Frequently Asked Questions

Attendance at Commencement is not mandatory. All graduates are strongly encouraged to attend so that UK can recognize your achievement and your family and friends can share in your celebration.

All undergraduate and graduate degree candidates who received their degrees as of December 2012 or May 2013, as well as those who intend to graduate in August 2013 and are within 12 hours of completion of their degree, are allowed to participate in the May 5, 2013 Commencement Ceremony. Some professional degree programs also participate in this ceremony and will receive information from their College.

Undergraduates: The last day for filing an application for a May 2013 undergraduate degree in your college dean's office is February 28, 2013. If you did not file your application for degree, please contact your academic advisor as soon as possible to file your paperwork. You may still participate in the Ceremony even if your paperwork was delayed.

Master's candidates need to complete the “Graduate Degree Application” in the MyUK portal (Click on Student Services / myRecords / Graduate Degree Application) by February 20, 2013. Students who fall into this category will have their name printed in the Commencement booklet. If you know you will not be able to finish by May, please notify Matt Patterson, mpatter@uky.edu, so your name can be removed from the program.

Doctoral candidates need to complete the "Graduate Degree Application" in the MyUK portal (Click on Student Services / myRecords / Graduate Degree Application) AND a "Notification of Intent to Schedule a Final Exam" online form by February 20, 2013. April 18 is the final date to be able to defend and still earn a May 2013 degree.

If you are planning to attend the May Commencement Ceremony, please complete the online registration form at www.uky.edu/Commencement. This will allow us to have degree cards prepared for you.

No. The Application to Graduate form does not serve as your reservation for the Commencement Ceremony. To reserve your spot, you must register via the Commencement website or at the Grad Salute event at the King Alumni House February 28-March 2 from 10 am to 6 pm.

All students MUST check in with their college at the Loading Dock area of Rupp Arena by the Manchester Street Parking Lot.

Graduate Student Check-In will begin at 8:00 a.m. on the morning of May 5th.

Check-In for the 1:00 p.m. Undergraduate Ceremony will begin at 12:00 p.m. on May 5th.

Check-In for the 6:00 p.m. Undergraduate Ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m. on May 5th.

The May Commencement Ceremonies are expected to run between 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the number of graduates who participate.

Yes. Each graduate taking part in Commencement will have their name read aloud as they walk across the stage. In addition, the student’s walk across the stage will appear on the video screen with their name and major at the bottom of the screen.

In order to participate in the Commencement ceremony, graduates must be in academic apparel. During the reading of graduate names, we ask graduates and their guests to be considerate in their applause and celebration so that all names are heard clearly and the ceremony is not disrupted. Cell phones and other electronic devices will need to be turned off during the ceremony so as not to disrupt the event.

There is no rehearsal for the May Commencement Ceremony. Instructions for the processional will be given at the time of check-in.

Diplomas will be mailed to degree recipients approximately 90 days after graduation. Diplomas are mailed to the address listed on your application for degree. You will need to call the Registrar's Office or email an address change to transcripts@uky.edu in order to change or confirm the address for diploma mailing. If you do not receive the diploma after 90 days, please contact the Registrar's Office at 859-257-3161.

These terms are defined in Section 5.4.2 of the University Senate Rules. These terms are also explained in the Student Rights & Responsibilities Handbook, Part II in Section 5.4.2 (Commencement Honors) at www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs/Code/part2.html. Please note that these honors apply to undergraduates only.

If you are unable to attend in person, you can still share this special moment by viewing the live stream at www.uky.edu/uknow. Live coverage will begin at 8:45 for the Graduate Ceremony, 12:45pm for the afternoon Undergraduate Ceremony and at 5:45 pm for the evening Undergraduate Ceremony. The webcast will be archived on www.uky.edu/uknow and available for viewing there and on YouTube about a week after Commencement.

#UKGrad is a hash tag that is used through www.twitter.com to collect all tweets regarding UK’s Commencement ceremonies. To follow the University of Kentucky’s official Twitter account, visit: www.twitter.com/UniversityofKy. Search #UKGrad to find all UK Commencement-related tweets.

In the interest of safety and concern for everyone’s ability to view your Commencement activities, banners, signs and poster boards are prohibited in Rupp Arena during all Commencement activities.

Alcohol is prohibited at all public Commencement activities in Rupp Arena.

Participation in the commencement activities requires that you wear appropriate academic attire, the traditional cap and gown. Caps and gowns may be purchased at the University Book Store in the Student Center.

Caps and gowns can be ordered at the University Book Store in the Student Center or at the Grad Salute event held at the King Alumni House on February 26-March 1 from 10 am-6pm. While there are a variety of commencement-related services and products available at this event, you will only be required to purchase the cap and gown to participate in the Commencement ceremony.

Before undergraduate degree candidates receive their degrees, the tassel is worn on the right side of the mortarboard; after conferral of the degree, the tassel is moved to the left side.

Yes, Master's and Doctoral degree candidates may correctly march in the processional with their tassels on the left, signifying their previous degree or degrees.

The quickest way to access seating for individuals needing special assistance or accommodations is through the High Street entrance of Rupp Arena.

For attendees in need of assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers, it is suggested that personal assistive devices are brought to the ceremony/recognitions from home or arrangements made with local leasing services.

Thoroughbred Room 4 will be used as a Family Viewing Room where the ceremony will be live streamed. This option can be employed by those individuals who have difficulty with stairs or large crowds.

Students requiring additional assistance should contact the commencement organizer Andrew Adler at andrew.adler@uky.edu.

A sign language interpreter for the hearing impaired will be present during the ceremony.

There are multiple spots around Rupp Arena that are identified as handicapped accessible. These spots can be found in the parking lots surrounding the Arena. For a parking map of the area, please click here. We are expecting a large number of guests for all ceremonies, so please allow for plenty of time to park and find seating in Rupp Arena.

Yes. If a member of your party is unable to walk the distance from your parking spot Rupp Arena offers a drop-off and pick-up area on High Street/South Side of Rupp Arena

There are more than 10,000 parking spaces available within a 10-minute walk of Rupp Arena. All surrounding parking lots and garages offer spaces for guests with disabilities.

To see the various lots in the vicinity of Rupp Arena, please click here. There are a number of churches in the area that will be having services throughout the day on Sunday, May 5^th, so guests and graduates are encouraged to arrive early to find parking.

For the Graduate and Professional Commencement Ceremony at 9:00 a.m., the doors to Rupp Arena will open at 8:00 a.m.

For the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at 1:00 p.m., the doors to Rupp Arena will open at 12: 00 p.m.

For the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at 6:00 p.m., the doors to Rupp Arena will open at 5:00 p.m.

In the event of inclement weather, please monitor the Commencement website, www.uky.edu/Commencement or the UK Commencement Twitter feed at #UKGrad. We encourage all Commencement visitors to allow for plenty of time for travel, parking, and getting to the Arena for Commencement activities.

The Lexington Chamber of Commerce (859) 254-4447 and/or the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau 1-800-845-3959 or (859) 233-1221 can provide a list of lodging and housing.

Diagrams of the seating arrangements are available for the graduating candidates can be found in the Commencement Program, and are also availble here: 9:00 AM, 1:00 pM, 6:00 PM. The diagram shows where the graduates of each college will be seated. For your family to sit nearest to you, they should review the diagram and sit on the appropriate side of Rupp Arena.

In addition, the seating chart will be in copies of the Commencement Program that will be available on Commencement Day as your family enters Rupp Arena.

Tickets are not needed for the May Commencement Ceremonies. There is adequate seating in Rupp Arena for all guests.

The quickest way to get to your seats in Rupp Arena is through the front entrances on High Street. Other entrances can be found on the Vine Street side of the Lexington Convention Center, but are less direct.

Yes, Classic Photography, Inc. will be photographing each graduate as s/he crosses the stage at the ceremony. There is a no obligation to purchase any photographs. You will have the opportunity to order prints after you have seen your proofs.

You will receive your proofs via email and direct (U.S. Post Office) mail. You will be asked to provide these addresses when you register for the ceremony.

Proofs are normally emailed to graduates within a week of Commencement. Proofs are direct-mailed to the street address provided within two weeks of Commencement, if you do not place an order via the Internet.

You can email Classic Photography, Inc. directly at info@gradphotos.com, or call toll free at 866-882-2897.

All graduates, family and friends can submit their Commencement-related photos to UK’s official Posterous page (http://ukgrad.posterous.com) by emailing photos to post@ukgrad.posterous.com. Photos can also be submitted to UK’s official Flickr account at www.flickr.com/photos/universityofkentucky or UK’s official Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/UniversityofKy.