Carnegie Mellon University

Frequently Asked Questions

Can't find an answer to your question below? Contact us at commencement@andrew.cmu.edu.

Commencement 2024

All graduates (bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree candidates) will be celebrated at the main commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 12. The ceremony will include a procession of graduates, conferral of degrees, remarks from the president, keynote speaker, student speaker and academic deans, in addition to recognition of the honorary degree recipients.

In addition to the main commencement ceremony, each college/school/department will host a diploma ceremony to recognize their graduating students. Diploma ceremonies will be held over the course of the weekend (Friday, May 10–Sunday, May 12) and include the presentation of diplomas to graduates, hooding of doctoral candidates and remarks from their college/school/department leadership.

Guests are welcome to attend commencement exercises. There is no limit to the number of guests for the main commencement ceremony and tickets are not needed. 

There is no limit to the number of guests for the President’s Reception for Doctoral Candidates and tickets are not needed. However, we ask that all doctoral graduates register the number of guests they are planning to bring to the reception so that we can prepare accordingly. 

Please note that some diploma ceremonies will limit guests based on venue capacity. 

We know how important it is to share this milestone with families near and far. Sunday’s Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed. Diploma ceremonies will be also be live-streamed to the extent possible.

The operation of drones is prohibited prior to, during and after the commencement ceremony on May 12. For more information about the Drone Safety Program, click here.

Except as noted below, community members and their guests are not permitted to bring dogs, cats or other pets inside any university buildings, including residence facilities, fraternities and sororities, classrooms, and other academic or administrative facilities.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities are permitted. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Service animals must be properly harnessed, leashed, tethered or otherwise controlled at all times. The university may require the removal of a service animal that is out of control or disruptive. Service animals that are not house-broken may also be removed.