Commencement and Diplomas
Whether you are applying for graduation, picking up your commencement attire, looking for details about the commencement ceremony, or have questions about receiving your physical or digital diploma, the Office of Academic Records is here to help.
Commencement Activities
Information about upcoming Commencement activities is provided below, including details about receiving your physical diploma that day.
If you are a graduate, additional diploma services are available. Refer to the digital and duplicate diploma information for details.
May 2025 Commencement
| Campus | Date | Time & Place |
|---|---|---|
| Omaha | Saturday, May 10 |
9 a.m. at Baxter Arena New this year: Clear Bag Policy: Baxter Arena allows only clear bags and small clutch-sized purses at entry. This applies to all students and guests attending the ceremony. View the Baxter Arena clear bag policy details. Parking Changes: Both free parking and paid reserved parking options are available at Baxter Arena. View the parking map.
|
| Lincoln | Thursday, May 8 | 9:30 a.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena |
| Kearney | Thursday, May 8 | 7 p.m. at UNK Health and Sports Center |
| Norfolk | Thursday, May 8 | 2 p.m. at Northeast Community College – Cox Activities Center |
| Scottsbluff | Saturday, May 10 | 3 p.m. (MST) at Scottsbluff High School auditorium |
Diploma Distribution
As long as there are no HOLDS on your records, your diploma will be distributed immediately after the ceremony. If you will not be participating in the ceremony, your diploma will be mailed to the address provided on the graduation application approximately 3-4 weeks after the end of the semester.
Attire Pickup
For spring commencement in Omaha, students can pick up their attire on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pickup is in Williams Science Hall, 2nd floor.
For spring commencement in Lincoln, Norfolk, Kearney, and Scottsbluff, participants will receive information about attire pickup from their location coordinators.
Graduation Application Deadline
Students intending to graduate are required to complete an Application for Degree, which includes a nonrefundable/nontransferable fee. Degrees cannot be conferred without the completed Application for Degree. The deadline to apply for May graduation is Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. Learn more about late applications.
Commencement FAQs
For spring commencement in Omaha, students can pick up their attire on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, May 8, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pickup is in Williams Science Hall, 2nd floor.
For spring commencement in Lincoln, Norfolk, Kearney, and Scottsbluff, participants will receive information about attire pickup from their location coordinators.
Commencement ceremonies last approximately two hours.
Students are not required to participate in the ceremony if they don’t feel comfortable. The ceremony will be live-streamed so you are able to watch and see your fellow graduates walk across the stage.
UNMC has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation both locally and nationally. If at any point between now and the scheduled ceremony COVID-19 trends present an increased risk for safety, we will modify our planning and update our graduates and campus community.
We remain committed to the health and safety of the campus and community as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Per Dr. Meza and the Chancellor’s office, masks are not required.
We strongly encourage gathering outside of the arena pre- and post-ceremony. At the end of the ceremony, graduates will be directed to the robing area outside the arena to pick up their diploma. We ask that guests not congregate by the robing area, and they should meet graduates in a location outside the building.
There will be no COVID-related restrictions on the number of guests allowed per graduate and tickets will not be issued.
The in-person ceremony will be live-streamed for any guests to view remotely. Access to the live-stream will be made available to graduating students a few days prior to the ceremony.
All HOLD information can be found in MyRecords. You must clear the HOLD with the appropriate department/person/college.
All degrees are expected to be posted by the end of the month after Commencement, contingent upon completion of all UNMC and degree requirements.
A professional photographer will take photos of each student.
For the Omaha, GradImages is the professional photographer for the ceremony. Proofs will be sent to your email or you can access the photos at https://www.gradimages.com/Home/Search. All questions regarding photos should be addressed directly to GradImages.
For other campuses, contact the location coordinator for details about photos.
All graduating students will need to mail their photo id (no clip or additional card) to:
Photo ID Card Office
984290 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha NE 68198-4290
Students in Omaha will also have the option to turn in their UNMC badge during attire pick up.
Students can contact the Academic Records office at academicrecords@unmc.edu.
