We look forward to celebrating with the family and friends of the Class of 2024!
Please make sure to click on all the sections below to get more information about the 2024 Commencement ceremonies. 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 2023, winter 2024, spring 2024, or summer 2024 but Commencement only takes place at the end of the spring 2024 semester.
Be Informed
Everything guests need to know before attending the California State University, Los Angeles Commencement ceremonies.
Before Commencement
Cal State LA is celebrating the outstanding achievement of the Class of 2024 on May 20 and 21, 2024. The ceremonies will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall, in downtown Los Angeles.
There will be 6 college-based ceremonies, and graduates will be automatically assigned to a ceremony based on their college, department, and major. For each ceremony, doctoral and master’s students will be hooded, and 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 20, 2024
Ceremony 1 | 9 a.m. | College of Business and Economics
Ceremony 2 | 2 p.m. | College of Arts and Letters | College of Natural and Social Sciences
Ceremony 3 | 7 p.m. | College of Natural and Social Sciences
TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2024
Ceremony 4 | 9 a.m. | College of Education | College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology | College of Ethnic Studies
Ceremony 5 | 2 p.m. | Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services
Ceremony 6 | 7 p.m. | Rongxiang Xu College of Health and Human Services
To view the full schedule that includes departments and majors, please visit the Schedule webpage and click on the specific ceremony.
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 by using MarchingOrder’s online ticketing platform during the online registration period starting on April 8, 2024, at 9 a.m. PT, until April 26, 2024, 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.
During Commencement
Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall
1201 S. Figueroa Street
(between W. Pico Boulevard and Chick Hearn Court)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
For more information about parking and transportation options for Commencement 2024 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, please visit the Parking and Transportation webpage.
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.
Guests are strongly encouraged to arrive 2 hours, or more, before the ceremony to accommodate for traffic, parking, and large crowds. Doors will open 2 hours before each ceremony start time.
Guests will line up at the front of the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall building, at Gilbert Lindsay Plaza. 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.
For more information on safety and security protocols for Commencement 2024 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, including prohibited items, please visit the Safety and Security webpage.
University Bookstore
During Commencement, the University Bookstore will have a satellite location at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall Lobby, on May 20 and 21, 2024, with limited merchandise.
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.
For more information, please visit the Regalia, Merchandise, and Services webpage.
For convenience, the Galaxy Food Court inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall Lobby, will be open. Attendees can have food and refreshments at the food court. Please note however that no food or drinks are allowed inside West Hall.
All guest seating is first come, first served. Due to large crowds, guests can only hold seats for their companions for 15 minutes. If seats are still unoccupied after 15 minutes, crowd control personnel will direct other guests to those seats.
The doors to West Hall will temporarily be closed five minutes before the start of the ceremony to prepare for the academic procession of the faculty and 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 in the guest seating areas.
Sign language interpreters will be projected on the jumbo screen during each Commencement ceremony. Closed captioning will also be available to access on your mobile device. The links for the closed captioning for mobile devices will be available the week before the ceremonies.
Each ceremony will be between 1 hour and 45 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 platform party
- National anthem
- Welcome remarks and introduction of the stage party by the college dean
- President's remarks
- Academic honors
- 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)
- University hymn*
- Closing remarks by the college dean
- Recessional of platform party, faculty and conferees of doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees
*After the University Hymn, streamer cannons will be deployed. It will emit a loud, but brief, popping sound. Please be aware and let your companions know.
Out of respect for our graduating students and their family and friends, guests attending Commencement must stay for the entire duration of the ceremony to not disrupt the event.
Official graduation portrait photographers will be at Commencement taking photos.
For doctoral and master's degree students, photos will be taken while you are hooded onstage (stage right, audience left), and also when greeting the president at the other stage (stage left, audience right).
For bachelor's degree students, photos will be taken when you are presented onstage (stage right, audience left), and also when greeting the president at the other stage (stage left, audience right).
To ensure that graduating students receive their photo proof after the ceremony, please complete the back of the name card, which will be given to you at the check-in area.
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.
Once the ceremony is done, the conferees of doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degree students and guests will be directed to exit towards the North Side of West Hall towards Hall A (North) Plaza. This is either to prepare for the next ceremony or closing of the venue lobby.
After Commencement
Immediately after each ceremony, all attendees will be directed to exit on the North Side of West Hall towards Hall A (North) Plaza. Hall A Plaza is where you can meet your graduate and companions. The area will have photo backdrops.
California State University, Los Angeles | Commencement
All information, including dates and activities, are subject to change.
Updated: April 24, 2024
Commencement will be photographed and/or recorded. By attending the ceremonies, you agree and grant irrevocable permission to have your likeness, image, voice, and appearance photographed and recorded for any University business-related purpose and that the CSU owns the images and all rights related to them. The images may be used in any manner or media without notifying you, such as university-sponsored websites, publications, promotions, broadcasts, advertisements, posters and theater slides, as well as for non-university uses. You waive any right to inspect or approve the finished images or any printed or electronic matter that may be used with them.