BE INFORMED
Please make sure to click on all the sections below to get more information about Commencement 2025. Commencement at Cal State LA is an annual event that honors students who just have or will soon graduate during the current academic year. Students can graduate at the end of the fall 2024, winter 2025, spring 2025, or summer 2025 but Commencement only takes place at the end of the spring 2025 semester.
Preparing for Commencement
Cal State LA is celebrating the outstanding achievement of the Class of 2025 on May 19-21, 2025, at the historic Shrine Auditorium. There will be 9 college-based ceremonies, and graduating students will be automatically assigned to a ceremony based on their college, department, and major.
For each ceremony, all graduating candidates will cross the stage and have their names read and appear on the screen, as well as, on the live stream.
MONDAY, MAY 19, 2025
Ceremony 1 | 9 a.m. | College of Business and Economics (1)
Ceremony 2 | 1 p.m. | College of Business and Economics (2) | College of Education
Ceremony 3 | 5 p.m. | College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology | College of Ethnic Studies
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025
Ceremony 4 | 9 a.m. | Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services (1)
Ceremony 5 | 1 p.m. | Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services (2)
Ceremony 6 | 5 p.m. | Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services (3) | College of Natural and Social Sciences (1)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2025
Ceremony 7 | 9 a.m. | College of Natural and Social Sciences (2)
Ceremony 8 | 1 p.m. | College of Natural and Social Sciences (3) | College of Arts and Letters (1)
Ceremony 9 | 5 p.m. | College of Arts and Letters (2)
To view the full schedule that includes departments and majors, please visit the Schedule webpage and click on the specific ceremony.
View Schedule
All guests 3 years of age and older will require a ticket to attend Commencement and enter the venue. Children ages 2 and under can attend Commencement without a ticket, provided they sit on an adult's lap and do not occupy a seat.
Guest tickets can only be reserved by the graduating student through the online ticketing platform, powered by Tassel, during the online registration period on March 24, 2025, at 9 a.m. PT, until April 21, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT. After the deadline date, tickets are no longer guaranteed and will be dependent on availability. It is the graduating student's responsibility to reserve guest tickets and distribute them to their family and friends.
Each guest ticket has a unique bar code. Once scanned, copies of the same ticket will not be valid.
Please note that Commencement guest tickets are free and cannot be bought or sold. Under no circumstance should an exchange of money occur for tickets. Tickets that are bought or sold will be invalidated by the University.
The Cal State LA Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) do not provide assistance to guests. For guests who require mobility equipment, please make arrangements on your own according to specific needs.
University Bookstore
Here is a list of items that can be purchased at the University Bookstore:
- Cal State LA Sash
- Diploma frames
- Announcements
- Class rings
- Other Commencement related merchandise
Store Hours:
Monday - Thursday | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday | 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday | Closed
For more information, please visit the University Bookstore website.
Commencement Group
Class T-shirts, sweatshirts, flower bouquets, Cal State LA custom Kukui Nut Lei and more! Graduation gifts are available for pre-order and on-site purchasing on the day of the ceremony. Pre-ordered items will be available for contact-free pick up on-site at the Commencement Group booths.
Before the Ceremony
Shrine Auditorium
665 W Jefferson Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
Information about parking and transportation options for Commencement 2025 at the Shrine Auditorium will be posted on the Parking and Transportation webpage.
Click on the Parking button below to get more information about parking and transportation options to the Shrine Auditorium.
Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive 75 minutes, or more, before the ceremony to accommodate for traffic, parking, and large crowds. Doors will open 75 minutes before each ceremony start time.
Guests will line up at the front of the Shrine Auditorium on Royal Street off 32nd Street. For safety and security, all guests must pass through security protocols including metal detectors and possible bag check.
After security, guests must have their ticket ready to be scanned via their phone or printed paper. To expedite ticket scanning, please have each guest have their own ticket. Guests using their phone must have the bar code enlarged for easy scanning.
Once guest tickets are scanned, there are no in-and-out privileges.
Cal State LA is committed to creating a safe and comfortable experience for the graduating students and their guests. All attendees will go through security checkpoints, metal detectors, and possible bag searches.
Click on the Safety and Security button below to get more information about the Code of Conduct, prohibited items at the Shrine, and Service Animals disclaimer.
Commencement welcomes service animals. A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act cannot be brought inside the event venue.
University Bookstore
During Commencement, the University Bookstore will have a satellite location at the Shrine Auditorium lobby, on May 19, 20, and 21, 2025, with limited merchandise.
Commencement Group
Class T-shirts, sweatshirts, flower bouquets, Cal State LA custom Kukui Nut Lei and more! Graduation gifts are available on-site to purchase on the day of the ceremony. Pre-ordered items will be available for contact-free pick up at the Commencement Group booths.
For convenience, the Shrine Auditorium concession stands will be open. Attendees can have food and refreshments at the lobby, but they are NOT allowed inside the auditorium. Please note that the Shrine is a cashless venue. They are unable to accept cash for concession purchases.
All guest seating is first come, first served. Due to large crowds, guests cannot hold seats for their companions. Shrine personnel will direct guests to all unoccupied seats.
The doors to the Shrine Auditorium will temporarily be closed five minutes before the start of the ceremony to prepare for the academic procession of the faculty and platform (stage) party. All guests who arrive late will be seated after the national anthem.
ACCESSIBILITY SEATING
Wheelchair accessible spaces and designated accessible seating will be clearly marked at the guest seating areas at the Shrine Auditorium's main floor. Shrine personnel will be available to assist and direct guests to these spaces. For guests requiring special accommodations, it's advisable to arrive early to ensure suitable seating is available.
Master’s degree students will be hooded in the Graduate Recognition Hall, 40 minutes before the main ceremony, and will last approximately 20 minutes. This event will be accessible via livesteam. A clip of the hooding ceremony will be provided to each graduate a week after Commencement to share with family and friends.
During the Ceremony
The Commencement ceremony is a time-honored tradition designed to celebrate the achievements of graduating students. To maintain the dignity of this important event, we kindly ask guests to adhere to the following guidelines:
Show Respect: Guests should conduct themselves with respect and courtesy towards the graduating students, other guests, and the speakers on stage.
Honor the Ceremony: It’s important to respect all those present, including students, faculty, administrators, and guests, who have gathered to witness the conferring of degrees. After the graduating students have crossed the the stage, please remain in your seats and stay for the entirety of the ceremony.
Be Considerate: Kindly clean up after yourself and leave your area tidy.
Thank you for helping to preserve the integrity of this special occasion!
Each ceremony will be between 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours in duration. The order of events may vary per Commencement ceremony and will include most of the activities below.
- Academic procession of faculty and stage party
- National anthem
- Welcome greeting by the college dean
- President's remarks
- Honorary Doctoral Degree
- Honorary Doctoral Degree remarks
- Academic honors
- Hooding and presentation of doctoral degrees
- Presentation of master's degrees
- Presentation of bachelor's degrees
- Conferral of degrees by the president (including the traditional turning of the tassel for baccalaureate degrees)
- Closing remarks by the college dean
- University hymn
- Recessional of stage party, faculty and conferees of doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees
The University will be livestreaming the ceremonies, which will be able to be viewed through the Cal State LA website and the Cal State LA YouTube channel.
Sign language interpreters will be projected on the jumbo screen during each Commencement ceremony.
Closed captioning in English and Spanish will be available to all attendees during the ceremonies via their mobile devices. The closed captioning link will be active during the ceremonies.
Grad Images, the official graduation portrait photographers, will be at Commencement taking photos when graduating students cross the stage. The graduates will receive their photo proof after the ceremony via email.
University photographers will be photographing the ceremonies and candid photos will be available for free download on the Cal State LA Smug Mug webpage during Commencement week.
For personal photography, you can only take photos from your seat. For safety, security, and accessibility, you cannot block aisles and walkways unless leaving the venue.
After Commencement
Immediately after each ceremony, all attendees will be directed to on Royal Street or Jefferson Boulevard. Across the main entrance to the Shrine Auditorium on Royal Street, the Shrine West Lot is where you can meet your graduate and companions. The area will have photo backdrops.
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All information, including dates and activities, are subject to change.
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Commencement website last updated: April 30, 2025