Commencement

UNH Manchester students taking a "selfie'' at the 2015 commencement ceremony


UNH Manchester's 2024 COMMENCEMENT

 

Friday, May 17 at 7 PM
Whittemore Center Arena
UNH Durham Campus, 128 Main St. Durham, NH

Register to participate in commencement

CONTACT US
 

Registration Office
Phone: (603) 641-4136
Fax: (603) 641-4125
Email

Dana Pierce
Manager of Events at UNH Manchester
Phone: (603) 641-4348
Email

REQUIREMENTS

Caps and Gowns (regalia) are required for all faculty and graduates participating in the commencement ceremony. Gown styles differ for Bachelor, Masters and Ph.D. candidates. The cap and gown vendor will know what is required and will provide you with the appropriate regalia.

orders and pricing

Orders shipped to your home must be made by April 23.
https://unh.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome

QUESTIONS

Please contact the UNH Bookstore at bookstore@unh.edu or 603.862.2140

UNH Rings and graduation announcements

Information about UNH rings or graduation announcements available for purchase.

Senior Celebration information for 2024 will be available soon. Please check back.

Ceremony Location:

University of New Hampshire Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, NH

Date of ceremony:

Friday, May 17, 2024

Time of ceremony:

Processional begins at 6:45PM with the ceremony starting at 7PM.

What time should I arrive?

Graduates need to arrive between 5:45PM and 6PM to check in and line up in the Hamel Recreation Center. Signs and volunteers will be available to direct you. Please allow additional time to locate parking and arrive at the arena. Note: there is no dropping off allowed in front of the arena.

Where will graduates be seated?

All graduates will be seated on the floor of the arena.

Are tickets for guests required? 

Tickets will not be required for guests and there will be no limit to the number of guests each student can invite to the ceremony.

Where guests be seated?

Seating for commencement is general admission. Doors open at 6PM for seating.

What can I bring into the arena?

Please leave valuables and purses with family and friends in the stands, as there will be no place to store items during the ceremony. Alcohol is not allowed in the arena.

 

Ceremony location:

University of New Hampshire Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, NH

Date of ceremony:

Friday, May 17, 2024

Time of ceremony:

Processional begins at 6:45PM with the ceremony starting at 7PM.

Are tickets for guests required? 

Tickets will not be required for guests and there will be no limit to the number of guests each student can invite to the ceremony.

What time do the doors open for seating?

6PM. Doors to the arena will open for guests one hour prior to the start of the ceremony. There is another commencement ceremony prior to the GSC/UNH Manchester ceremony and guests will not be permitted access to the arena earlier than 6:00PM. Guests should allow additional time to locate parking and arrive at the arena. Please note, there is no dropping off allowed in front of the arena.

Where guests be seated?

Seating for commencement is general admission. Doors open at 6PM for seating.

What if I have a guest that needs accessible seating and parking?

Please visit this page for information on accessible seating, parking and other information for the day.

Where will graduates be seated?

All graduates will be seated on the floor of the arena.

Will the concessions be open?

Yes! Guests will be able to purchase water, other non-alcoholic beverages, and light fare.

How will the guests exit? What safety measures can I expect?

Upon completion of the ceremony, graduates will exit the building following the recessional. Guests should exit the building from the marked exits along the concourse and meet their graduates outside the building. Guests will not be permitted onto the arena floor at any time, with the exception of an emergency.

­How long is the ceremony?

We anticipate that the ceremony will be approximately 1.5 hours. We would encourage guests to plan for time to return to their vehicles and navigate the traffic in determining a time for post-event reservations.

Will the ceremony be live streamed?

Yes! The link to watch will be available on the commencement homepage at the start of commencement weekend.

When will the ceremony begin?

The processional for the ceremony begins at 6:45PM prior to the scheduled start of the ceremony. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7PM.

What is the schedule for the ceremony? When will my name be called?

The ceremony will begin with approximately 30 minutes of remarks from a variety of members of the UNH Manchester and Granite State College communities. The conferral of degrees will take place after the remarks and the awarding of the honorary degree. Graduates from Granite State College will go first, followed by graduates from UNH Manchester.

Will there be a rehearsal?

No. Volunteers will direct you where to go the day of the ceremony.

How will I know when it's time for my row to walk toward the graduation stage and how will I know where to go?

Members of the faculty from Granite State College and UNH Manchester known as Faculty Marshals will direct you at all times throughout the ceremony. They will be wearing yellow stoles over their regalia. Please follow their instructions.

Will I actually get my diploma during the ceremony?

No. You will receive a leather bound diploma holder that contains a congratulatory note. Because we award degrees throughout the year, many graduates have already received their diplomas by mail. If you are completing your program in May, your diploma will be mailed when academic records and certification of graduation are complete: approximately six to eight weeks after the conferral date. Conferral is pending successful completion of all remaining course work in your programs.

How does the ceremony end? How do I meet up with my loved ones?

Upon completion of the ceremony grads will recess out of the building where they can meet up with their loved ones outside.

Will there be a professional photographer at commencement?

Yes, each student will have their photo taken as they cross the stage by an external company called GradImages. They will contact all students directly in the weeks following the ceremony with a coupon for a free photo as well as a link to purchase additional copies.

When will my photos be available?

You will be notified as soon as photos when they are available. More details to come!

International guests may need an invitation letter to apply for a tourist visa to visit the U.S. for Commencement. Students who would like the Commencement Office to send an official invitation letter to their guests should complete the online request form. It is wise to request the invitation letter well in advance of your guest's intended visit as he/she will need to allow time to apply for a visa and make appropriate arrangements to travel.

The invitation letter will be addressed to the embassy/visa office of the guest's country of origin. The letter will be emailed to the graduate for them to mail to the invitee. Please allow up to 2 weeks for your request to be processed and mailed.

Letter Request

The following information will be needed in order to fill out the online request form, and for the request to be processed:

  • The embassy/visa office address
  • Guest's full name
  • Guest's country of origin
  • Guest's date of birth
  • Guest's relationship to the student
  • Student's name
  • Student's country of origin
  • Student's date of birth

Registration

Faculty are required to register their intent to participate in the Commencement Ceremonies.
 

Faculty commencement ceremony information
  • Each ceremony is anticipated to last approximately 1.5 hours.
  • Line-up at begins 30 minutes before the ceremony start time.
  • The faculty robing room and line up will be located in the Skybox Lounge.
  • Pre-registration is REQUIRED.

Regalia

In recognition of the significance of commencement, all UNH faculty are expected to wear full academic regalia--this includes a Masters, PhD, or Doctoral gown, Cap or Tam, tassel, and a hood representative of your highest degree earned and the institution at which it was earned. Faculty can choose to wear a black gown or a gown in the colors of their institution along with the appropriate cap/tam, tassel, and hood.

If you do not own regalia, it may be rented or purchased through the university's independent vendor. Information about rentals for the May 2024 ceremony will be forthcoming. Faculty who earned a doctoral or PhD degree from UNH can choose to wear UNH-specific, custom academic regalia. The vendor will be helpful in determining which regalia is appropriate to your degree and institution.

Faculty are responsible for all charges associated with the rental, purchase and shipping of regalia.

The Commencement Office has limited quantities of regalia on-hand to borrow. For further details, please email unh.commencement@unh.edu.

HOTEL AND DINING IN THE DURHAM AREA

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS IN MANCHESTER area

UNH Manchester has a corporate relationship with DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. This relationship allows us to offer overnight rooms at the DoubleTree at a discounted for any time throughout the year. Use our corporate ID number 0003205161 when booking online or over the phone.

Diplomas are mailed 8-12 weeks after the graduation certification process.

Diploma covers are given at Commencement.

Name

Will appear exactly as indicated on your Intent to Graduate form.

For changes contact the UNH Manchester Registration Office, 603-641-4136 or unh.diploma@unh.edu.

Mailing Address

Diplomas are mailed to the address provided on your Intent to Graduate form. Do not provide a campus mailing address. Verify mailing address, in WEBCAT and select Personal Information.

Please NOTE: International addresses may delay receiving diploma.

Contact unh.diploma@unh.edu for more information.

UNH works with an external company called GradImages to take a photo of each student as they cross the stage. Students will be contacted directly by Gradimages a few weeks after the ceremony. Students will be given a coupon code to order one free 5x7" photo. Additionally, UNH Marketing will be capturing candid moments at Commencement from beginning to end. These images will be available online via Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/unh. Images will be continually added over several days following the ceremony. Guests will not have access to the front of the stage to take photos.

Information for live streaming will be updated soon.

Directions

University of New Hampshire Whittemore Center Arena is located in Durham, NH.

Parking

General parking information will be available soon.

ADA Accessible Parking

ADA Accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis to guests with an ADA placard on their vehicle. ADA parking will be located in D lot at the Alumni Center. Please note, all shuttles are ADA accessible and can accommodate wheelchairs.

All guests with accessibility issues are encouraged to arrive 1.5 hours prior to the start of the ceremony and to expect delays in seating due to the crowds.

Please visit this page for information on accessible seating, parking and other information for the day.

Gifts for Graduates


Diploma Frames

UNH Gear

Class Rings