Plan Your Visit

The University of Chicago Convocation

Families, guests, and candidates, please check the resources below before planning your visit to The University of Chicago for this year's 538th Convocation. Updates will be published in the weeks ahead. We look forward to welcoming you to campus!

The 538th Convocation, during which degrees are officially conferred to all graduates, will be held on the Main Quadrangle on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 9:15 a.m. CDT.

This is a University-wide ceremony involving degree candidates from all divisions and schools. It will include the presentation of honorary degrees and an address from the Convocation speaker. Convocation Addresses consistently focus on the pursuit of knowledge and the power of ideas. The University president, A. Paul Alivisatos, will verbally confer degrees on candidates by division and school. Each division and school will host a separate ceremony where degree candidates will be honored individually through the presentation of diplomas or hoods.

The 538th Convocation will take place on the Main Quadrangle at the University of Chicago campus. The main entrance is located at 5801 South Ellis Avenue.  

Tickets are not required for the University-wide Convocation ceremony or the College diploma ceremonies, although they may be required for the individual division and school ceremonies. For questions regarding ticketing at unit ceremonies, please reach out to the division or school directly to confirm details.

Due to several trade shows and conventions taking place during Convocation Weekend, hotel availability in the city of Chicago will be limited. With this in mind, we highly recommend that all hotel or alternative lodging arrangements be reserved as soon as possible.

Please visit the Hotel page for a list of recommended hotels both local to Hyde Park and in downtown Chicago. Contact hotels directly to learn more about rates and availability during Convocation weekend.

The Main Quadrangle will open for general seating at 7:00 a.m. Guests are asked to be in their seats by no later than 8:45 a.m. so that they can watch the procession. Seating is first-come, first-served.  

For guests who plan to drive to campus, complimentary parking is available in a variety of on-campus parking lots. Due to street closures and heightened traffic, please allow extra time for your travel. 

At the Main Entrance to the Main Quadrangle, all guests must stop at a security checkpoint area. Please allow yourself adequate time to get through security and check in.

  • All bags are subject to inspection. Items that may interfere with guests seeing or hearing the ceremony are not permitted.
  • Guests will be asked to check any items that are deemed not permissible within the Main Quadrangles. Following the University Convocation Ceremony, guests may pick-up those items at the same entrance.
  • Please refrain from bringing pets; service animals are permitted.
  • Umbrellas and strollers are permitted.

The University of Chicago recommends all guests attending the University-wide ceremony allow extra time to park, walk to the ceremony site, get through the security check points and locate seats.

Accessible seating is available for guests with disabilities and up to two (2) companions for the University-wide ceremony. It is important to note that additional companions may not be accommodated due to capacity restrictions. This is to ensure that the area remains safe and comfortable for individual’s using wheelchairs, persons with limited mobility, and/or guests with visual or hearing impairments. If you require a live interpreter, please select the hearing-impaired– live interpreter required/preferred option in the Accommodations Request Form. Live captioning will be available on the projected screens next to the stage.

To make arrangements, the University asks that you submit your request(s) by completing the Accommodations Request Form. Please note that your party’s reservation will be under the name of the person who fills out this form. A form must be filled out for EACH individual needing accommodations.

The College and Graduate Divisions and Schools will host additional events unqiue to their units. Please visit The Schedule of Events page for a full list of activities

The University-wide Convocation ceremony will be broadcasted for those who are unable to join in person. The viewing link will be shared on convocation.uchicago.edu closer to Convocation.

Each division and school will hold their own ceremony. Depending on the division or school your graduate is receiving their degree from, ceremonies will take place beginning on Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2, 2024.

Following the University-wide Convocation ceremony, graduates of the College and their guests break off to attend both a lunch and diploma ceremony that is pre-assigned by their residence hall. These lunch distributions and ceremonies all take place simultaneously in various locations throughout campus. For more information on The College activities, please visit this page: The College (All Undergraduates). 

Quick Links