SPRING 2026 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES -

ELIGIBILITY & REGISTRATION INFORMATION

To: All Undergraduate Students

Dear Students,

Commencement is a significant milestone, and we look forward to celebrating your achievements at the Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies.

Students who anticipate graduating in spring 2026, summer 2026, or fall 2026 are eligible to participate in the spring 2026 ceremonies. Please review the important information below and monitor your UC Merced email for next steps.

Undergraduate Ceremony Schedule

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts
Saturday, May 16
9 a.m.
UC Merced Recreation Field

School of Engineering & School of Natural Sciences
Sunday, May 17
9 a.m.
UC Merced Recreation Field

Important Commencement Update

Effective the 2026/2027 academic year, UC Merced will no longer host fall graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies.

The university is excited to bring all graduates together for an enhanced spring commencement experience. Students graduating in summer or fall may choose to participate in the spring ceremony prior to or directly after graduation.

Spring graduates are eligible to participate in the semester in which they complete their degree.

Registration & Eligibility

• Students with 75 or more completed credits will receive an email from Tassel in the coming days with a link to the Commencement registration portal. The registration deadline is Friday, April 3.
• Students may participate in only one undergraduate commencement ceremony.
• If you receive the registration form but do not anticipate graduating by fall 2026, you will remain eligible and will be invited to participate in spring 2027.

Graduation vs. Commencement

While often used interchangeably, commencement and graduation are separate processes:

• Graduation is the official awarding of your degree.
• Commencement is the ceremony celebrating your academic achievement.

All students must submit a graduation application through the Office of the Registrar in order to have their degree officially awarded. The graduation application is an online form that you must submit when you are ready to declare candidacy for graduation.

Graduate Students

A Graduate Division ceremony for master's and doctoral degree candidates will be hosted the evening of Friday, May 15. Details and deadlines differ from undergraduate policies.

 Registration information will be provided for eligible candidates from Graduate Division staff. 

We look forward to honoring the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 and celebrating this important milestone with you, your families, and the UC Merced community.

For additional information, please visit commencement.ucmerced.edu or contact commencement@ucmerced.edu.