Ticketing process for 2023 undergraduate Commencement announced

Graduating students: Watch your Marquette email for an RSVP form from University Special Events!

Congratulations to our students who will graduate in May 2023! Marquette University looks forward to honoring your many accomplishments.

As announced previously, due to the size of this year’s graduating class, venue capacity limits and the orientation of the stage within the venue, guest tickets will be required for the undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 20, at 9 a.m. at the Fiserv Forum. To ensure a fair and equitable process, each undergraduate student who will be attending the ceremony will receive up to four guest tickets via their Ticketmaster account, per the process below.

The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the Commencement website.

COMMENCEMENT TICKETING PROCESS

Starting today, Monday, Jan. 30, undergraduate seniors who are graduating must RSVP for Commencement by Monday, April 17. Students must RSVP via the link provided to them in the email they will receive today in their Marquette email account from University Special Events.  

  • Those who RSVP “yes” on the form to attend the ceremony will be given the option to select up to four tickets for guests. Ticket selections are locked in once a student submits the form; no changes to ticket selections will be allowed after the form is submitted.
  • Tickets will be transferred automatically to students’ Ticketmaster accounts beginning the week of March 20 and updated weekly based on incoming RSVPs through the April 17 deadline. Upon receipt, tickets may be transferred to guests an unlimited number of times through the day of Commencement.
  • Tickets are general admission only (i.e., not assigned). Seating will be first come, first served.
  • Following the Fiserv Forum’s guidelines for Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University men’s basketball games, children under 2 are not required to have their own ticket if they are sitting on the lap of a ticketed adult.
  • Those who RSVP “no” waive access to any guest tickets. Students who select “no” can still attend Commencement if they change their minds later, but they will not be able to invite guests.
  • Graduates must RSVP regardless of whether they plan to attend Commencement.
  • Any undergraduate student who is eligible to graduate this spring who did not receive an RSVP email from University Special Events should contact their college dean’s office to verify their graduation eligibility.

The hard deadline to RSVP for attending Commencement is Monday, April 17, at 11:59 p.m.

Importantly, the Commencement ceremony RSVP process is entirely separate from the application for graduation process, which is handled by the Registrar’s Office. The deadline to apply for graduation is Saturday, April 29. Students must complete both processes.

Guest tickets for undergraduate Commencement will be automatically sent to students’ Ticketmaster accounts beginning the week of March 20 and updated weekly based on incoming RSVPs through the April 17 deadline. The sooner a student RSVPs, the sooner the student will receive tickets. Each student will receive the exact number of tickets selected in the RSVP form.

Once tickets are available in students’ Ticketmaster accounts, they may be transferred to their guests an unlimited number of times through the day of Commencement, Saturday, May 20. The process will be similar to attending Marquette Athletics events.

Beginning April 20, students who wish to receive up to two additional tickets will have the option to enter a random lottery. Details on the lottery process will be shared later this semester.

A set of Frequently Asked Questions follows. Reminders and updates will be shared directly with students and their families (provided parents/guardians have provided their email address), as well as via Marquette Today leading up to Commencement.

All Commencement-related information, including the ticketing process, is available on the Commencement website.

Marquette’s 142nd undergraduate Commencement ceremony will be held Saturday, May 20, at 9 a.m. (doors open at 7 a.m.) at the Fiserv Forum, located at 1111 Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long do students have to RSVP for Commencement and share the number of guest tickets (up to four) they are requesting??

The hard deadline for students to RSVP is Monday, April 17, at 11:59 p.m. After that, the form will expire, and students will no longer be able to RSVP for tickets.

Can students change how many tickets they requested in the RSVP process?

No. Ticket selections are locked in once a student submits the form; no changes to ticket selections will be allowed after the form is submitted. Details on the lottery process will be shared later in the semester.

A graduating student RSVP’d “no” to attending Commencement and changed their mind and would like to attend. Can the student still attend? Can the student get guest tickets?

Graduating students will be able to attend Commencement, but they cannot request tickets for guests if they previously RSVP’d “no.”

Where will students find their tickets for Commencement?

Tickets will be transferred automatically to students’ Ticketmaster accounts beginning the week of March 20 and allotted on a rolling basis each week after. Students will receive the exact number of tickets selected in the RSVP form.

Once tickets are available in students’ Ticketmaster accounts, they may be transferred to their guests an unlimited number of times through the day of Commencement, Saturday, May 20. The process will be similar to attending Marquette Athletics events.

Are tickets required for young children?

Following the Fiserv Forum’s guidelines for Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University men’s basketball games, children under 2 are not required to have their own ticket if they are sitting on the lap of a ticketed adult.

How does a student without a Ticketmaster account receive their guest tickets?

Students who have not used their Ticketmaster account using their Marquette emails can enter their MU email address and click “forgot password” to create/activate their account.

How long do students have to transfer their tickets?

Once tickets are available in students’ Ticketmaster accounts, they may be transferred to their guests an unlimited number of times through the day of Commencement, Saturday, May 20. The process will be similar to attending Marquette Athletics events.

How do students transfer tickets to someone else?

Students may transfer tickets to their guests by accessing the “Manage Tickets” tab on their Ticketmaster account.

How can students get more tickets?

Beginning April 20, students who wish to receive up to two additional tickets will have the option to enter a random lottery. Details on the lottery process will be shared later this semester.

Students can also transfer tickets among themselves via the “Manage Tickets” tab in their Ticketmaster account with agreement from both parties.

How do students enter the lottery for additional tickets?

Specific information on the lottery process will be shared later in the semester via email and Marquette Today and be posted on the Commencement website.

How many additional tickets are possible to receive in the lottery process?

Graduating students may be able to receive one or two additional tickets in the lottery process. The number of available tickets in the pool depends on the number of tickets claimed during the RSVP process and continued demand.

What if a graduating student did not receive their RSVP email from University Special Events?

  • Any undergraduate student who is eligible to graduate this spring who did not receive an RSVP email from University Special Events should contact their college dean’s office to verify their graduation eligibility.