Ceremony Format
To keep Commencement as safe as possible for graduates, their families and their friends, the ceremony has been altered from its traditional format. To reduce the amount of person-to-person contact, graduates will be seated in the stadium stands with their guests. Graduates who RSVP’d by the April 11 deadline will be individually recognized during their ceremony on the Jumbotron in the stadium. Your name will still be read, and we ask that you rise for your recognition, but no graduates will be walking across the stage. Graduates who submitted a late registration form by the April 16 deadline will have their name announced at the end of the recognition show.
Ceremony Schedule
MAY 5 - BACHELOR'S CEREMONY - 9 A.M.
- College of Arts & Sciences
MAY 6 - BACHELOR'S CEREMONY - 9 A.M.
- Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
- College of the Arts
- College of Education & Human Development
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences
- School of Public Health
MAY 7 - BACHELOR'S CEREMONY - 9 A.M.
- Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions
- J. Mack Robinson College of Business
MAY 8 - PH.D. HOODING & COMMENCEMENT - 9 A.M.
For the safety and best interest of those participating, Ph.D. Commencement & Hooding has been moved to Saturday, May 8 at 9 a.m. University Events Management continues to closely monitor the severe weather forecast for the week.
MAY 11 - ASSOCIATE'S CEREMONY - 9 A.M.
- Perimeter College
MAY 13 - MASTER'S CEREMONY - 9 A.M.
- Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
- College of Arts & Sciences
- College of the Arts
- College of Education & Human Development
- J. Mack Robinson College of Business
- School of Public Health
Ceremony Timeline for all ceremonies:
8 a.m.: Gates 7 & 8 open for entry
9 a.m.: Ceremony begins
10:30 a.m.: Ceremony concludes (approximately)
Entering the Stadium & Seating:
All graduates and guests should enter through Gates 7 & 8 for the ceremony. Seating throughout the stadium will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. Seats will be sectioned off into groups of 5 to maintain physical distance between attendees.
Parking: Complimentary parking for the ceremonies will be available in the Green Lot and Blue Lot.
- Enter the Blue Lot via the Fulton St. entrance.
- Enter the Green Lot via the Pollard Blvd. entrance.
- ADA parking is available in the Green Lot on a first-come-first-served basis. Please be advised that ADA parking spaces are limited. Cars will have to enter via the Pollard Blvd. entrance.
Click here to view a parking map for the ceremony.
Tickets: Graduates who RSVP’d by the April 16 deadline received five tickets for the ceremony – four guest tickets and one for yourself. Guests are required to have a ticket regardless of age. If you are having difficulty claiming your tickets through the Ticketmaster link sent out on 4/23, contact the Ticket Office at (404) 413-4020 or tickets@gsu.edu.
Inclement Weather: Commencement is held rain or shine and will only be rescheduled in the event of severe weather. If it is raining on the morning of Commencement, but not declared as severe weather, the ceremony will be held as planned in the stadium. Umbrellas are prohibited in the stadium, so be prepared to use rain gear or ponchos.
Clear Bag Policy: Center Parc Stadium requires that all guests carry clear bags that are no larger than 12” X 6” X 12” to hold their belongings and/or clutches that are no larger than 4.5” X 6.5”. Guests should return unauthorized bags to their vehicles.
Prohibited Items: For the safety of attendees, the following items and activities are prohibited at Center Parc Stadium
- Artificial Noisemakers
- Animals
- Backpacks
- Bags larger than 12” X 6” X 12’
- Outside food and drink
- Fireworks
- Bicycles, skateboards, scooters and rollerblades
- Coolers
- Illegal substances
- Laser pointers
- Flag poles and sticks
- Strollers in seats
- Umbrellas
- Video cameras
- Weapons
- Large signs
Masks & Social Distancing: Individuals attending Commencement are required to wear an approved personal face covering at all times while within the stadium perimeter. Your ticket has a seat designation, but we are not requiring you sit in those seats. Seats will be sectioned off into rows of five to maintain physical distance between groups of attendees.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accommodations: ADA seating is available at the top of every section on the 200 level. From the plaza and concourse there are not staircases in the path of these seats. ADA seating is limited and will be available on a first-come-first-served basis. If you or your guest needs a wheelchair rental while in the stadium, you can visit Guest Services just inside Gate 7 next to section 126.
GEORGIA STATE IS THRILLED TO RECOGNIZE THE CLASS OF 2021.
Meet Some of Your Fellow Graduates
Meet three stars from the Class of 2021
Myah Vogt
Applied Linguistics and Spanish, Honors College
Georgia State's first Woodruff, Whitehead and Evans foundations fellow is guided by her
love of Atlanta.
Riuki Gakio
Film and Media, College of the Arts
Filmmaker combined his creativity with the resources of Georgia State to produce an Emmy Award-winning documentary.
Latonya Young
Criminal Justice, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
An unlikely gift from a passenger helped the former Uber driver return to college and appear on the "Ellen Show."
Celebrate with
Digital Swag
From downloadable swag to printable party décor, here are some ways you can commemorate your milestone from your home or iPhone. Go ahead and celebrate yourself. You’ve certainly earned it.
