FAQs

No. Graduation Candidates need to arrive at the venue one hour prior to the ceremony to get in line with their fellow graduates.  Faculty Marshals will be in the Graduate Assembly Area to answer questions about the processional and the ceremony.

Colorado Convention Center

For your safety and the safety of others, guests and their possessions are subject to inspection prior to, and as a condition of, admittance. Please have your bags open and available for inspection. Intoxicated patrons may be denied admittance to the Venue. Coliseum Management reserves the final decision on items which may be brought into the Venue. 

*Appropriate changes may be made to this list in accordance to the event being held at the facility* 

The following items are prohibited: 

• Outside food and/or beverages 
• Glass bottles 
• Weapons (e.g. toys, guns, knives, chains, studded jewelry) or objects that may be considered a weapon 
• Drugs and/or alcohol 
• Laser pointers or noise makers 

• Helium balloons, stickers, adhesive backed decals and chewing gum 
• Audio/video recording equipment 
• Pets of any kind. Qualified service animals permitted 

Smoking of any kind is strictly prohibited (including e-cigarettes). 

*In order to provide a safe and comfortable environment for concertgoers, there are policies and procedures in place at the Denver Coliseum to restrict drugs of all types from entering the venue as well as their use, distribution and sale. However, the following procedures are in place to accommodate patrons requiring the legitimate use of prescription medications while attending an event: 

• Patrons should only bring the quantity of medication needed for the duration of the show; please leave excess medication at home or in your vehicle. 
• Prescription medication must be in the original prescription container with the patient’s name and dosage listed on the label. 
• At entrances, venue medical staff will verify the medication and name on the label match the actual medication and patron’s identification. 
• Patrons with more medication than is necessary for the duration of the show will be asked to return the excess medication to their vehicle. In instances where this is not possible, the medication will be stored with medical staff in the first aid room at the South Ramp entrance or disposed. 

Currently, there is no limit on the number of guests you can bring to your ceremony. Guests do not have to have a ticket for admission. Please check your email regularly for updates.

If you are a student and need accommodations required by the Americans With Disabilities Act or if anyone in your party uses a wheelchair or walker or is hearing- or visually impaired, you can submit your request for accommodations when you submit your RSVP for commencement.

Once you have filled out the RSVP form indicating the accommodations needed, the commencement team will follow up as we get closer to the date of the ceremony with details about accessibility and how we can meet your needs at the ceremony.

Due to limited accessibility seating we can only accommodate confirmed pre-reserved ADA RSVP’s.

Cap, gowns and tassels are exclusively rented through Herff Jones Custom-designed by Herff-Jones, the MSU Denver gowns feature the University’s insignia and school colors. The gowns are blue with red trim, and the official University seal is embroidered on the lapel. All graduating seniors must wear these at the commencement ceremony. The ordering deadline is Thursday, October 10 at 9:59 p.m. MT.  Additional cap and gowns have been ordered and will be available for you to pick up at the Cap and Gown Pick-Up on Tuesday, November 19 and Wednesday, November 20, or the day of the ceremony.

You also have the option of ordering your regalia via home ship, meaning your order will be shipped directly to you. Please account for shipping costs for the home ship option.

Pricing

Bachelor’s Regalia – $55

• Includes rental gown as well as a cap and tassel that are yours to keep

Master’s Rental Gown – $85

• Includes rental gown and hood as well as cap and tassel that are yours to keep

Additional keepsakes are also available for purchase

We send email reminders regularly to graduation candidates – so please be sure to check your email.

Additional parking information will be available here soon. All graduates and guests should anticipate the need to pay for parking.

We recommend that all students arrive at least 90 minutes prior to the start of their ceremony.

Morning Ceremony | 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

College of Aerospace, Computing, Engineering and Design 

College of Business

College of Health and Human Sciences 

Afternoon Ceremony | 2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

School of Education

School of Hospitality

Please find your department within the colleges and schools.

All summer graduates are invited to the Fall semester commencement ceremonies.

There are photographers at Commencement. ‘The Grad Team’ is the exclusive photo vendor at MSU Denver Commencement ceremonies. Thier team provides photos, at a variable cost dependent on package selection to graduates. They seek to capture the special moment as each new grad walks across the stage to receive their diploma. This longtime vendor is utilized by fellow universities, such as CU Denver. To learn more about the offerings of The Grad Team or to retrieve your photos from a recent Commencement ceremony please contact Jamie Fidler directly at [email protected]

In addition, all graduates receive the following information regarding photography participation at Commencement prior to the date of their ceremony via email. The information is also posted at the Commencement venue.

Note: Photographs and video will be taken at the Commencement event. By taking part in this event, you grant Metropolitan State University of Denver full rights to use any images resulting from the photography and/or video filming for any reproductions or adaptations of the images for fundraising, publicity, or other purposes. This may include but is not limited to: television, video, the MSU Denver web site, advertising campaigns including large format assets, social media sites, press releases, etc. If you do not wish to be photographed, or filmed please inform an event organizer or the photographer.