CLA Undergraduate Commencement
CLA Undergraduate Commencement 2026
The College of Liberal Arts celebrates Undergraduate Commencement once annually, at the conclusion of the spring semester. The 2026 ceremony honors CLA graduates who attained or will attain their bachelor's degree in summer 2025, fall 2025, spring 2026, and summer 2026.
Sunday, May 17, in 3M Arena at Mariucci
Ceremonies are at 11 a.m. and at 4 p.m. Graduates attend either the morning or the afternoon ceremony, in accordance with their primary CLA major.
Watch the Ceremonies
View a livestream the morning ceremony or afternoon ceremony from the May 18, 2025 events at Mariucci arena.
Scott Z. Burns is a screenwriter, director, producer, and playwright with a record of involvement in prominent projects tackling essential issues of 21st-century life. He wrote the screenplay for Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, which eerily presaged COVID-19 and became a pandemic-era mainstay. His 2025 podcast about human creativity in the age of AI, What Could Go Wrong?, was recognized as one of the 20 Best Audiobooks of 2025.
Human physiology major Stephanie Rodriguez Salguero will deliver the student remarks during the CLA Undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 17 at 11 a.m.
Meet Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Stephanie Rodriguez Salguero
Media information and communication studies major Wilma Agustianto will deliver the student remarks during the CLA Undergraduate Commencement on Sunday, May 17 at 4 p.m.
Music Lyrics
- Hail! Minnesota
Minnesota, hail to thee!
Hail to thee, our college dear.
Thy light shall ever be
A beacon bright and clear.
Thy sons and daughters true
Will proclaim thee near and far.
They will guard thy fame
And adore thy name,
Thou shalt be their Northern Star. - Minnesota Rouser
Minnesota, Hats off to thee!
To thy colors, true we shall ever be,
Firm and strong, united are we.
Rah! Rah! Rah! for Ski-U-Mah,
Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah for the U of M.
[Repeat]
M - I - N - N - E - S - O - T - A!
Minnesota! Minnesota! Yeaaaaaaah Gophers!
Cords and Medallions
Students graduating from the College of Liberal Arts through the University Honors Program have taken part in a rigorous course of study, research, scholarship, or other creative work in the major, culminating in an Honors thesis representing independent work done under the direction of a faculty supervisor or mentor. Students graduating cum laude (with honor) have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50 for the last 60 graded credits at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Magna cum laude (with great honor) awards require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.66, and summa cum laude (with highest honor) awards require a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75 in the final 60 graded credits at UMTC. Honors graduates wear a medallion adorned with a maroon and gold ribbon.
Students earn graduation “with Distinction” or “with High Distinction” based on cumulative grade point average at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with at least 60 graded credits completed at UMTC. Students graduating “with Distinction” must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher in UMTC coursework at the time of graduation; students graduating “with High Distinction” must have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher in UMTC coursework at the time of graduation. Graduates with High Distinction wear maroon and gold cords. Graduates with Distinction wear gold cords. Graduates of the University’s President’s Emerging Scholars Program can be recognized by the purple cords they are wearing in honor of their leadership, resilience, and commitment to academic excellence.
Meet the Class of 2026
CLA prepares students to become thoughtful citizens, innovative problem-solvers, and leaders in every sector of society. From healthcare and education to business, public service, media, science, and the arts, CLA graduates strengthen Minnesota’s workforce and communities.
These stories from the Class of 2026 reflect the many ways liberal arts students are preparing to make a difference — in their professions and in the lives of the people around them.
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