After applying to graduate in Workday, you will receive a personalized Commencement registration link via email once registration opens. Please allow approximately one week after applying to graduate to receive your registration link. This link will include the registration for guest tickets.

December 2026 Commencement

• Registration: September 28–October 30
• Eligible students: Summer 2026 graduates who did not participate in May 2026 Commencement and students completing their degree in December 2026.
• Winter Intersession: If you are completing your degree during Winter Intersession, apply to graduate with a May 8, 2027 graduation date, then email commencement@ut.edu to request your December Commencement registration link.

May 2027 Commencement

• Registration: February 17–March 29
• Eligible students: Students completing their degree in January, May, or August 2027.

Watch your email for a message from commencement@ut.edu containing a link to register for commencement.

On the commencement registration form, graduating students will:

• Provide phonetic spelling of their name.
• Submit ADA accommodation requests (for themselves or guests).
• Request up to six guest tickets and, if desired, request additional tickets.

If a graduate does not plan to use the full six ticket allotment, they may:

• Request fewer than six tickets, with the unused tickets returned to the general pool.
• Share extra tickets with friends graduating in the same ceremony. The sharing process is permissible but not monitored by the University.

Graduating students can request up to six additional tickets through the commencement registration form. Additional tickets are not guaranteed. Availability is based on the number of tickets claimed and available seating in the Expo Hall.

Notifications regarding fulfillment of additional ticket requests will be sent to your Spartan email regarding request fulfillment as space allows on November 3 for December 2026 participants and April 2 for May 2027 participants.

If demand for additional tickets exceeds supply, a lottery system will be used to distribute extra tickets.

Graduates may share unused tickets for the same ceremony only with other graduating students by emailing their unused issued tickets at their discretion to other UTampa students. Ticket sharing is not monitored by the University.

Tickets shared must be for the same ceremony and will not be accepted for a different ceremony. Selling or purchasing tickets is strictly prohibited.

All tickets will be distributed electronically to your Spartan email approximately one week prior to the ceremony. Graduating students will receive a link to download each ticket as a PDF, which can be shown on a mobile device or printed. Students are responsible for distributing tickets to their guests.

If any of your guests require accessible seating, it is important that you indicate this during registration for guest tickets, as you will be given specific tickets for them, as space allows.

For all guests who require special accommodations for seating, only one companion from the remainder of your guest party may sit with them during the ceremony. The remainder of your guests will need to sit in the open stadium seating. Ushers will be available to escort guests to the designated ADA seating area.

Children ages 3 and under do not require a ticket. However, they cannot occupy a seat and must sit in the lap of a ticketed guest. All guests ages 4 and above will require a ticket to enter the ceremony.

Additionally, if you bring an infant in a car seat/carrier, they will need a ticket because the carrier will take the space of a seat.

Be advised that strollers brought into the Expo Hall cannot be taken into the seating area and must be left at the stroller check. The University of Tampa and the Florida State Fairgrounds are not responsible or liable for strollers or any items left at the stroller check location.

Graduates will check-in at the Entertainment Hall, while guests will check in at the Expo Hall. Doors for graduates and guests will open one hour before the scheduled start time of the ceremony.

Graduates will not be required to have a ticket on commencement day; only invited guests need a ticket for entry. Once a guest ticket has been scanned at the entryway, it cannot be scanned again. Graduates should refrain from inviting more than the allotted ticket amount as extra tickets on the day of the ceremony are not available, and guests without tickets will not be permitted to enter the ceremony. 

Tickets can either be presented and scanned from a printed copy or from any smart device. Each ticket has a unique QR code and cannot be scanned more than once.

There will also be a live stream of the ceremony on the day of commencement for those who cannot attend.