Spring 2023 Commencement season is here! UNT will celebrate more than 4,000 graduates participating in 12 commencement ceremonies Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 14, as well as the virtual commencement experience for students who earned their degree via online learning options or who cannot participate in their college’s in-person ceremony.  

In addition, UNT alumna Opal Lee (’63 M.Ed.), nicknamed "the grandmother of Juneteenth," will receive an honorary doctorate at noon, Sunday, May 14, during one of two doctoral and master's ceremonies that day. Lee led the successful charge to make Juneteenth a national holiday — earning admiration and accolades along the way such as a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

In addition to hosting our own commencement ceremonies, UNT also hosts many ceremonies for surrounding high schools and North Central Texas College. Some of these may impact travel and parking on the west side of campus.

UNT’s first in-person ceremony begins at 8 a.m. Friday in the Coliseum, so graduates and guests will begin arriving on campus at about 7 a.m. Traffic on the west side of campus will be heavy between ceremonies. See the complete ceremony schedule and ceremony livestream links. 

Faculty, staff and students who don’t need to be in the area are encouraged to avoid North Texas Boulevard and the west side of campus Friday through Sunday. If you are a student moving out of a residence hall, be aware that there will be extra traffic congestion on campus and plan your move accordingly. If you are a staff member, consider coordinating with your supervisor to work remotely on Friday if that is an option for your role. 

If you are on campus during the three ceremony days and see visitors who need directions, let them know that general commencement parking for guests is in Lot 20. Accessible parking is in Lot 27. 

Faculty and staff participating in the ceremonies may park in Lot 4 “A” Reserved behind Chilton Hall, even if they do not have an “A” permit. If you are attending a ceremony or know someone who is, guests are asked not to arrive more than an hour prior to the commencement ceremony — otherwise they risk running into traffic departing from the previous ceremony. Also be aware that the Coliseum will enforce a clear bag policy. If you need more information, read frequently asked commencement questions and answers.

A link to the virtual commencement experience will be added to the commencement website schedule page early on Friday, May 12. Students who have chosen to participate in this option — and their friends and family members — may watch at their convenience. This experience includes a customized slide with name, degree and Latin Honors (if applicable) for each graduate who submitted an RSVP, their name read aloud, and speeches from several UNT administrators, along with conferral.

If you need a little inspiration as the semester comes to a close, check out the Great Grads series to remind you how impressive our students are.

And if you see graduates in regalia, be sure to congratulate them!