Information for Families & Friends

The spring 2024 commencement ceremonies will be held at the Denver Coliseum (4600 Humboldt St., Denver, CO 80216). There will be a morning (9:30 a.m.) and afternoon (2:30 p.m.) ceremony.

See "Which ceremony should I attend?" below, where you can find a list of which schools/colleges are participating in each ceremony.

Morning Ceremony at 9:30 a.m.

Doors open at 8 a.m. Please allow time for travel and to find parking.

This ceremony will include the following schools and colleges:

• College of Arts & Media
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• School of Education & Human Development
• School of Public Affairs

Afternoon Ceremony at 2:30 p.m.

Doors open at 1 p.m. Please allow time for travel and to find parking.

This ceremony will include the following schools and colleges:

• Business School
• College of Architecture and Planning
• College of Engineering, Design and Computing

Graduates should arrive at the Denver Coliseum at least one hour before their ceremony. Make sure to allow time to go through metal detectors. Please note that entry will be split between two locations (one for families and one for graduates). Follow signs to graduate check-in. If you arrive late, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be part of the procession.

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. 

What ceremony should I attend?

 

Parking at the Denver Coliseum lot and its overflow lot at the National Western Complex will be free for all attendees. 

Please use RTD’s website to plan a route to the Denver Coliseum. Significant disruption to service may impact travel or wait times. 

Bags are discouraged as they will be subject to search and may delay your entry.

For your safety and the safety of others, guests and their possessions must go through a metal detector to enter the facility. Intoxicated patrons may be denied admittance to the venue. Coliseum Management reserves the final decision on items which may be brought into the venue. For more information about the Denver Coliseum’s policies, click here.  

*Appropriate changes may be made to this list in accordance to the event being held at the facility*  

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, and adhesive-backed decals
• Audio/video recording equipment
• Pets of any kind. Qualified service animals permitted
• Smoking of any kind (including e-cigarettes). 

  

No, guests do not need tickets for commencement at this time, and there is currently no limit on the number of guests you can bring. Please note that seating is first come, first served.

Each ceremony, morning (9:30 a.m.) and afternoon (2:30 p.m.), is estimated to last two hours. In consideration of the audience and the significance of this event, all guests and graduates must remain seated for the entire event and cannot depart early. 

As a service to our graduates, professional photographers will take pictures of each graduate during the ceremonies. Proofs of these photographs will be emailed within five business days of the ceremonies and will include a coupon for a free 5x7 print (no purchase necessary).

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 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. 

 

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 commencement@ucdenver.edu and must contain the following information: 

• Your name
• Your preferred pronoun 
• Degree to be earned
• Semester attending commencement
• Name and relationship of each guest to be invited
• City and country of embassy/consulate where visa application interview will take place

An electronic letter will be sent to you within one week of your request.

Yes, the ceremonies are available to watch on YouTube. The link will be posted on the commencement homepage prior to the ceremonies.

Please visit the Accessibility Arrangements & Information page for more information about arrangements for graduates who need assistance. Students will be asked during the registration process whether they require accommodations to fully participate in the ceremonies. The deadline for ADA registration is 30 days prior to the ceremony.

For those guests who require disability-related accommodations (i.e. hearing-impaired, use of a wheelchair), seats are issued on a first-come, first-served basis during the graduate registration process. Please visit the Accessibility Arrangements & Information page for more information.  

Please note: The southwest loading dock entrance is best suited for wheelchair and other ADA access to the reserved seating area on the arena floor. 

Yes. During the registration process, you will be asked to identify any disability-related accommodations you may need to participate fully in the commencement ceremony. The deadline for ADA registration is 30 days prior to the ceremony.

There are ramps leading to the stage on both sides to accommodate wheelchairs and anyone who is unable to negotiate stairs.  

Service animals (not emotional support animals) are permitted at the ceremony. Graduates must pre-communicate during registration for planning purposes.

A sign language interpreter will be present in this section during the ceremony. Sign language interpreters can be arranged, as needed, for graduates and should be requested during the registration process. 

During the registration process, you will be asked to identify any disability-related accommodations you may need to participate fully in the commencement ceremony.

When the guest arrives at the Denver Coliseum, they should go to the ADA entrance (follow the signs) and provide their name. They will be instructed on how to get to the reserved seating area. If they arrive after the procession has started, they will need to wait to be seated in order not to disrupt the ceremony. 

All spoken information during the ceremony will be captioned and made available to follow along in real time from a personal, mobile device. To access this service and follow along during the ceremony, open the browser on your mobile device to the CU Denver GradCap website. 

Wheelchairs and scooters are not available for rent at the Denver Coliseum.