unified ceremony). Parking can be purchased at the following links:

See the Caesars Superdome Maps for reference regarding locations.

Parking for ceremonies on the Uptown campus will be in in the Diboll Parking Garage.

There will also be a shuttle on a continuous loop from the Diboll Garage uptown to the Caesars Superdome.

Friday, May 15
Continuous shuttle service: Diboll Garage ↔ Superdome
Start: 7:00 AM
Last departure from Superdome: 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 16
Continuous shuttle service: Diboll Garage ↔ Superdome
Start: 2:00 PM
Last departure from Superdome: 9:00 p.m.

Graduates and guests can also arrive via taxi or rideshare drop off by setting their destination to Poydras Street between Lasalle and Loyola (outside the Superdome on Poydras).

Graduate Entrance and Lineup

All graduates participating in the Unified Commencement Ceremony should arrive to Gate G on the Plaza Level in their regalia with their graduate ticket, Tulane Splash Card or government-issued ID and proceed to their robing location in the west side Plaza Level seating sections starting at 3:00 p.m. and no later than 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 16.

At 4:40 p.m. graduates will be lined up and begin moving from the designated locations. Any graduate arriving late will not be guaranteed a spot in the lineup as part of the procession of graduates onto the floor and may be inserted into the seating on the floor after the procession has concluded.

Graduate robing sections are as follows:

  • School of Architecture and Built Environment: Section 137
  • A.B. Freeman School of Business Undergrad: Section 141
  • A.B. Freeman School of Business Grad: Section 147
  • Law School: Section 139
  • School of Liberal Arts Undergrad: Section 143
  • School of Liberal Arts Grad: Section 145
  • School of Medicine: Section 145
  • School of Professional Advancement Undergrad: Section 142
  • School of Professional Advancement Grad: Section 144
  • Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Undergrad: Section 142
  • Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Grad: Section 137
  • School of Science and Engineering Undergrad: Section 140
  • School of Science and Engineering Grad: Section 137
  • School of Social Work: Section 144

See Caesars Superdome Maps for details. 

Security

The University's Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for Unified Commencement and all other school-based diploma and hooding ceremonies. Approved bags are as follows: 

  • Clear totes or bags no larger than 12" x 12" x 6".
  • Small, non-clear clutch bags no larger than 4.5" x 6.5".
  • Plastic, resealable storage bags no larger than one (1) gallon.

The following items are not allowed into any commencement-related event or student line-up areas and will be confiscated: flags, banners, signs of any size or type; alcohol; artificial noisemakers (including drums, thunder sticks, or other instruments); any type of bag not permitted by the Clear Bag Policy; contraband; containers of any kind; bottles and cans; coolers; fireworks; flammables; footballs or throwing objects; glass; laser pointers; outside food and beverages; projectiles; stadium seatback chairs with aluminum/metal; stickers; sticks; bats; poles; clubs; strollers (collapsible umbrella strollers that fit under guest’s seat are permitted); weapons (even with concealed weapons permit); drones; or any other item(s) deemed unacceptable by stadium security and Tulane University. 

  • Handheld umbrellas, including graduating students' second line umbrellas, are permitted and will be inspected upon arrival.

Sign Up for Alerts

Details about any commencement-related changes will be communicated by:

Applying to be Student Speaker

All undergraduate, graduate, and professional students receiving their Tulane degree in May are eligible to apply to be the student speaker for the University Commencement Ceremony. The deadline to apply (5 p.m. CT on Monday, March 24) has passed.

If you have any additional questions, please email the committee at tugrad@tulane.edu.

Accessibility

Tulane University strives to host 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.

To request disability-related accommodations at any Commencement-related event, please contact tugrad@tulane.edu. 

Tulane University will provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act with sufficient notice.

Regalia

Students must wear regalia at all in-person ceremonies to participate and/or cross the stage. We recommend ordering as soon as possible to ensure that regalia arrives in time. The final date for online orders (Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral souvenir regalia) is April 12, 2026 at Oak Hall's Tulane portal. Online orders will ship directly to students. When the online deadline passes, regalia can be purchased in person at the Tulane Bookstore. Any in-store regalia purchases made after April 12, 2026, will incur a late fee. Other regalia deadlines are as follows: 

  • PhD Custom set must be ordered by March 8, 2026.
  • PhD Rental Set must be ordered by April 12, 2026.
  • MD Guest Hooder set must be ordered by April 12, 2026.

For further questions regarding regalia, please contact the Tulane Bookstore at 504-865-5913.

Tulane encourages graduates’ personal expressions of creativity in the decoration of mortar boards or second-line umbrellas. Graduates are permitted to wear stoles and honor cords earned through University Honors, official university-recognized organizations, U.S. military service (veterans who attain the prescribed academic achievement earn special cords), or purchased at the Tulane Bookstore. Personal stoles, cords, and robe decorating are not permitted.

Ceremony Photos

Photos from school ceremonies are available for purchase through our photography partner, MillerFoto. Graduates should have received a personalized gallery at the email with which they registered with MillerFoto on-site.

Graduates can still register here until July 12, 2026. After that deadline has passed, graduates can access the open gallery where they can find themselves in a photo, click on their face and then receive all photos ID’d to them. Users in need of assistance can contact MillerFoto at 504-467-0230 or help@millerfoto.com.

Access ceremony photos

Tulane Memorabilia

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 Balfour website or by calling 1-866-255-3687 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Production time for announcements is 7-10 business days. 

Diplomas

Diplomas 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.

Senior and Grad Student Yearbook Portraits

The Jambalaya Yearbook will offer official Tulane Senior Yearbook and Grad Student Portrait sessions during the spring 2026 semester by Lifetouch/Prestige. The available dates for these opportunities are March 2-6, April 6-10 and April 20-24 in the Kendall Cram Lobby of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life. Portrait sittings are free, and there is no cost to have a portrait appear in the yearbook. The portrait sessions will include photos in official Tulane regalia and also shots in professional and/or casual attire—cap and gown will be provided. These are for seniors and graduate students only, and appointments are required. Appointments can be made online.

Students and their families will also have the option to purchase print packages.

Seniors not wanting to take a senior portrait can still have their photo included in the yearbook by uploading a photo of their choice online at tulaneyearbook.com.

Additional information about senior portraits and ordering the Tulane Jambalaya Yearbook can be found at tulaneyearbook.com.

 

Commencement Questions? Please check the Commencement FAQs page for any updates and direct any other questions to TUgrad@tulane.edu.

 

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