Commencement 2026 FAQ
General Questions
What is the schedule for Commencement in 2026?
Liberty will be hosting ceremonies and events from Thursday, May 14th to Saturday, May 16th. Please see the Commencement Weekend Schedule for more information.
When is the Main Commencement Ceremony in 2026?
The Main Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 15th at 7:00 p.m. in Williams Stadium. No tickets are required. All graduates are invited to attend and will be seated on the football field and addressed by a special keynote speaker. Please see more information at Main Commencement Ceremony.
Who is the keynote speaker for the Main Commencement Ceremony?
When is my degree presentation ceremony?
Degree presentation ceremonies will begin on Thursday, May 14th and continue through Saturday, May 16th. These ceremonies feature graduates walking the stage in their cap and gown and having their names announced by a stage reader. Tickets are not required to attend these events.
If you need assistance determining which ceremony you will attend, please email Commencement@liberty.edu.
Are tickets required for attendance at Commencement?
No, tickets are not required for any Commencement activities.
When is the Commencement RSVP deadline?
All RSVP submissions must be completed by March 23rd. To submit your RSVP click here.
Do I receive my diploma by attending Commencement?
No, students will receive their diploma in the mail within 4-6 weeks of conferral of their degree. The degree must be conferred by your Academic Evaluator upon the completion of all necessary degree requirements. For any questions regarding degree conferral please email Registrar@liberty.edu.
Are Commencement ceremonies live streamed?
Yes, all ceremonies are streamed live online throughout the week at this link; Watch Live.
Is there a Commencement Welcome Fair event in 2026?
Yes, students should attend Welcome Fair to receive their honors cords, honors medallions, and military recognition cords (as eligible). Welcome Fair will be held in the Montview Alumni Ballroom. The dates and times of Welcome Fair can be found here.
Is there a Military Graduate Recognition Ceremony in 2026?
Yes, this event honors service members, veterans, and military spouses who have completed their degree within the 2025-2026 academic year. Please note, this is not a degree presentation ceremony, but military graduates and their families are invited to attend to celebrate their academic achievements. Please find more information on this event here; Military Graduate Recognition Ceremony.
What should I know about the Commencement Celebration?
The Commencement Celebration will honor the achievements of the 2026 graduating class. Graduates can celebrate with other graduating classmates, connect with the Office of Alumni Relations, purchase class rings, and take advantage of various photo opportunities to document their achievements. Light refreshments will be served. You can find the dates, times, and location for this event by visiting the Commencement schedule.
Registration & Regalia Questions
Potential graduates are required to submit a degree completion application, submit an RSVP, and purchase regalia in order to participate in our ceremonies. Please read the FAQs below for more information on each step.
This is submitted within the Course Registration Tool. This application helps the University track your degree progress and serves as your application to attend Commencement. If you are not 75% complete with your program(s), the DCA will not be accessible to you.
Upon submission, this application is sent to your Academic Evaluator within the Registrar’s office. Their team will review your application and reach out to you within a few business days to discuss your degree conferral. Correspondence from their office will be sent to your Liberty email account.
Once you have received a degree evaluation from them please contact the Commencement team (commencement@liberty.edu) to confirm your eligibility to participate in the spring ceremonies. The deadline to submit your degree completion application is March 23rd.
If you have trouble submitting a degree completion application please contact Commencement@liberty.edu.
After submitting your application and receiving confirmation from the Commencement Team that you are approved to attend, please submit an RSVP here by March 23rd.
If you will not finish your degree by the end of the spring semester please contact Commencement@liberty.edu to discuss your eligibility to participate.
If you have submitted your degree completion application already and received confirmation from the Commencement team that you can participate in Commencement, you can submit an RSVP at this link.
Please note: the RSVP deadline is March 23rd. Please contact Commencement@liberty.edu with any questions.
Yes, graduates need to wear regalia if they plan to attend the Main Ceremony or a degree presentation ceremony.
Graduates participating in Commencement need to purchase their cap & gown from Oak Hall before the order deadline. For information on how to purchase regalia please visit the link below.
Commencement Regalia | Commencement | Liberty University
There will be limited items available on campus for undergraduate and graduate students at the Bookstore for Commencement week. We encourage you to plan to purchase your regalia in advance online.
Yes, we encourage students to decorate their cap. Please be creative but remain within the Liberty code of conduct.
Honors cords/medallions and military cords can be picked up at our Commencement Welcome Fair.
Please read over our honors qualifications here;
https://www.liberty.edu/commencement/honors-cords/
Military cords are provided to active duty and veteran students only.
Yes! Please contact the Commencement team (commencement@liberty.edu) after May 16th for more information.
Yes, you may wear your military uniform instead of regalia.
Main Ceremony Questions
The Main Commencement ceremony is open for all graduates to attend. This event is held inside of Liberty’s football stadium and begins with the traditional graduate processional march – in which the graduates will make their way into William’s stadium. Graduates are asked to arrive early for this event so they can line up at Osbourn Soccer Stadium before marching into the football stadium. Once the graduates have been seated on the field the ceremony begins and features praise and worship as well as an address from a special keynote speaker. Graduates do not walk the stage or have their names read at the Main Ceremony. Please refer to this page for more information:
No, tickets are not required for any activities for Commencement.
Please visit the link below for more information.
Yes. Accessible seating will be available along both sides of the main concourse level of Williams Stadium and is available on a first come basis.
**If a graduate is in need of accommodations for the Main Ceremony, or their degree ceremony, please email Commencement@liberty.edu as soon as possible. Special arrangements will be coordinated and planned prior to the event.
Please see this page for more information about accessibility.
Please refer to the Commencement Security Measures and Allowable Items website for more information.
Degree Presentation Ceremony Questions
Each academic department will host their own degree presentation ceremony at various venues across campus. These events are scheduled across several days. This is where graduates will have their name called as they walk across the stage. We have a schedule of degree presentation ceremonies available here:
Degree Presentation Ceremony Schedule
If you need assistance determining which ceremony you will attend please contact Commencement@liberty.edu.
Degree presentation ceremonies are expected to last between 1.5 and 2.5 hours long (this can vary depending on the size of each academic department and the number of attending graduates).
These ceremonies open with an address from the department Dean. The department may acknowledge award recipients during this time. Most of the ceremony is dedicated to graduates walking across the stage and receiving their ceremonial scrolls.
If a graduate attends their degree ceremony they’ll need to purchase regalia online from Oak Hall. Please arrive at your ceremony venue at least 30 minutes early with your regalia on. Regalia information is available here; Commencement Regalia | Commencement | Liberty University
Graduates also need to bring their “reader card” with them to a degree ceremony. The University will mail reader cards to graduates in late April. To receive a reader card you need to submit your degree completion application and Commencement RSVP by the deadline. (Information on how to submit these is provided below). If you do not receive a reader card or lose your reader card you can claim a replacement at The Commencement Welcome Fair.
Yes. Degree presentation ceremonies will be live streamed online here; Watch Live.
Graduates need to arrive at their degree ceremony venue at least 30 minutes early. This means you’ll want to be on campus finding parking and making your way to the venue well in advance.
Liberty partners with GradImages to provide graduates with their Commencement weekend photos. Photographers will be at each degree ceremony and will take a photo of you as you walk across the stage.
Graduates need to provide their contact information on the back of their Commencement reader card, which is turned in to GradImages just prior to walking across the stage. Only the photos taken by GradImages will be sent to students.
If you have any questions regarding these photos, please contact GradImages at GradImages – Contact Us.