Information for Families & Friends

Graduates should enter through the south doors of the Denver Coliseum, which is located on McFarland Dr. Come dressed in your regalia. Undergraduates wear tassels on the right side of the cap until instructed during the ceremony to move the tassel to the left side. Master‘s degree candidates wear hoods. Doctoral candidates drape hoods over their left arms until they are hooded during the ceremony.

• 9:30 a.m. Ceremony: Graduates should arrive at 8:00 a.m. 
• 2:30 p.m. Ceremony: Graduates should arrive at 1:00 p.m.
  

Complimentary parking will be available on the west side of the Denver Coliseum. Please note that the entrance is located on the east side of the building. Parking is first come, first served. We encourage guests to drop off their friends and family members with limited mobility at the front doors prior to parking as the walk from the parking lot is uphill and between 5-10 minutes.

All students and guests will be required to go through a magnetometer upon entrance into the ceremony. This event adheres to the clear bag policy.   For additional detail please visit the Clear Bag Policy, Safety, and Approved Items.

The following items are prohibited: 

• Outside food and/or beverages
• Glass bottles
• Weapons (e.g. toys, guns, knives, chains, studded jewelry) or objects that may be considered a weapon
• Drugs and/or alcohol
• Laser pointers or noise makers
• Helium balloons, stickers, adhesive backed decals and chewing gum
• Audio/video recording equipment
• Pets of any kind. Qualified service animals permitted
• Smoking of any kind is strictly prohibited (including e-cigarettes)
• View the complete list of permitted and prohibited items of the Denver Coliseum.
  

The spring commencement ceremonies will be held at the Denver Coliseum (4600 Humboldt St., Denver, CO 80216). Graduates will line up before the ceremony in the lower level. 

• Graduates: Enter through doors on the south side of the building.
• Guests: Enter through the main doors locate on the east side of the building.  Please note that parking in located on the west side of the building. 

This event adheres to the clear bag policy. For additional detail please visit the clear bag policy page.

The Commencement Office will draft a letter of invitation to friends and family abroad to include in a visa application packet. Requests should be sent to [email protected] and must contain the following information: 

• Your name
• Your preferred pronoun
• Degree to be earned (spell it out)
• Semester attending commencement (month/year)
• Name and relationship of each guest to be invited
• City, country, and address of embassy/consulate where visa application interview will take place

An electronic letter will be sent to you within two weeks of your request. 

Yes, the ceremony will be live streamed on the day of the event. The link will be posted on the commencement homepage one week prior to the ceremony.

As a service to our graduates, professional photographers will take pictures of each graduate during the ceremony. Proofs of these photographs will be emailed within five business days of the ceremony and will include a coupon for a free 5x7 print (no purchase necessary). Fill in your contact information on the back of your name card to ensure you receive your photos.

If you would like to pre-register for photographs and receive a discount on photo purchases, please visit the GradImages registration page.

Please note, in order to maintain graduate safety and ceremony timing, professional photographers who are not part of the GradImages team will not be allowed in the graduate seating or on the stage. Families are encouraged to utilize the GradImages team and not hire separate photographers. 

For safety and consideration for the significance of the ceremony, graduates with children are not allowed to have their children accompany them during the ceremony or bring their child to the stage with them.

The ceremony is estimated to last two and a half hours. In consideration of the audience and the significance of this event, all guests and graduates must remain seated for the entire ceremony.

For those guests who require disability-related accommodations (i.e. hearing-impaired, use of a wheelchair), graduates can reserve can reserve ceremony seating for their guests during the regalia registration process. Specific seats are issued on a first come, first served basis. Please visit the Accessibility Arrangements & Information page for more information about arrangements for graduates who need assistance.

Please visit the Accessibility Arrangements & Information page for more information about arrangements for graduates who need assistance. Students will be asked during the ceremony and regalia registration process about whether they require accommodations to fully participate in the ceremony.