Graduation & Commencement

The deadline to apply for Spring 2026 graduation is February 6, 2026. All graduating students must apply to graduate from the university by the deadline. You can do this by visiting the registrar’s page here.

The university requires that students must be registered in the semester in which they intend to graduate and will have completed all requirements to graduate prior to the ceremony. For example, if you are not finishing coursework until Summer 2026, you will not be able to participate in the Spring 2026 ceremony. If you have questions regarding this policy, please schedule an appointment with your advisor.

All university coursework requirements must be completed by the time of graduation. Your student account must be cleared with the university before your diploma will be mailed. This includes any outstanding Health Center charges, parking fines, library fines, tuition fees, etc.

• Apply for graduation. (The deadline to apply for Spring 2026 graduation is Feb 6, 2026)
• Settle your student financial account.
• Meet all university and program requirements. If you have questions about this, schedule an appointment with your advisor.
• Update your address and email address on Testudo.
• Purchase your regalia from the University Book Center.
• Get involved with the iSchool Alumni Association.

If you are interested in receiving information regarding logistics for the INFO ceremony, please sign up to receive our update emails from infoevents@umd.edu by completing the form: https://go.umd.edu/INFOguest2026

At this time, tickets are not required for graduates or their guests for the College of Information ceremony. If you plan on bringing a larger group of 20+, please coordinate with us at infoevents@umd.edu. If you have questions about ticketing for the university-wide ceremony, please visit the university’s Commencement page.

With the exception of fire lanes and accessible parking locations, all campus parking is free on the days of commencement. If you need accessible parking, please contact the Department of Transportation Services (DOTS) at transportation@umd.edu or 301-314-PARK. The campus also provides free accessible shuttle buses for graduates and their guests.

Graduates will receive their diplomas through the mail roughly six weeks after commencement. Please note that diplomas will not be mailed out if a student has any incomplete or failing grades in courses required for their degree. Contact Diploma@umd.edu or 301-314-8270 for more information.

Full regalia must be worn at the University Commencement and can be purchased at the University Bookstore in the Stamp Student Union. All graduates participating in the INFO commencement ceremony are strongly encouraged to wear full regalia, although it is not mandatory. Graduates may purchase regalia packages at the University Book Center or through the direct link which will be made available in the coming months. The University Book Center will also host a Grad Fair in March 2026 in STAMP where students can try on regalia and participate in graduation related activities.

If you as a graduate or someone in your party would like to request accessibility accommodations, please notify us at infoevents@umd.edu. Graduating students will also be able to submit accommodation requests via the required RSVP form.

The University and the College of Information will no longer issue invitation letters for guests to visit the U.S. to attend commencement ceremonies. These letters are not required by the embassy to issue a B2 visa, which is designated for tourist activities such as sightseeing, visiting friends and relatives, and obtaining medical treatment.

The graduating student should submit a copy of their I-20 or DS-2019 to the relative applying for the tourist visa. Students can also send an Enrollment Verification Certificate along with the copy of your passport. Enrollment Verification Certificate can be requested from the Office of the Registrar.