Information for Graduates

Eligibility to Participate

Any student that meets all requirements below is eligible to participate in the Certificate Graduation Ceremony:

1. Completed or will be completing a Certificate program from UCLA Extension. View eligible certificate programs. Specializations and Boot Camps are not eligible for participation.
2. Completed or will be completing a Certificate program from UCLA Extension anytime between Fall 2025, Winter 2026, Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 (completing by September 2026).

A Note on Receiving Your Academic Credentials
Students will not receive their physical Certificates during the ceremony. Once you have completed your certificate requirements, please follow the steps to receive your certificate.

How to Participate: Student Checklist

Before you register for the Certificate Graduation Ceremony, please make sure you complete the following.

Step 1: Confirm Graduation Eligibility

Are you unsure if you are on track to complete your certificate requirements before September 2026?

You may use the My Certificates and Specializations link on your Student Portal to help you monitor your academic progress.

Your Academic Advisor or Program Representative can also help guide you to confirm that you are on track to complete your total certificate requirements. For a list of program representatives, visit the Contact UCLA Extension page and select from the Academic Program Departments drop-down.

If you are an international student, please make an appointment to meet with the International Student Services office for questions about your F-1 visa, CPT, and OPT requirements.

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Step 2: Register to Participate

Once you have confirmed that you are eligible to participate, please register to participate in the Certificate Graduation Ceremony.

Please note that you will be requesting tickets for yourself AND your guests. To allow all of our graduates to share this moment with their loved ones, please only request the number of complimentary guest tickets you know you will need. Each graduate can claim up to fifteen (15) complimentary guest tickets.

REGISTER HERE

Note: You will need to sign-in with your UCLA Extension Student Portal Login. For assistance with restoring account access, please contact enroll@uclaextension.edu or 800-825-9971.

If your student details do not auto-populate after signing in, it may be because you have not declared candidacy for a certificate or you fall outside of the standard eligibility requirements.

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Step 3: Receive Attendance Confirmation

After providing your information on the registration page, you will receive a confirmation email from UCLA Extension that we have received your registration form. eTickets will not be emailed at this time.

Emails with eTicket links were sent out on Tuesday, May 26th.

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Step 4: Transfer Guest Tickets

Once the Central Ticket Office (CTO) has emailed you with your requested tickets in late May, you will then be able to transfer your guest tickets to your guests and loved ones. Instructions on how to do so are below:

How to Claim Your Tickets

How to Transfer Tickets

eTickets for Graduate Participants

As a graduating participant, you must claim a ticket for yourself when obtaining all of your tickets. This ticket will specify that you are a Graduate so that you have access to participate in the ceremony.

All eTickets are complimentary, free-of-charge. When you register, please make sure you claim your select number of “Guest” tickets (max 15). To allow all our graduates to share this moment with their loved ones, please only request guest tickets you know you will need. Children under the age of 2 do not require a ticket.

How to Claim Your Tickets

How to Transfer Tickets

Should you need more than the maximum amount of tickets, please contact us at graduation@uclaextension.edu.

Accessibility
UCLA venues and facilities are equipped with both wheelchair spaces and transfer seats located on select aisles, which have folding armrests to make transfer easier for those with mobility limitations. Please indicate specific seating needs when placing your ticket order, and clarify whether they are for you or for your guest.

Graduation Day Schedule

12:45-1:00pm - Arrivals

• Graduates check-in at the venue
• Guests are seated separately
• Guest seating begins at 1:00pm

1:00pm - Guest Seating in Pauley Pavilion

• Pauley Pavilion doors open - Guests are seated
• Guest seating is open, there are no assigned seats.

2:00pm - Ceremony Begins

Graduates, please arrive no later than 1:15pm to allow for time to park, get through security, etc. Ceremony will begin promptly at 2:00pm.

• The celebration will feature remarks by Dean Eric A. Bullard, a keynote address, and graduate names are announced as they cross the Pauley Pavilion stage.
• Graduates will be ushered from their seats to the stage, they will hand a card with their name to the announcer and cross the stage.
• Upon exiting the stage, graduates will return to their seats.

Out of courtesy to all attendees, we ask that all students and guests remain in their seats for the entire program.

4:30pm - Ceremony Ends

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Filming notice: This event will be recorded and live-streamed on the UCLA Extension YouTube Channel

Parking for Graduation

Graduates and Guests may park in Parking Structure 7 and Parking Structure 4.

Please obtain a parking permit in advance via the Bruin ePermit system.

You will find the ePermits listed as “UCLA Extension Graduation” under the “UCLA Commencement” category.

Your license plate is your permit and the permit costs $17/vehicle.

More information on Graduation Parking and Lodging

Graduation Day Check-In

ATTIRE

We recommend to Extension graduates that the attire is business casual.

Graduates may opt to wear UCLA gowns, caps, and sashes if they wish. However, regalia is not required.

If you are interested, graduation regalia may be purchased at the UCLA Bookstore, either in-person or online. Since there is no specific regalia for certificates, those who opt for regalia tend to order the Bachelor Unit (black gown, cap, etc.) and any other regalia (sashes, cords, etc.) that they wish.

For more information on regalia, please email the ASUCLA Store: gradetc@asucla.ucla.edu. 

ARRIVAL

Check-In will open at 1:00pm, please arrive NO LATER than 1:15pm to ensure you are checked-in and seated before the ceremony begins.

The program will begin promptly at 2:00pm. Late arrivals will be guided to the nearest available seating at the back of the venue by a staff member to avoid disrupting the ceremony.

All graduates will be entering the venue together through a separate entrance to celebrate you as you find your seats. Your guests will be checking in and entering at Pauley Pavilion’s North entrance. 

Everyone must have a ticket, whether you are a Graduate or a Guest. Children under the age of 2 do not require a ticket. Please see the map attached for directions.

SECURITY:

Guests, graduates, instructors, and staff must all go through a magnetometer security check before entering the venue. When entering the magnetometer, you will:

• Empty all pockets (including your robe pockets) and place those items into the provided bins for screening.
• Proceed through the metal detector and collect your items on the other side.

To ensure a fast and smooth entry into Pauley Pavilion, please strictly adhere to the following bag policies. The rules for graduates and guests are different:

• For Graduates: No Bags Allowed
  • Graduates are not permitted to bring any bags into the venue, per venue policy. This includes small purses, clutches, and clear bags. If you bring a bag, you will be required to check it at the outdoor Bag Check Tent, receive a ticket, and retrieve it after the ceremony concludes. To save time, please leave all bags at home or with your guests.
• For Guests: Clear Bag Policy Only.
  • Guests are permitted to bring bags, but they must adhere to the venue’s Clear Bag Policy. Non-compliant guest bags will not be permitted inside. Bags brought into these venues must meet the following requirements:
    • Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and do not exceed 12”W x 12”H x 6”D
    • One gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar)
    • Small clutch bag 4.5” x 6.5”, with or without a handle or strap. This can be carried separately or within a plastic bag
    • Diaper bags if infant for which bag is carried is present

For a list of prohibited and allowable items into the Pauley Pavilion, please click here.

CHECK-IN FOR NAME CARDS:

Upon completing security check, you will find our check-in tables with our UCLA Extension staff. Please check-in by Last Name to receive your Name Reader Card that will be pre-printed with the information your provided on your registration form. You will be handing this card to the Name Reader who will announce your name on stage as you cross. If you registered late, you may be given a blank card to fill out yourself on the day-of.

Please Note: Upon checking in, you will be led directly into Pauley Pavilion. Once you enter, there is no in/out entry. Once you enter, you must remain in Pauley Pavilion until the end of the event. Inside Pauley Pavilion, you will have the opportunity to take photos, connect with your colleagues, wave to your guests from their seats, and enjoy each other's energy. If you are not able to take photos with the letters at this time, we will be moving the letters once the ceremony starts to the East side of the Pauley Pavilion.

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Note: You will not be receiving your Certificate on stage on this day. Once you have completed your certificate program requirements, follow these steps to receive your printed certificate. For questions regarding your physical certificate, email studentrecords@uclaextension.edu.

International Student Information

Visitor Visa Information

If your family wishes to seek a U.S. visitor visa (B-2) to join you to celebrate your graduation, they should visit the U.S. State Department Website and follow the instructions on how to apply. 

Please note that International Student Services at UCLA Extension does not provide a support letter for this visa application as it is not taken into consideration as part of the application process by U.S. Consular Officers.

We encourage your family members to apply early as wait-times around the globe for visitor visas can vary greatly.

Program Completion Considerations

As you work towards completing your final coursework for your certificate program, please be sure to contact your academic advisor to ensure that you have met all certificate completion requirements. It is critical that you complete your program to be awarded your certificate. 

Also, please be sure to make an appointment with your International Student Services advisor to indicate that you are planning to complete your program. Your advisor will update your Form I-20 to reflect your actual program end date, which will coincide with the last day of classes for the quarter in which you are completing your program.

If you have applied, or are planning to apply for Optional Practical Training (OPT), please make sure that you’ve done so before departing the U.S. If you depart the U.S. after your actual program end date without having submitted an OPT application, your F-1 status will end upon departure, and you will forfeit your ability to apply for OPT if you are eligible.

If you are not planning to apply for OPT, you will have a 60-day grace period in which to do the following:

• Apply for a new academic program at another U.S. institution, or UCLA Extension (before the application deadline)
• Apply for a change of status to a different visa category
• Plan for your departure from the U.S.

If you depart the U.S. at any point during your 60-day grace period following your program end date, your F-1 visa status ends. Please take this into consideration if you are planning any holiday travel after the quarter ends, and before the graduation ceremony.

If you do plan to depart the U.S. and return home, there is nothing more you need to do as it relates to your F-1 immigration status. It will complete upon your departure. If you wish to reenter the U.S. in the future, you will need to seek a new visa status.