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University of Florida

Spring 2026 Commencement Information

Jason Degen, Director of Commencements  

Ceremonies

The Spring 2026 commencement will feature two university-wide ceremonies coordinated by the Provost’s Office: 

Doctoral Degrees Ceremony       Thursday, April 30, 2026                9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (Candidate Processional begins at 8:40 AM) 

  • Stephen C. O’Connell Center 

University-Wide Ceremony          Friday, May 1, 2026                         7:00 PM (Platform Processional begins at 6:55 PM) 

  • Ben Hill Griffin Stadium 

 

In addition to these ceremonies, each college (except for the Colleges of Dentistry, Pharmacy, and Levin College of Law) will host a recognition ceremony during the same weekend. For specific dates, times, and locations, please visit: https://commencement.ufl.edu/spring/event-schedule/college-recognition-ceremonies/

Due to the influx of attendees for these celebrations there will be impacts to parking for staff and students in the O’Connell Center garage and surface lot beginning Wednesday evening April 29th through Friday evening May 1st, 2026.

Regalia

Faculty members participating in the university-wide or doctoral commencement ceremonies as platform party members, escorts, or hooding faculty are required to wear formal academic regalia. 

Faculty Serving as Escorts and/or Hooders

Doctoral Candidates (Ph.D., Ed.D., and Doctor of Plant Medicine):

  • Candidates will invite a faculty member to serve as their escort, who will also hood them during the ceremony. 

Other Doctoral Candidates (Au.D., D.B.A., D.N.P., O.T.D., D.P.T., D.M.A., and Doctor of Athletic Training):

  • Candidates will be hooded by designated faculty members from their respective programs. 
  • Deadline for Coordinators: Please provide your candidate list to Jason Degen, Director of Commencements, by March 6, 2025. 

Faculty escorts should review preliminary ceremony instructions at: https://commencement.ufl.edu/spring/doctoral-escorts/. Escorts whose information is provided in GIMS by 2/27/26 will be emailed with detailed instructions. If not, please consult the link above for ceremony instructions.

If you will serve as an escort, ensure your regalia is ordered by the March 13, 2026, deadline. 

Marshal Robes

Faculty members serving as marshals at the university-wide ceremonies do not need to order academic regalia. Marshal robes will be provided free of charge for use during the doctoral and university-wide commencement ceremonies. 

Thank you for your participation in making the University of Florida Spring 2026 commencement a memorable occasion for our graduates. Should you have any questions, please contact the Commencements Office: jdegen@ufl.edu