Graduation
It's more than their last day here. It's everything they did to get here.
Our students open their minds to new knowledge and perspectives. They open their hearts to new ways of leading and serving. And they open their futures to unlimited possibilities.
At each Commencement Ceremony at the University of Dayton Arena, we celebrate our students' accomplishments, and their plans for the future! We are excited to have them join more than 131,000 alumni worldwide who are proud to call themselves Flyers. Congratulations to the Class of 2024!
If you are a student, please use the Porches Graduation webpage to find information about the graduation process. If you are graduating from the University of Dayton School of Law, please contact the School of Law's Registrar's Office to apply for graduation.
Fall 2024 Commencement Ceremony
The Fall Commencement Ceremony will be located at the UD Arena on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 9:45 a.m. and will include all summer and fall graduates at every level from undergraduate through doctoral.
Ceremony Details
- Doors will open for guests approximately 1 hour before the ceremony. It is best to arrive early to avoid the most traffic. The east and west doors of the arena are not available for entry.
- UD Arena, 1801 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., Dayton, OH 45417
- Tickets are not required.
- The ceremony will last approximately 2 to 3 hours. The specific length of the ceremony varies depending on the number of students graduating.
Graduation Regalia
Were you unable to make it to the fall Grad Fair in October? Do you still need your cap and gown?
The University of Dayton Bookstore in Marianist Hall, is open Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri., from 9am-4pm, Wed.: 9am-5pm, and Sat.:10am-4pm. You are welcome to stop by and get your cap and gown during these regular business hours. Representatives from the bookstore will also be at the commencement ceremony to provide your graduation regalia, if you are unable to get your cap and gown early.
For alumni merchandise and a great selection of graduation gifts, visit the UD Bookstore. In addition, family and friends may order:
- University of Dayton diploma frames
- College jewelry and other graduation products
- Graduation gifts - Families can show their Flyer pride by pre-ordering gifts to give to their students at the UD Arena on the day of their commencement ceremony
Note: Students will not need to pay for their cap and gown at the Grad Fair or at the UD Bookstore because the costs have already been included. If they would like a roommate, friend, family member, etc. to pick up their cap and gown, they will need to email graduation@udayton.edu from their UD email with the name and student ID (if applicable) of the individual who will be getting your regalia. We ask that everyone please bring their student ID or photo ID for cap and gown pick up.
Live Stream
Watch the University of Dayton Winter Commencment live on December 14, 2024!
More Information for Families and Guests
There is so much to celebrate and be thankful for during a graduation season! In the spirit of our Catholic and Marianist tradition we invite all graduates and their guests to celebrate in faith at the Baccalaureate Mass. Near the end of Mass, students will receive a blessing to lift them up for the next steps of their journey after college.
December Baccalaureate is scheduled to take place in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception on Friday, December 13th at 4:30 PM. If you would like to volunteer as a lector or Eucharistic Minister at this Mass, please send an email to (jwallace3@udayton.edu).
No one wants to miss their student’s graduation because the traffic caused them to be late! Please plan to arrive early and expect slow moving traffic. It may be beneficial to choose an alternative route.
- ADA accessible parking spots are located in Lot A and Lot C on a first come, first served basis.
- Parking lots will be very crowded; please try to carpool.
- When parking lots begin to fill to capacity, entrance gates will be closed.
- Please follow the parking attendants' directions.
For alumni merchandise and a great selection of graduation gifts, visit the UD Bookstore. Families and friends may also order a University of Dayton diploma frame, college jewelry and other graduation products. Show your Flyer pride by pre-ordering graduation gifts. If you order early, these will be available on the day of the commencement ceremony at UD Arena for you to give to your student.
- Guests with disabilities will find a passenger drop-off lane near Gate B, accessible parking (Lots A and C), restrooms, concessions, water fountains and reserved seating areas.
- Please let an UD Arena staff member or graduation volunteer know of any additional needs.
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be interpreting during the ceremony.
- Live captioning will also be available.
Our partner company, GradImages, will send a link to a professional photograph of each student at graduation to their UD email approximately one week after the commencement ceremony. Before graduation begins, you may want to decide on where to meet afterwards to take more pictures with family and friends. While your student is walking in front of the stage to receive their diploma cover, you will have the opportunity to take their picture from your seat while their image is projected on the video boards.
For the safety of everyone, guests are not permitted to be in the aisle to take photos or videos of their graduates during the ceremony.
Students can pre-register their contact information for a discount on their picture order.