Frequently Asked Questions

The full graduation schedule will be posted once finalized in March for Spring, and in September for Fall, in the same year.

• Each department makes separate arrangements to have composite photos that are often framed and hung in their premises. Please contact the undergraduate coordinator in your program for more information.
• Protocol, Ceremonies and Events partners with GradImages on graduation day. Graduates who have provided an email address and consented to third-party contact will receive their photo proofs within a few weeks of their ceremony. For any questions about your photos, please contact GradImages’ Customer Service Department by telephone at (800) 261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com, or email at giservice@gradimages.net.

UBC does not issue invitation letters for visa purposes. You must write your own letter inviting your family to attend your graduation. For guidance and a sample template, visit this Inviting friends and family to visit.

Students should attend the ceremony for the program in which they are graduating. Extenuating circumstances around ceremony scheduling should be directed to Enrolment Services Graduation at graduation@ubc.ca.

• The Chan Centre is fully accessible to people with disabilities. In-person caption viewing will be available for all ceremonies for any graduand, faculty or guest in need of captioning. Infrared Hearing System headsets are also available free of charge for those who have difficulty hearing. 
• If you are a student with additional questions or requests related to captioning or interpreting services, please contact the Centre for Accessibility at Captioning.Interpreting@ubc.ca by April 1, 2026 (seven weeks in advance of graduation).
• If you are a graduand or faculty member with physical accessibility or mobility needs, we are happy to share information about alternative routes and available accommodations. Email ceremonies.graduation@ubc.ca by April 22, 2026.
• If you are a guest of a graduand with physical accessibility needs, please arrive at The Chan Centre 45 minutes before the ceremony start time. Chan Centre ushers will be happy to assist you with pre-seating in advance of the ceremony.

This is the order in which you will cross the stage at your ceremony. Your procession number will be posted in the Student Marshalling Area in Brock Commons South. Your procession number will also be printed on your reader card (included with your degree parchment, which you will pick up 1.5 hours before your ceremony start time at Brock Commons South).

Yes, all graduands must wear academic regalia (gown and hood) to participate in the congregation ceremonies. The mortarboard hats for Bachelors and Masters students are optional. For more information please see our regalia guidelines.

We strongly recommend renting your regalia online in advance to ensure a smooth experience. Visit the UBC Bookstore for more information.

If you would like to have your preferred or chosen name read as you cross the stage for the Spring 2026 graduation ceremony and included in the ceremony program, submit a request on your graduation application by Friday, April 17, 2026. This request does not change the name printed on your parchment.

You do not need to submit a request if you want your legal name to be used, since it’s recorded in Workday automatically.

The deadline to submit a name change request for your diploma for Spring graduation is Friday, April 17, 2026. After that date, you will be required to order a replacement diploma.

You can change your selection for Spring graduation in your Graduation Application Tool until Friday, Apr 24, 2026.

If you miss the deadline and would like to change your selection to attending, please email graduation@ubc.ca. Please include your full name and UBC student number.

Diplomas will not be available for pick up until after all ceremonies have been completed. For pick up availability please see Getting your diploma. To have your diploma couriered, please contact Enrolment Services Graduation at graduation@ubc.ca or call 604-822-9836.

Email your request to Enrolment Services at graduation@ubc.ca.

Scheduling of Dual Degrees is handled on an individual basis. You must contact Enrolment Services Graduation at graduation@ubc.ca.

If you are a student completing a double major, you will be assigned to the ceremony for the primary program of study (e.g., someone with a primary program of study in History and a secondary pathway in Psychology will be assigned to the History ceremony). To check your student record, log into Workday and select “Academic History” under Academics. 

Please note that if you are completing an Honours program, it must be listed as your primary major, and you will be assigned to the corresponding ceremony. 

Contact your faculty or departmental advising office if this needs to be changed before the application deadline. 

Unfortunately, students must attend ceremonies at their home campus.

Please refer to the Graduation FAQ to learn more about your graduation status on Workday.

Yes. Each guest, including children and infants who might sit on a guest’s lap, needs to have a ticket. The ticketing system is designed to ensure everyone’s safety; Fire Regulations dictate the maximum number of people, big or small, who may occupy the room at one time.

Seating for all graduation ceremonies is general admission and is on a first-come, first served basis. Any seat numbering on Chan Centre tickets is not applicable for graduation ceremonies.

Due to the large number of graduates in each ceremony and limited seating, each student is allocated a maximum of two (2) guest tickets. Graduating students do not require a ticket for themselves.

After the ticket request deadline has passed, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts will make every effort to provide extra tickets if available. More information will be posted on the Grad Tickets Reservation Page.

Due to the large number of graduates in each ceremony and limited seating, we would appreciate if you would return unused tickets to the Chan Centre Ticket office by emailing chan.tickets@ubc.ca.

Due to the large number of graduates in each ceremony and limited seating, we would appreciate if you would return unused tickets to the Chan Centre Ticket office by emailing chan.tickets@ubc.ca.

As a graduating student, select “Email Ticket Delivery Method” when you request your tickets and they will be emailed to you as a PDF. You can forward the PDF ticket attachment to your guests. If you are sending the PDFs to multiple recipients, please ensure you let the recipient know the barcode number of the ticket they should use.

If your ceremony is sold out, your guests are welcome to come early and wait in the Standby Lineup in case of last-minute non-attendance. It is recommended that your guests line up about half an hour before the ceremony begins.

No, graduands sit together at the front of the Chan Centre, while family and friends sit behind in the general seating sections.

Before your ceremony, you will pick-up your pre-rented regalia. Regalia consists of a loose-fitting, black (or doctoral), gown that falls below the knee to be worn over your clothes. The gown will cover most of your outfit, but your collar, legs and feet will be visible, especially when crossing the stage. Handbags are not part of the academic regalia; some graduands choose to bring a small shoulder bag that can be worn under the gown. If needed, small personal items can be left at your seat in the Chan Centre Concert Hall. Please note that there is no secure storage in the Student Marshalling Area.

Ceremonies run approximately 75 – 90 minutes, depending on the number of students graduating and the program for the ceremony you are participating in.

There will be a live webcast of all ceremonies here. Links to archived recordings of past ceremonies are also available on the same page.

Yes, your guests can bring their cameras and recording devices as long as they stay in their seats.

Yes, flowers are available for purchase at Flag Pole Plaza, located just outside the Chan Centre and can be brought inside the Chan Centre.

No, however your name will appear in the digital program, which can be found here.

• For ceremony days, the Rose Garden Parkade is reserved solely for graduating students and their guests, and the Fraser River Parkade and North Parkade will be used as overflow parking.
• Faculty/Staff Parking permits are NOT valid in the Rose Garden Parkade during Congregation. Faculty/Staff permit holders are encouraged to park at the Fraser or North Parkades.
• Student parking permits valid for the Rose Garden Parkade will be accepted at the Fraser and North Parkades.

• To save time and have one less thing to think about, parking can be purchased as far in advance as 14 days before the ceremony date, using the Honk Mobile App or Honk website and selecting Zone ID 5616 and the graduation date.
• You are also able to pay on the day at the pay stations in the parkades.

Contact Enrolment Services Graduation at graduation@ubc.ca.

You can purchase UBC regalia (i.e. gowns, hoods, caps, Ph.D. regalia, etc.) at Gaspard & Sons.

All past StageClip videos can be accessed and downloaded through alumni UBC. Please note that StageClip videos are only available for one year after your graduation date.