73rd Annual Commencement - May 2026

Be sure you complete this checklist

• Confirm Your RSVP to the Commencement Ceremony. The Registrar’s Office will email all graduation candidates during the month of February, prior to May graduation, to request that you confirm your RSVP for the Commencement Ceremony. You will need to submit your final RSVP for the ceremony by March 1st. Watch for this email in February for more detailed instructions.
  
• Order your Cap and Gown from the Bellarmine Bookstore and Jostens: click the Academic Apparel and Accessories drop down below to learn more.
  
• Purchase Class Ring/Announcements from Jostens: click the Academic Apparel and Accessories drop down below to learn more.
• Be sure that any outstanding balances have been paid in full. For questions, contact the Office of Student Accounts at studentaccounts@bellarmine.edu or 502.272.8264.
• If you have borrowed Federal Direct Loans during your time at Bellarmine or a previous institution that are not yet completely paid off, you are required to complete the Student Loan Exit Counseling as part of your federal loan requirements. Please do so via https://studentaid.gov/exit-counseling/?counselingType=exit by Thursday, April 26, 2026.
• Update your contact information! Be invited to exclusive alumni events and programs and stay in-the-know on all things Bellarmine by updating your contact information with the Alumni Association. Click here to let us know your next steps!
• Let us know about your post-graduation plans here: https://tinyurl.com/BUPostGrad26! If you would like assistance with your post-graduation plans, be sure to make an appointment with your dedicated career advisor here: https://bellarmine.joinhandshake.com!
• Check out our graduate and second-degree program options here at Bellarmine! Schedule an appointment to speak with one of our graduate admission officers at gradadmissions@bellarmine.edu.
• Give to Senior Gift Campaign – Make a gift to student scholarships to pay it forward for current and future Knights. Commit to giving $250 and receive a green & silver philanthropy cord to wear at Commencement. To give, please visit our Senior Giving Site.

Saturday, May 9, 10:00 a.m.

Graduate and Doctoral Students

• Doors open at 9:00 a.m.
• All students and faculty in line-up areas no later than 9:30 a.m.
• Students line-up in ULA Ballroom on 2nd Floor of Freedom Hall
• Faculty line-up in the President’s Suite on 2nd Floor of Freedom Hall

Saturday, May 9, 2:00 p.m.

Ceremony Details

Assembly of Procession 

Graduates will assemble at their designated time. All graduates should check in with the faculty marshal or staff person present for their area upon arrival. Graduates should be robed and in line no later than 30 minutes before their ceremony begins. Please see the schedule above for details.

Please note that due to the timing of the ceremony, graduates are encouraged to eat before arriving to Freedom Hall.

Procession

Graduates: For the procession, all graduates wear their cap and gown, masters graduates wear their hood, and doctoral graduates drape their hood over their arm to don during the ceremony. Faculty marshals and staff will assist students with academic apparel and the order of line-up for the procession.

Faculty/Staff: Faculty and staff members in full academic regalia will assemble at their designated time. Please see the schedule above for details. Faculty marshals will assemble the faculty and staff in the proper processional sequence.

Commencement 

Both commencement ceremonies will take place in Freedom Hall inside the Kentucky Exposition Center. Expect each ceremony to last around two hours.

Summer graduates have the choice to participate in this spring’s ceremony or next year’s ceremony. There is no petition required; summer graduates just need to RSVP when requested.

Academic Apparel

Doctoral candidates will be contacted directly by their department chair about their academic apparel options and instructions for how to place an order. The deadline for these orders is February 5, 2026. For all custom doctoral packages, payment must be made before the order can be placed.

For bachelor's and master's degree candidates, you must order your cap and gown no later than February 5, 2026, by going to the Jostens website. Click on “Graduation Products” and then on “Graduation Caps & Gowns.” The deadline to order your cap and gown is February 5, 2026. Your regalia will be ready to pick up in the Bellarmine Bookstore on March 19 for our Grad Event. If you are unable to come for the Grad Event, you can pick up the regalia between March 20 – April 2 during the Bookstore’s business hours.

If you miss the online order deadline of February 5, contact the Bellarmine Bookstore immediately via email at bookstore@bellarmine.edu.

Class Ring and Announcements

The Bellarmine class ring is reserved exclusively for students who have completed at least 60 hours and are in good standing with the University, and students in their final year of their professional or graduate program.

A Jostens representative will be on-site during the Bellarmine Bookstore’s Regalia Pickup Event in mid-March to answer questions and take orders. To get information about class rings or announcements after the Bellarmine Bookstore’s regalia pickup event, refer to the Jostens website or visit the Bellarmine Bookstore.

Latin Honors

Bellarmine University awards Latin Honors to undergraduate, degree program students in accordance with the following policy:

Graduation with Latin honors—cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude—indicates superior attainment in scholarship as reflected in a student’s GPA. To achieve Latin Honors upon graduation, students must have 60 or more credits earned in Bellarmine University courses, and meet the following minimum cumulative GPA requirements as shown on the Bellarmine transcript:

• Cum laude, for a GPA of 3.50 to 3.69
• Magna cum laude, for a GPA of 3.70 to 3.84
• Summa cum laude, for a GPA of 3.85 to 4.00

Latin honors are awarded only upon completion of all degree requirements and are reflected on the student’s academic transcript.

Bellarmine University invites you and your guests to celebrate the accomplishments of our newest graduating class. Commencement ceremonies will be held in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center on Saturday, May 9, 2026. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you! 

Parking and When to Arrive

What Not to Bring

Do not bring balloons, umbrellas, coolers, glass containers, weapons of any kind, outside food or beverages, artificial noise makers, or animals (except for service animals). Smoking is prohibited inside the facility. Note that for the safety of our guests, bags may be subject to a search at the time of entry.

Accessibility Accommodations

Designated wheelchair-accessible seating is available in Freedom Hall, but for any other accommodation requests or questions, please contact the Director of Accessibility Resource Center by email at arc@bellarmine.edu or at 502.272.8490 before April 30.

All ceremonies will be live streamed for guests unable to attend in person. We will have a limited number of wheelchairs available for short-distance assistance; however, please be sure to bring your own personal devices if you require them for long-distance mobility.

First Aid/Assistance

For the safety of our students and guests, an ambulance and EMS personnel will be on hand before, during, and after each commencement ceremony. For other questions or assistance, look for staff wearing Bellarmine shirts.

Photography

To keep Commencement running smoothly, guests are not allowed to approach the stage to take photographs.

More questions? Please email cbaldwin@bellarmine.edu.

Congratulations, soon-to-be graduates! This week is all about celebrating YOU. We have put together a fantastic lineup of events for you to enjoy. Check out a full list of events.