Celebrate your achievement with fellow graduates, family, and friends
Congratulations on finishing your Continuing Education professional certificate or diploma! We welcome you to celebrate this accomplishment with your peers and loved ones at the Continuing Education graduation ceremony.
When is the ceremony?
Continuing Education's graduation ceremony happens once a year in June.
This year's ceremony will be held on:
JUNE 11, 2025
Where is the ceremony?
The ceremony will take place in the Jack Simpson Gymnasium, located in the Kinesiology Complex (KNB) at UCalgary's main campus. Guests should enter through the building's north entrance near the Olympic Oval.
- Directions to campus (Google Maps)
- Parking and venue maps (PDF)
How do I participate?
If you're completing a Professional Certificate or Diploma between...
MAY 1, 2024 – APR 30, 2025
...you're eligible to participate in the 2025 graduation ceremony.
See the graduation requirements for all programs.
An invitation email with details and deadlines will be sent in the spring. If you don't receive it by mid-May, please contact us.
Before the ceremony
RSVP to the ceremony
You will receive an invitation email from Continuing Education in the spring with the graduation details, including deadlines and how to RSVP.
If you have not received an invitation by mid-May, please contact us.
The deadline to RSVP will be noted in the invitation.
Invite your friends and family
Guests are welcome to watch the ceremony in person or through the live stream. Live stream details will be provided closer to the event.
Dress to impress
There is no formal dress code for the ceremony, however most graduates choose semi-formal attire. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes that you can stand in for long durations.
There is no cap or gown. You will be provided a stole to wear during the ceremony, which you may choose to keep or return at the end of the event.
Only bring the essentials
There is no secure location to keep personal items in the Olympic Oval, and they are not permitted in the gymnasium.
Items not to bring:
- purses, bags and backpacks
- flowers
- jackets
- mementos
Items left unattended are not the responsibility of the University of Calgary.
Plan ahead
If you are unfamiliar with the Olympic Oval at main campus, please review Google Maps prior to the ceremony. The Olympic Oval is accessible by bus, train, or car.
Parking is available on campus for a fee. We recommend that you park in Lot 10 or Lot 11. Both lots have daily flat parking rates.
Arrive early
Graduates should arrive at least 60 minutes prior to the ceremony. Graduates must check-in 45 minutes before the ceremony to arrange their place in the procession.
Doors to the Jack Simpson open 30 minutes prior to the ceremony. Guests are expected to arrive 15–30 minutes before the ceremony begins.
During the ceremony
The ceremony will include speeches and procession of graduates crossing the stage. It will last approximately 90 minutes, followed by a reception for graduates and guests.
What to expect as a GRADUATE
Check-in
The check-in and procession line-up will be in the Kinesiology Complex (KNB) near the Jack Simpson Gymnasium. Volunteers and staff will be available to help direct you to the proper location. Once graduates have been checked in, they will receive their name card and be directed to their spot in the procession line-up.
Ceremony
The ceremony begins when the graduates enter the gymnasium, where volunteers will direct you to your seat. Following speeches and presentations, graduates will be directed to the podium in an orderly fashion and will hand over their name card at the podium.
Please be sure to have your name card visible when you reach the podium.
Once your name is read, you will cross the stage and be congratulated by the platform party where there will be a photo opportunity. Be sure to pause to look at the cameras as you celebrate your achievement and remember to smile! You will then return to your seat.
Out of courtesy for your fellow graduates, everyone is asked to remain seated until all graduates have crossed the stage.
What to expect as a GUEST
Seating
Guests will be seated in the bleachers above the graduates. Volunteers and staff will be available to help direct you to the proper location. Seating is first-come, first-served. There is accessible seating available at the top of the bleachers which can be accessed by elevator.
Photos
You are welcome to take photos from your seat in the bleachers. However, guests are not permitted to enter the floor area during the formal portion of the ceremony. There will be a photographer taking photos from the floor and photos will be accessible for all graduates and guests.
Children
Children are welcome to attend, however we do not recommend bringing young children under the age of six. Children will be expected to remain seated during the ceremony and have adult supervision. Out of respect for other guests we request that children are taken outside if they become distressed during the ceremony so as not to disturb the proceedings. Childcare is not provided.
Photos from the 2024 ceremony...
After the ceremony
Following the ceremony, graduates can choose to keep or return their stole in the designated area. Join your friends, family and peers at the reception located directly beside the ceremony space.
Selfies and family photo locations
Are you wondering where to take photos before or after the graduation ceremony? Here are some suggestions...
UCalgary sign next to the arch
What better way to showcase "you did it!" than to get a photo next to the official entrance to campus.
Green spaces near the Oval and TFDL
Looking for a shady spot under a tree for a family photo? There is a lot of green space around the Oval and in the TFDL Quad (bordered by Kinesiology, MacEwan Student Centre and Taylor Family Digital Library).
Kinesiology's dinosaur
Take a moment to snap a fun photo with our dinosaur outside the entrance to Kinesiology. Rex would want you to do it!
Olympic Arch
Just outside Kinesiology, it provides the perfect frame for a group shot.
The Spire (aka the Paperclip)
Many families have taken photos outside of the Olympic Oval under this public art from the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
Ceremony photos
We will have a photographer taking photos of the graduates crossing the stage and during the ceremony. All photos will be posted here within five business days following the ceremony.
Photos coming soon...
Ceremony survey
Provide your feedback on the ceremony as a graduate or guest. A link to survey will be posted here shortly after the ceremony.
Survey coming soon...