Graduation Eligibility
Doctoral degree eligibility is determined by staff in the Graduate School. In order to be considered eligible, you must fulfill various requirements, which can be found on the Graduate School website.
Tassel: Registration, Name Pronunciation, and Tickets
Tassel: Registration, Name Pronunciation, and Tickets
Tassel is the online platform to register for all Commencement and senior recognition ceremonies, and to reserve tickets for your guests.
As of Sunday, April 12, Tassel registration is closed. If you missed the deadline, please see below for next steps.
Registration and Name Pronunciation
If you missed the deadline to register in Tassel, you can still attend the Doctoral Hooding. When you arrive at the ceremony, you will need to visit a help desk where you will receive a yellow Tassel card. Your name will be read aloud by a name reader when you cross the stage.
Tickets
The week of May 3rd, the guest tickets you reserved will be distributed to your Mullins Center account; you will be notified by email along with instructions for distributing them to your guests.
If you missed the Tassel registration deadline and did not reserve tickets in Tassel, guest tickets are not guaranteed. Any guests who do not have a ticket may report to the Mullins Center box office on the morning of May 9 to see if any guest tickets remain at that time. Again, guest tickets are not guaranteed if they were not reserved in advance.
Regalia
This year, we are proud to partner with Herff Jones for all academic regalia. All regalia is free and will be yours to keep after the ceremony.
The April 17 deadline for the ship to home option has passed. Shipping to home is no longer an option.
On Campus Pickup
Regardless of whether you pre-ordered regalia, you can pick up tams, gowns, and hoods, free of charge, at the University Store beginning May 5, 2026. Please bring your UCard or have your SPIRE ID number ready.
If you did not pre-order online, you can still pick up regalia. At the store, you will be directed through the process for students who did not pre-order.
In either case, whether you pre-ordered or not, a friend can pick up your regalia for you at the times listed above. If you pre-ordered, they just need your name and SPIRE ID#. If you did not pre-order, they will also need to know your height.
Diplomas
Diplomas are not distributed during Commencement Weekend. They are mailed to your diploma address approximately six weeks after grades have been received and you are cleared for graduation by your department, college, and the University Registrar. To ensure the delivery of diplomas, you should check SPIRE to make certain your diploma mailing address is accurately recorded. Please log in to SPIRE and go to your Academics tile; in the left menu, click Graduation > Diploma Preferences to update your mailing address.
Questions regarding diplomas? Please contact the University Registrar, located at 213 Whitmore Administration Building, by phone at (413) 545-0555 or via email at [email protected]. Please allow for six to eight weeks for diploma delivery after your degree has been officially conferred in SPIRE.
FERPA Privacy Flags & Commencement Program Listings
Students with a FERPA privacy flag on their SPIRE account will not have their names printed in the Commencement program or on any Commencement-related material. If you know you have a privacy flag on your account but would like your name included in Commencement material, please request that the flag be removed by March 14, 2026. You may do so by completing a Request for Privacy form with the University Registrar—please contact their office for more information on this process. Please email @email when you have removed the flag.
Visa Request Letters
The Office of Community Relations and University Events will provide letters for students who wish to have family members living abroad attend Commencement ceremonies. To receive a letter of support, fill out this Visa Request Form. Our office will process it within one week of receipt. Please note: It is the responsibility of the graduate to mail the letters to the appropriate embassy.
Photography, Keepsakes, and More
Commemorate your graduation with products that include class rings, diploma frames, and more. Order details will be shared in the spring.
Photos of graduates will be taken as their hoods are placed by their faculty advisors during the ceremony. Photo proofs will be emailed to graduates following the ceremony, along with order forms and information for those wishing to purchase prints. Emails are typically received within 72 hours of the event. See Professional and Cap & Gown Portraits for more information.
PWe’re excited to introduce ourselves and congratulate you on this incredible milestone. We are Geskus Studios, the official photography partner for University of Massachusetts Amherst Campus commencement ceremonies.
For your commencement, our team is on campus in the days before commencement, taking cap & gown and professional photos in studio settings and on campus. During your ceremonies we are capturing professional photographs of graduates during key moments of the ceremony, including crossing the stage and receiving congratulations. We’ve partnered closely with UMass to ensure this process is seamless, unobtrusive, and focused on preserving this once-in-a-lifetime achievement.
After graduation, students will receive an email from Geskus Studios with a secure link to view your commencement photos online. The email will include all the details needed to preview images and place an order if desired. Ordering is completely optional, and pricing and product options will be clearly outlined within the gallery.
We’ve had the privilege of photographing commencements for schools across New England, and we’re honored to be part University of Massachusetts Amherst celebration. Our goal is to provide you with timeless, high-quality images that reflect the pride and accomplishment of graduation day.
If you have any questions at any point, our Customer Service team is here to help. You’re welcome to reach us by phone at (800) 948-1120 ext. 1 or by email at [email protected]. Our team is happy to assist with gallery access, ordering questions, or anything else you may need. For more information about Geskus Studios, check out our website or book your cap & gown session today!