APRIL 24-25, 2026
Commencement Weekend in New York
Alumni Celebration*
Friday, April 24, 2026
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location
TBA
Commencement*
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Morning Ceremony
Graduate Check-in: 8:30 am
Ceremony start: 9:30 am
Afternoon Ceremony
Graduate Check-in: 12:30 pm
Ceremony start: 1:30 pm
UBS Arena
2400 Hempstead Turnpike
Elmont NY, 11003
*Details Subject to Change
RSVP Opens Wednesday, November 19
Additional Information
New York Deadlines:
- RSVP
Deadline: March 25, 2026 - Graduate Speaker Application
Deadline: February 27, 2026 - Anthem Singer Audition
Deadline: March 6, 2026
- Cap & Gown Ordering
Deadline: March 27, 2026
New York Details:
- Commencement Guidebook- coming soon!
- Ceremony Program - coming soon!
Learn More About Commencement Day
Watch this video to see what a typical in-person commencement day looks like for a graduate.
Parking
Details Coming Soon
Bag Policy
Details Coming Soon
Alumni Celebration in New York
Details Coming Soon
Date:April 24, 2026
Time:6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location:
TBA
Contact Information
Alumni Celebration contact:alumnievents@wgu.edu .
Alumni Celebration accessibility:alumnievents@wgu.edu
Commencement questions:commencement@wgu.edu
Parking Information
TBA
Frequently Asked Questions
- Commencement Ceremony FAQs
- Ceremony Participation and RSVP FAQs
- Regalia FAQs
- Philanthropy Cord FAQs
- Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs
- Graduation Application and Diploma FAQs
Commencement Ceremony FAQs
A commencement guidebook with check-in details, parking, maps, and more will be loaded onto the and emailed to each graduate two weeks prior to the ceremony.
When registering for a commencement weekend, a graduate may choose the ceremony time that fitstheir needs bestas long asthe event has not reached capacity.All options can be seen at the event-specific registration link.
All schools willparticipatein each ceremony.
Due tovaryingspace limitations, Alumni Celebration and Commencement guest countpoliciesare different.Please refer to the specific guest count policy on the weekend-specific pagefor further information.
AlumniCelebration:
Guest capacitiesare implemented at alumni celebration events to accommodate as many graduates as possible while allowing everyone to enjoy the festivities with their loved ones.Guest capacities may be adjusted based on venue size and availability.
For the alumni celebrations in New Orleans, New York, Louisville, and Minneapolis graduates are invited to bring up to 6 guests.
For the alumni celebrations in Seattle, Atlanta, andAnaheim,graduatesare invited to bring up to 4 guests.
Commencement:Guests are recommended to bring up to 8 guests to ensure our eventdoesn’treach venuecapacity.
Tickets are notrequiredto enter thecommencementceremonies in New Orleans, Louisville, Minneapolis, and Anaheim.
Tickets will berequiredforthecommencement ceremoniesinElmont, New York at UBS Arena,Atlanta, Georgia at Gas South Arenaand in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena.Event-specific ticketing information will be provided8 weeksprior to the event.
The names of graduates who physically attend an in-person commencement will be read as they cross the stage. All Virtual Commencement participants’ names will be read during the Virtual ceremony.
No. Graduates are called to the stage by schools and not in alphabetical order.
Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Due to the number of graduates andpreciseschedule, it is not practical to change into regalia at the venue.
*This may be adjusted according to venue requirements.Additionalinformation will be included in the Commencement Guidebookand on the event-specific website.
You can watch the commencement ceremony on the at any point after the start of the ceremony.
The commencement photos will be available approximately 2-3 weeks after the ceremony. Those photos will be available for viewing at
Did you know that Alumni have access to hundreds of discounts? Log in to to search for deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.
Ceremony Participation and RSVP FAQs
There is not a time limit on when a graduate may walk in a commencement. Graduates may only participate in one commencement ceremony per degree program completed.
Generally,commencementceremonieslastapproximately90 minutes.
Yes,ceremonies have capacitylimits. Wesuggest that yousubmitan RSVP to your desired ceremony as soon as you are eligible.
Please review the located in the student handbook, which outlines student eligibility to attend commencement. If you have additional questions, you can contact the Commencement Office at commencement@wgu.edu.
Graduates who wish to participate in an in-person or virtual commencement ceremony must meet eligibility requirements and register for their desired event.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Students must have submitted their Graduation Application for the completion of their degree program OR
- Students must have only their final course remaining, such as capstone or final certification, with the exception of direct hours for field experience or demonstration teaching.
- Students who meet the above final course requirements may submit an email tocommencement@wgu.edu with "Final Course" in the subject line along with desired commencement ceremony.
- Once eligibility has been confirmed the student or graduate MUST submit an RSVP via the commencement .
If you don’t currently meet either of these requirements, wait to RSVP until one of the requirements is met.
No, the graduation application process is separate from submitting a RSVP to a Commencement Weekend. If the Commencement Office has granted a final course exemption and you have RSVP’d to your desired ceremony you do not have to have your graduation application submitted to walk at Commencement.
Yes. The ceremony RSVP form is a separate process from the graduation application. The completion of the ceremony RSVP form reserves your seat at commencement and generates yourinformation on aname readingcardforthe announcer.
After a graduate submits the ceremony RSVP form, a confirmation email is automatically sent to the email address listed on the completed RSVP form. Please check your junk inbox. If you do not see a confirmation email for your ceremony RSVP, please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu with additional questions.
No. Once registration has closed, no late additions, including day-of(walk-up)will bepermitted.Registration for allin-personcommencement events ends one month prior to the event date, and registration for virtual ceremonies ends
No. As of January 2022, a graduate may participate in one ceremony per degree, either a virtual or in-person ceremony.
AStagePassisa digital QR codeissued to each graduate registered for an in-personceremonythe week of commencement.Itcontainsthe information that willbe displayedon the screen as your name isread,and you cross the stage.To access theirStagePassat the ceremony, graduates will need their phone with them at graduate check-in and as they cross the stage.
YourStagePasswill be emailed to youon Monday andFriday,the week ofthecommencementweekend.If you do not receive it, please contact the Commencement Office atcommencement@wgu.eduwith the subject line, “StagePassNot Received”.
We will send commencement updates to the email address you entered on your RSVP form.
Regalia FAQs
works withofficial regalia vendorBalfour(caps, gowns, tassels, hoods,stoles). Ordering willopen at the end of 2025for all 2026ceremonies.Regalia ordering can be found.
For bachelor’s degree, post-baccalaureate teacher programs, or endorsement preparation program (English Language Learning), you should order a cap, bachelor's gown, and tassel.
For those earning a master's degree or endorsement preparation program (Educational Leadership), you should order a cap, master's gown, tassel, and a master's hood.
Clickto see a tutorial on how to wear your cap & gown the day of commencement.
The following master’s hoods are available for purchasefromour regalia vendorBalfour.
Education -Blue
Business (all MBAs) -Drab
Technology -Gold
Nursing –Apricot
Integrated Healthcare Management -Salmon
Master of Health Leadership -Sage green
works withofficialcommencementgoods vendorBalfourforadditionalcommencement goods and announcements. Visit them at https://www.balfour.com/wgu to see theirselection.
Prior to the conferral of degrees, bachelor's degree graduates weartheirtassel on the right while master's degree graduates wear their tassel on the left for the entire commencement ceremony.
A graduate should wear academic attireappropriate tothe awarded degree. The master's gown differs from a bachelor's gown. If you already have a cap and tassel, you can order amaster'sgown as an individual item onour commencement vendor’s website.Please note that the academic attire for a master's graduate includes a cap, tassel, master's gown, and hood.
Yes, graduates affiliated with an honor society may wear society pins or honor cords/sashes/stoles torepresenttheir academic achievements, affiliations, or identityon their gowns.
Teacher graduates affiliated with the chapter of theinternational honor societyof Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) may order honor cords at.
Graduates who are members of The National Society of Leadership andSuccessmay wear honor cordsindicatingthis affiliation.
graduates who are veterans or active-duty military will be provided with a military honor cord. For virtual commencements, cords will be shipped to the address provided on their RSVP. For in-person commencements, cords will be picked up atthe Alumni Celebration or at Commencementduringgraduate check-in. On your RSVP form, please mark that you are a veteran or active duty.
Graduates arepermittedto decorate theirgraduationcaps. Take into consideration the following if decorating your cap for commencement:
does not allow content on caps or sashes that is considered, in ’s sole discretion, obscene, vulgar, defamatory, hateful, inappropriate, profane or that might disregard another’s copyright or third-party rights. All decorations must lie flat on the cap.
Philanthropy Cord FAQs
The Philanthropy Cord is a blue and gold cord for graduates to wear with their cap and gownatCommencement. ThePhilanthropyCord isaphysical symbol of a graduate’s commitment to ,and,more importantly,supports aphilanthropiclegacy that will last for future generations of students.
Graduates can receive aPhilanthropyCord by making a gift of $25 or more to ’s Fellow Night Owl Scholarship, a fundestablishedto help current students facing financial hardship cross the finish line to graduation. To donate, graduates can text “Cord” to 41-444 or
All Philanthropy Cord donations support ’s Fellow Night Owl Scholarship, a fundestablishedto help current students facing financial hardship cross the finish line to graduation.
For in-person commencements,you may choose to have yourPhilanthropyCordmailed to you orpickedupat Commencementby visiting the Advancement table at the Alumni Celebration or during graduate check-in beforeCommencement.
For virtual commencements,PhilanthropyCords will be mailed prior to the ceremony date.
Advancementis dedicatedtoattracting,allocating, and putting dollars toworkso more students have access to an affordable, quality education.Weprovidea meaningful way for alumni, donors, and partnersto “pay it forward” and invest in the future of education.
Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs
Yes, students may send an email torecords@wgu.eduwith the family member's full name, relationship to the student, and foreign address. Once provided, the Records Department will prepare documentscontaininginformation about the commencement and student's earned degree. These prepared letters will then be sent to the student toforwardthem to the correct parties. It may take 5-10 business days for the letters to be mailed to the student.
works withofficialannouncements andcommencementgoodsvendorBalfour. Ordering will open at the end of 2025for all 2026ceremonies.
Announcements can be foundonBalfour
Graduation Application and Diploma FAQs
Visit thein the student handbook for the most current information on how to apply for graduation.
Visit the in the student handbook for the most current information on how to receive your diploma.
No, please leave your diploma at home.You will receive a complimentary diploma cover at the end of the commencement ceremony.
