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.

How do I participate?

If you're completing a Professional Certificate or Diploma between...

MAY 1, 2025 – APR 30, 2026

...you're eligible to participate in the 2026 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.

When is the ceremony?

Continuing Education's graduation ceremony happens once a year in June.

This year's ceremony will be held on:

JUNE 16, 2026

Where is the ceremony?

The ceremony will take place in the Red and White Club, located in the Olympic Volunteer Centre attached to McMahon Stadium.

Directions to Red and White Club (Google Maps)
Parking and venue map (PDF)

Before the ceremony

RSVP to the ceremony

All 2025/26 graduates must RSVP for themselves and up to two guests to attend the graduation ceremony. RSVP details will be sent in the invitation email from Continuing Education in the spring, along with the graduation details and deadlines.

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

Each graduate is granted a maximum of two guests. Due to limited seating, unaccounted guests will not be able to be accommodated.

If you have friends and family who are unable to attend in-person, they are welcome to watch the ceremony through the live stream.

Be sure to share this page with them to join the live stream link.

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 Red and White Club.

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 Red and White Club, please review Google Maps prior to the ceremony. The Red and White Club is accessible by bus, train, or car.

Parking is available on site for a fee.

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 seating.

Doors to the Red and White Club will be open at 4:45 pm and close at 5:45 pm. Guests are expected to arrive at least 20 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 graduate check-in will be positioned near the entrance of the Red and White Club. Volunteers and staff will be available to help direct you to the proper location. Once you have been checked in, you will receive your name card and be directed to your seat.

Ceremony

The ceremony begins at 6:00 pm. 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

Volunteers and staff will be available to help direct you to the proper location. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Photos

You are welcome to take photos from your seat. However, guests are not permitted to approach the stage during the formal portion of the ceremony. There will be a photographer taking photos, which will be accessible for all graduates and guests following the event.

Children

Due to limited seating, children over the age of six can attend as part of the two guest maximum. It is not recommended to bring 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.

Reception

Once the formal portion of the ceremony has been concluded, guests will be welcomed to join the graduates for the reception.

Photos from previous ceremonies...

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).