CLASS OF 2026 COMMENCEMENT

• Graduates and guests should park at the Law School and take shuttles (or walk) to the Finneran Pavilion. Please allow enough time, as there can be delays due to crowds. Please see the Villanova Law Parkings & Locations map for more details. 
• Ceremony begins at the Finneran Pavilion at 10 a.m. prompt.
• All graduates and guests will be required to go through metal detectors to enter the venue. 

Graduate Assembly/Name Card Pick-up

• Beginning at 9:15 a.m., graduates’ name cards will be available in the Finneran Pavilion, on the lower level near the Fitzgerald Club. Please see the Villanova Law Ceremony map for more details. 
• Graduates should report to the assembly area in the lower level of the Finneran Pavilion no later than 9:40 a.m. Graduates should arrive wearing robes and caps. Tassels are worn to the right. Staff volunteers will be on hand to assist graduates.
• Graduates must pick up their namecard from the designated table before the line-up begins.
• There is no place in the assembly area for personal belongings, so please leave valuables with your guests or in a secure location.

Graduate Line-up

• Graduate line-up will begin at 9:50 a.m.
• Graduates will form two lines. Line up in any order you wish. (Note: the classmate you wish to sit next to should line up in front of or behind you. The two lines will break once you arrive at the seating area.
• JD graduates are in the front of the line, then LLM, followed by MT graduates.

Graduate Procession and Seating

• The procession will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m. Dean Lund will lead the procession to the graduate seating area on the floor of the Finneran Pavilion.
• Staff floor marshals will direct you to your seats. Do not skip seats and follow the guidance of the staff marshals, as they will count you off based on the number of seats in each row. Depending on the number of chairs per row, you may be separated from the classmate in front/behind you.

Calling of the Names

Graduates will be called forward to receive your degree one row at a time. As your row is called forward, follow the directions of the marshals to approach the stage.

• PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO BRING YOUR NAMECARD.
• A professional photographer will take each graduate’s photo at the stage area before graduates cross the stage.
• When you approach the stage, graduates will give your namecard to a staff member who will scan your namecard. Graduates should continue across the stage as your name is read.
• As you cross the stage, graduates will receive your scroll from Deans Alexander and Lund. You will then return to your seat, following the guidance of the marshal in that area.

Recessional

• Graduates will recess behind Dean Lund, following the faculty and stage party back.

Parking for graduates and guests will be in the law school garage (S-4); no parking passes are needed. Shuttle buses will run continuously throughout the day for guests who wish to use them. Otherwise, it is a short walk to the various locations on campus. Please see the Villanova Law Parkings & Locations map for more details. 

Guest seating opens at 9:00 a.m. Please see the Villanova Law Ceremony map for more details. 

There are no ticket requests or limits on the number of guests for the Law School Commencement. Note: if you are in the JD/MBA or JD/MPA program, there may be references to ticket limits in other commencement communications you received, but that does not apply to the Law School ceremony.

Bag Policy

The clear bag policy is not in effect for Commencement. Bags of reasonable size are permitted in the Commencement Ceremony. All items will be subject to search by event staff. Hard coolers, backpacks, luggage, duffels, and large multicompartment bags are not permitted. Other large bags and items may not be permitted at the sole discretion of event staff. Villanova does not provide storage or lockers for prohibited bags or items. 

 The University will be livestreaming the Commencement ceremonies for those who are unable to attend the in-person events. 
 
Closed Captioning will be available on the livestream of the Baccalaureate Mass, the Bachelor's Degree Commencement ceremony, the Master's and Doctoral Degree Commencement ceremony, and the Charles Widger School of Law Commencement ceremony. 

Please see the University's Commencement webpage for more information. 

In keeping with the University’s sustainability pledge, the full 2026 Villanova Law commencement program, including the list of graduate names and awards, will be produced digitally. The link to the program will be posted prior to the ceremony. Those interested in a printed version can purchase a copy to be shipped via iPRINT. 

Graduation announcements, lawn signs, banners, thank you notes and other commemorative items are available via Villanova University's Graphic Services. You can choose customizable printed announcements which include personalized pictures and text. Announcements can be shipped or picked-up. For ordering information and further details, please visit the iPRINT website. Questions? Contact Graphic Services at 610-519-5914, 610-519-7461, or via email.

Professional photographers from Pro Pics will capture each graduate's special moment on stage during the ceremony. Additionally, after crossing the stage, graduates will proceed to the graduate portrait station to have a quick portrait taken in cap and gown. Graduates should register at www.VillanovaPhotos.com before the ceremony to receive their commencement photoproofs via email as soon as they are available. There is no cost to be photographed and no obligation to purchase. Questions? Contact Pro Pics.

Additional photos from the ceremony will be available to purchase through the Villanova Photoshelter website.