Graduate & Venue Guidelines

Interpreting services for deaf and hard-of-hearing graduates and guests will be available in a reserved area at each site. Graduates will line up at the graduate check-in area. Look for the designated area marked, "Deaf and Hard of Hearing". A processional marshal will lead graduates to the correct seating location. If you have special needs, please notify the National Center on Deafness at (818) 677-2614 (V/TTY).

ARRIVAL TIME (Graduates):

Graduates are expected to arrive at least 90 minutes early to account for traffic, checking in, bag check, line up, and seating.

GRADUATE ENTRANCES:

Graduates will check in at the campus store lawn and connect with commencement staff to receive their official printed name card. We ask at this time for all graduates to verify that their student ID number is accurately reflected on their name card to ensure a smooth transition.

Once checked in and inside the venue, all graduates will proceed to line up on the South Library Lawn with their major/department. Please view the venue entrances and commencement site map to familiarize yourself with how the venue will be set up. 

PARKING:

CSUN Graduation Parking fees will be waived for all Commencement ceremonies, for additional information on directions and parking please visit the following link.

GUEST TICKETING:

Please make sure you resend/print your tickets to ensure that all tickets have remained in the account and the QR codes are the most updated ones. To print your commencement tickets please log into your Marching Order account: https://csun.marchingorder.com/#/

To help your guests with accessing the venue, passing through security check-in, and locating the different entrances please view the venue entrances, nonprohibited items, and commencement site map for more information.

All of these can also be located on the homepage of our commencement website.

NOTE: If someone sent you their tickets, we have no way to see how many other people they sent them to. This means if the ticket comes out as invalid/scanned in, then the ticket was used by someone else. Every ticket has a unique QR code so no matter how many times you email/print them, they will remain the same tickets.

ARRIVAL TIME (Graduates & Guests):

Graduates and guests are expected to arrive at least 90 minutes early to account for traffic, checking in, bag check, line up, and seating.

Graduate Entrances:

Graduates will check in at the campus store lawn and connect with commencement staff to receive their official printed name card. We ask at this time for all graduates to verify that their student ID number is accurately reflected on their name card to ensure a smooth transition.

Once checked in and inside the venue, all graduates will proceed to line up on the South Library Lawn with their major/department. Please view the venue entrances and commencement site map to familiarize yourself with how the venue will be set up. Both of these can also be located on the homepage of our commencement website.

Parking:

CSUN Graduation Parking fees will be waived for all Commencement ceremonies, for additional information on directions and parking please visit the following link.

Please click here to view the different venue entrances based on where graduates/guests parked for the event.

Guest Entrances and Tickets:

There will be four entrance gates operational for guests (West, East, Southwest, Southeast). Guest are expected to have their printed tickets out and ready for scanning upon arrival. Guests will be asked to pass through metal detectors and have their tickets scanned before entering the venue.

Please make sure you resend/print your tickets to ensure that all tickets have remained in the account and the QR codes are the most updated ones. To print your commencement tickets please log into your Marching Order account: https://csun.marchingorder.com/#/

To help your guests with accessing the venue, passing through security check-in, and locating the different entrances please view the venue entrances, nonprohibited items, and commencement site map for more information.

All of these can also be located on the homepage of our commencement website.

NOTE: If someone sent you their tickets, we have no way to see how many other people they sent them to. This means if the ticket comes out as invalid/scanned in, then the ticket was used by someone else. Every ticket has a unique QR code so no matter how many times you email/print them, they will remain the same tickets.

Accessibility:

The commencement venue is fully accessible and meets all ADA standards including all processional routes along the ceremony site. Although the campus is completely accessible there is some distance between all parking lots/structures to the actual venue. Unfortunately, trams and other transport vehicles will not be available. Please review parking information to best assess the most comfortable parking location for your family and guests.

For graduates with disabilities electing to march and be seated with their departments, ushers will be made available to assist them during the processional and recessional. Please contact the Office of Student Development & Transitional Programs at (818) 677-2393 before the Commencement Ceremonies to arrange for assistance

Alternative Viewing Areas (Non-ticketed Locations):

There will be several auditoriums/rooms adjacent to the ceremony site which do not require tickets to enter. These rooms can also be used to get out of heat/cold should the weather be uncomfortable for some populations.  The telecast/broadcast rooms will include The Planetarium (near Citrus Hall), Nobbs Auditorium (SQ 104), Johnson Auditorium (by Jacaranda Hall), and others as needed. Ushers will be available on-site to assist you with locating these areas.

Inclement Weather:

Should inclement weather arise before or during a commencement ceremony, the University President can cancel or expedite the ceremony. For additional information in regards to our university protocols please visit the following link.

Live Streaming of the Ceremony:

The commencement ceremonies will be available on YouTube and Facebook Live for any guest who cannot attend in person. Click here to view the live stream. 

The commencement venue is fully accessible and meets all ADA standards including all processional routes along the ceremony site.  Special seating for graduates with disabilities will be limited and is first-come first-served.  

For graduates with disabilities electing to march and be seated with their Colleges, ushers will be made available to assist them during the processional and recessional. Please contact the Office of Student Development & Transitional Programs at (818) 677-2393 before the Commencement Ceremonies to arrange for assistance.

Wheelchairs, Trams, & Carts
Due to the number of expected participants and guests at Commencement, graduates, their families, and guests are reminded that the University is unable to provide wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices of a personal nature. Trams and other transport vehicles will not be available. Please review parking information to best assess the most comfortable parking location for your family and guests.

Commencement is a dignified occasion and each ceremony will have 10,000+ participants (graduates, guests, staff, etc.) so it is crucial for everyone to do their part in keeping the ceremony safe and enjoyable. Here are a few reminders on how best to conduct themselves during their ceremony.  

SPEECHES & ANNOUNCEMENTS: 
Ceremony speeches and as graduates get their names called aloud when walking across the stage are all opportunities to enjoy.   

• Applause and cheering is always a good thing!
• Please do not promote or engage in loud disruptive comments, jeers, heckling, etc.,  during speeches. 
• Noise makers (air horns, confetti cannons, etc.) are not permitted as they sometimes mask the announcement of students who are walking across the stage or speeches that are in progress.  

SOBRIETY
Alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited. Any alcoholic beverages discovered on the premises will be confiscated. Any graduate or guest intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance will be removed from the Commencement site and potentially subject to arrest.

PHYSICAL MATERIALS OBSTRUCTING VIEW:
Large posters, flags, or other physical materials that are held up, waved, or tossed around (e.g. beach-balls) are not permitted due to safety and respect for others. 

LEAVING EARLY
Graduates are expected to stay the entirety of the ceremony (approx. 2 to 2.5 hours) allowing everyone the same respect as they walk across the stage.  Leaving early is not only disruptive but difficult for the graduates to navigate due to exiting locations and their adjacency to graduate seats.  

.

To check in, graduates should arrive robed and ready to line up for the processional 60 to 90 minutes before the ceremony is to begin. This is to ensure that you collect your 'official name card' and go through the safety screening (using magnetometers/metal detection devices) as you enter the graduate lineup area. 

Please review these bullets below for further context:

• YOU MUST HAVE A NAME CARD TO PARTICIPATE IN YOUR CEREMONY. Name cards will be distributed by last name on the CSUN Campus Store lawn which is adjacent to the graduate entrance. If cards become available before your ceremony, we will notify you by CSUN email
• Students must retain the official name card until collected by the name reader during the ceremony near the stage.
• If a graduate should arrive late for any reason they would still check in at the South end of the Sierra Quad and staff will assist them to their seat.
• Look for the directional signs for the graduate check-in. Faculty and staff from your college will be supervising the line-up procedure for the processional, Please follow their instructions.

Academic Attire is required for all graduates to wear during their ceremony, and consists of a cap, gown and tassel.  Graduates should connect with the CSUN Campus Store for all Academic Attire needs.  NOTE: Sometimes academic attire is called 'regalia'.  

CAPS - The mortarboard graduation cap is a classic, but can be strange to put on at times.  TIP: Place the cap on your head so the point is in the front, about 1 inch above the eyebrows.  Your mortarboard should be worn level on your head, and the tassel should be placed on the right side (for undergrads). 

NOTE: Decorating graduation caps is a fun way to stand out and make the graduation ceremony more memorable. It's also an excellent way to celebrate your achievements and show off your creativity. This should be a tasteful expression of who you are!

TASSELS - The color of a graduate's tassel depends on their college/major.   The CSUN Campus Store will automatically select the appropriate color tassel for the college that a graduate is part of. 

GOWNS - Worn similar to a robe, but zipped in the front, CSUN has all graduates adorned in the classic black gown which typically falls around the knee.

HOODS - These are for masters and doctoral graduates and are worn over your head with the V-shaped portion pointing towards your chest and the top of the hood facing your back. 

Click here to view the IT checklist.

• Parking charges will be waived for Honors Convocation and on the dates Commencement ceremonies are scheduled.
• Graduates are encouraged to refer to the Commencement website for the most up-to-date information.
• For all Commencement Ceremonies, the most convenient parking is on the west side of the campus (Lots B1, B2, and the B3 Parking Structure). Please have your guests enter the campus at Nordhoff and Darby (1 block east of Reseda Blvd.) and follow the signs to the closest available parking.
• Parking for persons with disabilities is available in all lots.  They are most populated in Parking Lots B1, B2, and on all levels of the B3 Parking Structure. A current state-issued "Disabled Person Parking Placard" or "Disabled Person/Veteran" license plate, issued to an occupant of the vehicle, will be required to park in an ADA stall.
• Parking Maps and Driving Directions can be found by clicking here. 

Note: Graduates and Guests may be directed to overflow parking in the B5 Parking Structure in the event of an exceptionally large turnout. Additional parking for all ceremonies will be available in Lot G3, G4, F5, and F6.
Warning: Please note that although permits will not be enforced, all other violations, e.q. red zone, blocking, etc., will be enforced.

For Directions to CSUN click here.

Timeline of Events will be available in the Spring 2025 semester.