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May 2025 Commencement Ceremony

Congratulations, É«ÎÑÎÑ Spartans! After years of challenging and rewarding work, you will earn your degree. The May commencement ceremony will be held at Saturday, May 10, at the Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

• The 9 a.m. ceremony will host graduates of the College of Natural and Health Sciences.
• The 12:30 p.m. ceremony will host graduates of the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education.
• The 4 p.m. ceremony will host graduates of the Sykes College of Business.

Tickets are not required for family members or guests to attend the ceremonies. Seats cannot be reserved, it is highly recommended to arrive early at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

For questions regarding the change to three ceremonies please refer to our May 2025 Commencement page.

Student Step-by-Step Process

Students, please follow this step-by-step guide to ensure you are set to graduate on time and/or participate in the commencement ceremony.

Step 1: Apply to graduate on Workday no later than Monday, March 24.

Log into your MyÉ«ÎÑÎÑampa and use the Workday widget to apply to graduate and have your degree conferred. Please note, in order to graduate from É«ÎÑÎÑ you still need to complete this step, even if it is past the deadline.

Students are highly encouraged to apply prior to March 24 to confirm their name will be included in the commencement program.

If you did not fill out the graduation application by March 24, your name will not be included in the physical program. You will still need to apply for graduation using the Workday widget in order to receive your diploma.

If you have any questions regarding your status please reach out to diplomas@ut.edu.

Step 2: Apply to attend the ceremony through the Commencement Application no later than Tuesday, April 1.

This is a separate application where you will provide the Office of Orientation and Family Engagement information relevant to your commencement ceremony experience. This information includes the phonetic spelling of your name to be read, accommodations for you or any of your guests, the commencement speaker application, etc.

The application will be posted here in January 2025.

Step 3: Pre-order your cap, gown and more at the Grad Fair (dates TBA)

Caps and gowns are free to all É«ÎÑÎÑ graduates. It is highly recommended you complete the pre-order to ensure you have the correct sizing available to you for the ceremony. Pre-order information will be made available in the Spring 2025 semester.

Step 4: Pick up your cap and gown from the University bookstore (dates TBA)

Visit the bookstore for cap, gown and honor cord pick-up before the ceremony at the University Bookstore! Cap and gown pick-up information will be made available in the Spring 2025 semester.

Please note, that academic regalia will not be available for on-site pickup at the commencement ceremony and must be obtained before coming to the fairgrounds.  

Directions and Parking: Florida State Fairgrounds

The Florida State Fairgrounds is located at 4800 U.S. Highway 301 N. in Tampa. Cellular GPS directions to the fairgrounds vary within each app. Please use the following links to ensure you have the correct location for the entrance and parking at the fairgrounds - Apple Maps, Google Maps, Waze.

Directions from the University (Plant Hall):

• Turn left onto W. Kennedy Blvd. (towards Downtown Tampa)
• Turn left onto N. Ashley Drive
• Merge right onto I-275 N and take exit 45B towards I-4 E/Orlando
• Take exit 7 onto US-92 E/Riverview
• Merge right onto US-301 S/Riverview
• Turn right into the Florida State Fairgrounds entrance.

If you go past the light at the intersection of US-301 S. and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, you have gone too far.

There is no fee for parking for students, families, and guests. Disability parking is available with the appropriate hangtags.

*Please note: Take proper precautions for Tampa rush-hour traffic/Commencement traffic and leave with plenty of time to arrive at the Florida State Fairgrounds.

Hotel Information

Hotel information will be added in Summer 2024. Please check back!

Family Communication Philosophy

While we understand family members and guests are excited to celebrate their student's achievements at commencement, we are only able to provide general information about the ceremony as opposed to student-specific information. Please visit the Student Affairs Family Communication Philosophy for more information. 

Questions?

Please contact Orientation and Family Engagement at commencement@ut.edu or (813) 257-1999.