Winter Commencement is just two months away and we are excited to celebrate your graduates on Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 10 a.m.
To help you prepare, below you’ll find key event details, as well as information on applying to graduate, cap and gown rentals, and more.
Key Details
- Doors open at 8:00 a.m., and graduates are asked to be seated by 9:40 a.m. Please note the ceremony typically lasts approximately 2.5 hours. A livestream of the ceremony will be available here on YouTube.
- All guests, family members and friends are welcome to attend! There is no ticketing for attendance and seating is general admission, first come, first served. Graduates in need of accommodations should email accessibility@chancellor.wisc.edu. Any guest in need of accommodations should meet with Guest Services at Gate A for assistance.
- Graduate names will be read as candidates cross the stage. A graduate seating map will be uploaded at a later date to commencement.wisc.edu.
- Each graduate will receive a diploma folder from their dean as they cross the stage. Diplomas will be mailed out to graduates 6-8 weeks after grades are entered. Remind your student to update their home address in MyUW so that their diploma is mailed to the correct location.
- Please review the carry-in policy as well as the metal detector procedures. Flowers are allowed inside the Kohl Center, however glass containers, balloons, backpacks and wrapped gifts are not allowed. No guests, including children (except for nursing parents) are permitted in the candidate seating area. No food or beverages of any kind are permitted.
Applying to Graduate
Students must apply to graduate to attend the ceremony and receive their diploma. The deadline for students to apply to graduate in order to have their name appear in the printed program is November 3, 2023. Students wishing to have their name listed in the commencement program with diacritical marks can email commence@chancellor.wisc.edu and request for those marks to be included. Students can visit the student center’s instruction page and the Office of the Registrar’s webpage for detailed instructions on how to apply to graduate.
Cap and Gown Orders
Attire orders can be placed until November 10th for an early Badger pricing discount. Orders can still be placed after November 10th, up until the day of commencement. View a timeline from the University Book Store and read more about commencement attire.
Graduate Seating
Graduates should enter the Kohl Center arena at Gate A (W. Dayton St. entrance). Candidate seating is arranged by school, college or degree type. Commencement Marshals wearing cardinal red academic attire will be available to assist graduates with seating. Degree candidates with faculty escorts should ask their faculty escort to sit on their right.
Find information on accessibility, communications, parking and shuttle information, photography, and more on the Winter Commencement 2023 webpage or at commencement.wisc.edu.