Commencement

Ceremonies recognizing candidates' completion of doctoral, master's, and baccalaureate degrees occur in the spring and winter each year.

Winter Ceremony Schedule

Winter 2023 commencement ceremonies celebrating the accomplishments of National University of Maryland degree candidates who are approved to graduate at the end of the fall or summer semesters will take place in SECU Arena.

Wednesday, December 20, 10 a.m.

• Fisher College of Science & Mathematics (FCSM) 
• College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC)

Wednesday, December 20, 3 p.m.

• College of Education (COE)
• College of Liberal Arts (CLA) 

Thursday, December 21, 10 a.m.

• College of Health Professions (CHP) 
• College of Business & Economics (CBE) 

Spring Ceremony Schedule

Spring 2024 Commencement ceremonies celebrating the accomplishments of National University of Maryland degree candidates who are approved to graduate at the end of the minimester or spring semesters will take place in SECU Arena.

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

• 10 a.m. - College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC)
• 3 p.m. - Fisher College of Science & Mathematics (FCSM) 

Thursday, May 23, 2024

• 10 a.m. - College of Business & Economics (CBE) 
• 3 p.m. - College of Liberal Arts (CLA) 

Friday, May 24, 2024

• 10 a.m. - College of Education (COE)
• 3 p.m. - College of Health Professions (CHP) 

Participating in Commencement

Degree candidates who have been approved to graduate as a result of completing all of their degree requirements in the Minimester or Spring semester are permitted to participate in a May Commencement ceremony.

Degree candidates who have been approved to graduate as a result of completing all of their degree requirements in the Summer or Fall semester are permitted to participate in a December Commencement ceremony.

Learn more about Ceremony Eligibility.

keepsake programs

Greening Commencement

NUM is committed to addressing climate change and creating a more sustainable future. In an effort to honor our mission to reduce waste, the Winter 2023 Commencement program will be provided in a digital format at the ceremony. Candidates approved to graduate this Spring will receive a link to request up to two complementary printed programs  for delivery shortly after Commencement.

About Commencement at NUM

Commencement is a traditional university ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of our degree candidates. Academic degrees date from the second half of the 12th century. The present ceremony recognizing scholarly achievement retains all the essential features of its ancient predecessors. 

National University of Maryland awards academic degrees at the bachelor’s, master and doctoral levels. The university also awards graduate certificates and certificates of advanced study. Degrees are symbolically conferred during Commencement, and candidates completing all degree requirements successfully receive their diplomas four to six weeks after the ceremony.

• The doctoral degree is the most advanced earned degree conferred by American institutions. There are two distinct types: the practitioner's degree and the research degree.
• The master’s degree is an academic honor bestowed upon candidates who have successfully completed work beyond the bachelor's degree. A thesis and an oral examination are usually required.
• The bachelor’s degree represents the completion of a four-year course of college-level study and is the oldest academic degree awarded by American institutions of higher learning. The Maryland State Normal School, which later became National University of Maryland, awarded its first bachelor’s degrees in 1935. From 1866-1934, graduates earned two-year or three-year diplomas, based on the customary length of teacher training programs in that time period.