CLASS OF 2025 COMMENCEMENT

Graduate Assembly/Name Card Pick-up
9:15–9:45 a.m.

• Beginning at 9:15 a.m., graduates’ name cards will be available in the Assembly Area of the Finneran Pavilion, on the lower level near the Fitzgerald Club. 
• Graduates should report to the Assembly Area no later than 9:45 a.m. Graduates should arrive wearing robes and caps. Tassels are worn to the right. Staff volunteers will be on hand to assist graduates with hooding, etc.
• Graduates must pick up their name cards from the designated table before the line-up begins.
• There is no place in the assembly area for personal belongings, so please leave valuables with your guests or in a secure location. Be sure to silence cell phones when the procession begins.

Graduate Line-up
9:50 a.m.

• Graduate line-up will begin at 9:50 a.m.
• Graduates will form two lines. You may line up in any order you wish. (Note: the classmate you wish to sit next to should line up in front or behind you.)
• The two lines will break once you arrive at the seating area. Graduates in the right line will be seated on the right side of the graduate seating facing the stage, and graduates in the left line will be seated on the left side of the graduate seating facing the stage.
• JD graduates are at the front of the line, then LLM graduates, followed by MT graduates.

Graduate Procession and Seating
10:00 a.m.

• The procession will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. Dean Lund will lead the procession to the graduate seating area on the floor of the Finneran Pavilion.
• There is a program at every graduate’s chair, so you do not need to carry a program with you in the procession.
• Staff floor marshals will direct you to your seats. Do not skip seats and follow the guidance of the staff marshals, as they will count you off based on the number of seats in each row. Depending on the number of chairs per row, you may be separated from your classmate in front of/behind you.

Calling of the Names

• Following the student address, JD graduates will be called forward to receive their degree one row at a time. As your row is called forward, please follow the floor marshals' directions to approach the stage area.
• PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR NAMECARD.
• A professional photographer will take each graduate’s photo at the stage area before each graduate crosses the stage.
• When you approach the stage, graduates will give your name to a staff member who will scan your namecard. Graduates should continue across the stage as your name is read.
• As you cross the stage, graduates will receive your scroll from Deans Alexander and Lund. You will then return to your seat, following the guidance of the marshal in that area.

Recessional

• After the Blessing, graduates will recess row by row following the faculty and stage party out of the arena to the Fitzgerald Club area.

Reception

• The reception will be held at the Law School in the Arthur M. Goldberg '66 Commons.

Parking for graduates and guests will be in the law school garage; no parking passes are needed. Shuttle buses will be running continuously throughout the day for guest who wish to take the shuttle, otherwise it is a short walk to the various locations on campus.

Guest seating opens at 9:00 a.m.

There are no tickets required or any limit to the number of guests per student for the Law School Commencement. Note: if you are in the JD/MBA or JD/MPA program you may see reference limits and ticket but that does not apply to the Law School ceremony.

Graduates and guests who may have difficulty walking should bring any needed equipment (i.e., wheelchair, walker, etc), as the University will not have equipment available for loan.

Finneran Pavilion Drop-off Location for Guests with Special Needs

Guests with special needs who have a disability placard/plate should use the entrance to the Finneran Pavilion on Lancaster Avenue (noted on the Commencement Map). Continue to lot A-2 and drop-off at the "Accessible Entrance" sign located in the rear of the Pavilion. No special pass is needed to utilize the drop-off locations. Guests planning to utilize the drop-off locations should plan to arrive early. Traffic and parking will be extremely congested.

Designated Accessible Parking Lot

Once the guest is dropped off, the driver will be directed to park in the law school lots (S-4 or S-5). Vehicles with state-issued handicapped placards may park in the designated accessible parking lots. Please note that accessible parking lots are limited. Guests should plan to arrive early and may utilize the drop-off locations near each venue.

Accessible Venue and Seating

Accessible seating will be available for guests who may not be able to manage bleacher seating. No reservations or special tickets are required for accessible seating. Ushers will be available to direct guests to accessible seating as needed.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing Accommodations

An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter will be present at the ceremony. A live stream with captions will also be available at commencement.villanova.edu for viewing on personal devices.

Entrance to the Commencement Ceremony will include a walkthrough metal detection screening for all graduates, guests, faculty and staff. All attendees and their belongings are subject to secondary screening by event staff if indicated by the metal detectors. Attendees who decline screening or who are in possession of prohibited items may be denied entry.

Bags of reasonable size and outside food/drink, with the exception of alcohol, are permitted in the Commencement Ceremony. All items will be subject to search by event staff. Hard coolers, backpacks, luggage, duffels and large multicompartment bags are not permitted. Other large bags and items may not be permitted at the sole discretion of event staff. A list of prohibited items is available on the Athletics Venue Polices website. Villanova does not provide storage or lockers for prohibited bags or items.

The Law Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed. Please see the University's Streaming Information for more details.  

Graduation announcements, thank you notes and other commemorative items are available via Villanova University through Graphic Services. For ordering information and further details, contact Graphic Services at 610-519-5914, 610-519-7461, via email or visit the iPRINT website.

Professional photographers from Pro Pics will be at the Law Commecement Ceremony to take portraits of graduates as they walk across the stage. After crossing the stage, graduates will proceed to the graduate portrait station to have a quick portrait taken in cap & gown. Portraits will be available for purchase from Pro Pics following the ceremonies. Questions? Contact Pro Pics.