Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 1:30 p.m.
Hill Auditorium
Commencement Details
- The length of the ceremony is approximately 90 minutes.
- There is no summer commencement ceremony. Students graduating in August may choose to attend the spring Marsal School commencement ceremony or the December all-university commencement ceremony.
- Students receiving teaching certificates are considered alumni/ae of the Marsal School and are welcome at our ceremony. We hope you will attend!
- Ticketing
- All students and guests over age 2 will need a ticket to enter the Marsal Education commencement ceremony.
- There is no summer commencement ceremony. Students graduating in August may choose to attend the spring Marsal School commencement ceremony or the December all-university commencement ceremony.
- All digital tickets are sent directly from [email protected] to the student associated with the ticket reservation.
- Students are responsible for ticket distribution of digital tickets to their guests.
- You will see two ticket types (grad and guest). These are sent in separate emails on April 26: one email containing your grad ticket QR code and one email containing all of your guest ticket QR codes.
- Because all guest ticket QR codes will be embedded in one email, we strongly suggest parties within the same ticket reservation enter the venue together to scan their tickets as a group. If this is not possible, we suggest the student screenshot each QR code separately and text individual tickets to each of their guests, rather than forwarding the entire QR code email to all guests. This will help avoid guests trying to enter using the same QR code.
- QR codes can only be scanned once. Should guests encounter a problem upon entry with their QR code reading “already scanned”, they will be directed to the Hill Auditorium Will Call.
- Security Guidelines & Prohibited Items
- Security guidelines prohibit graduates or guests from bringing food, beverages, large bags, and signs into Hill Auditorium. We ask that you plan accordingly.
- All bags may be subject to search.
- Medical exceptions will be addressed individually at the gates. Those requiring necessary items (e.g., diapers for a baby, medical prescriptions, etc.) are encouraged to carry them into the auditorium in a clear plastic bag.
The following items are prohibited from Hill Auditorium:
- All bags (including purses, fanny packs, etc.)
- All bottles (including all types of water bottles)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Aerosol and spray cans
- Animals (except service animals for persons with a disability)
- Apparel or signage displaying profane or abusive language
- Containers of any kind (including coolers, thermoses, cups, cans, flasks)
- Flags and flagpoles
- Food of any kind
- Irritants
- Noisemakers (including but not limited to whistles, air horns, boom boxes, bull horns, kazoos, sirens, thunder sticks, vuvuzelas, etc.)
- Projectiles (including footballs, Frisbees and beach balls)
- Seat cushions containing any type of metal or those with pockets, zippers, storage slots, seat backs, arm rests, or attachments of any kind
- Strollers
- Video camera, tripods and selfie sticks
- Umbrellas
- Weapons
- Any other item that may obstruct or impair the view or enjoyment of another attendee
- Other Ceremonies
- Master’s and PhD graduating students are also invited to participate in the University Graduate Exercises (Rackham) on Friday, May 2, 2025 at Hill Auditorium.
- All Marsal School graduating students are also invited to participate in the All-University Spring Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at the Michigan Stadium.
- Note: Tickets are required to participate in the All-University Commencement.
See Other Graduation Ceremonies for more information on other ceremonies.
Commencement Speaker
Dominique Morisseau
Playwright and actress from Detroit
Dominique Morisseau (BFA '00) is the author of The Detroit Project (A 3-PlayCycle): Skeleton Crew (Atlantic Theater Company/Broadway, Tony Award nom for Best Play), Paradise Blue (Signature Theatre), and Detroit '67 (Public Theater, Classical Theatre of Harlem, and National Black Theatre).
Her additional plays include: Confederates (Signature Theatre), Pipeline (Lincoln Center Theatre), Sunset Baby (LAByrinth Theatre), Blood at the Root (National Black Theatre), and Follow Me To Nellie’s (Premiere Stages).
She is the Tony Award–nominated book writer on the Broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (Imperial Theatre) and is currently working on her latest, Hippest Trip – The Soul Train Musical (American Conservatory Theater).
Her TV/Film work includes work as co-producer of Shameless (Showtime) and the film adaptation of the documentary STEP (Fox Searchlight) and as a consultant on the Netflix animated feature, Tunga.
She has received numerous awards including the PoNY Fellowship, TEER Trailblazer Award, Steinberg Playwright Award, Audelco Awards, NBTF August Wilson Playwriting Award, Wyndham Campbell Prize, Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama, two OBIE Awards, Ford Foundation Art of Change Fellowship, one of Variety’s Women of Impact for 2018, and a MacArthur Genius Grant Fellow.
In 2022, Dominique was awarded the key to the city by the Mayor of Detroit.
Other Graduation Ceremonies
In addition to the Marsal School's commencement, there are two other university-wide ceremonies to celebrate graduates in the spring. We've gathered information about all three ceremonies below to help students determine which ceremonies they're eligible to attend and may want to participate in with their loved ones.
| Ceremony | Date & Time | Doctoral Hooding | Eligibility & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rackham Graduate Exercises | Friday, May 2, 2025 10:00 a.m. | Yes | The following groups are eligible to attend and may participate in the ceremony:
|
| University Spring Commencement | Saturday, May 3, 2025 10:00 a.m. | No | The following groups are eligible to attend and may participate in the ceremony:
|
| Marsal School Commencement | Saturday, May 3, 2025 1:30 p.m. | Yes | The following groups are eligible to attend and may participate in the ceremony:
Other details:
|
- Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives Commencement Celebrations
The Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI) hosts additional Commencement Celebrations to supplement the traditional UM graduation, which are also held during graduation week, to express appreciation for the achievements, commonalities, and cultural differences that characterize the experiences of Middle Eastern/North African, African American, Latinx and Native students. Commencement Celebrations include:
- Asian Graduation Celebration
- Black Celebratory
- First-Generation Graduation Celebration
- La Celebración Latina
- Middle Eastern/North African Student (ME/NA) Celebration
- Native Student Graduation Celebration
- Oceania Student Graduation Celebration
- Undocumented Student Graduation Celebration
More information on the Commencement Celebrations, including dates and deadlines to apply, can be found on the OAMI website.
- Spectrum Center Lavender Graduation
The Spectrum Center celebrates and honors LGBTQIA2S+ graduates and allies of all genders and sexualities at the University of Michigan during Lavender Graduation.
See Lavender Graduation & Awards for details.
Questions?
Please direct any questions about the Marsal School's commencement ceremony to [email protected].