Commencement
A Time-Honored Tradition
Spalding University’s commencement tradition began when Henry Clay presented a diploma to the first graduate of Nazareth Academy, founded and operated by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Today, commencement is a celebration of the hard work and dedication of our students to obtain their degrees. Historically, Commencement takes place the first Saturday of June each year. In recent years, we have had multiple, small ceremonies over the course of three days. Our 2025 Celebration marks a return to tradition, as we will come together for one large ceremony at The Galt House on June 7th.
1924
Spalding graduated its first class from the Louisville campus.
2025
Commencement will take place in one large ceremony on June 7th.
Ceremony Schedule
Friday, June 6th — Baccalaureate Celebration Service & Award Ceremonies
No tickets are required to attend the baccalaureate celebration service, for any of award ceremonies, or the celebration reception. Attendance and academic regalia are not required for the service, the ceremonies, or the reception.
Baccalaureate Celebration Service: 9:00 – 9:45 AM
The Baccalaureate nondenominational prayer service is for open for all graduates to attend and those there to support them. The service is from 9:00 to 9:45 AM at the First Unitarian Church at 809 South 4th Street.
Award Ceremonies
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- College of Education
- School of Business
- School of Liberal Arts
- School of Criminal Justice Studies
1:00 – 3:00 PM
- School of Professional Psychology
- Auerbach School of Occupational Therapy
- School of Athletic Training
- School of Health Sciences
- School of Natural Sciences
3:00 – 4:00 PM
- School of Nursing
4:00 – 5:00 PM
- School of Social Work
- School of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Saturday, June 7th
Tickets for the commencement ceremony must me acquired beforehand. There will be no tickets available at the door. The deadline to request tickets is Friday, May 23, 2025.
Our commencement ceremony is open to our undergraduate and graduate degree recipients. Degree recipients must arrive at the Galt House by 8:30 AM for check-in. Recipients will be assigned a waiting room by academic program. Guests should check in with one of the clerks stationed in the entry lobby, and ushers will direct them to available seating. Guests should be seated by 9:45 AM, and the graduation ceremony starts at 10:00 AM. Graduates can contact their academic advisor or program director with any questions.
8:30 AM
Students Arrive
10:00 AM
Graduation Ceremony Starts
Please note: the livestream will not be available until the ceremony starts at 9:50 AM.
Information for Graduates
Application for Graduation
The deadline to apply for graduation is 8:00 AM on Thursday, April 17th. Any prospective graduate must apply for graduation, regardless of whether or not they plan to attend Commencement in person. To apply for graduation:
- Log in to the Spalding Portal (my.spalding.edu)
- Under Quick Links, click on “Academic Links”
- Click on Application for Graduation
- The link to complete the Exit Loan Counseling is at the bottom of the page. If you have questions about the Exit Loan Counseling process, please email financialaid@spalding.edu.
Contact Jennifer Gohmann, Registrar, for questions about applying for graduation: jgohmann@spalding.edu.
Ticketing
For Ticket Requests, please review our Commencement 2025 Ticket Request and complete the form. The deadline to request tickets is Friday, May 23, 2025.
Contact Dr. Erica Gray (egray@spalding.edu) for questions about tickets.
Live Streaming
For those unable to attend in-person, we will be streaming the ceremony live. Use the button below to view the livestream. Please note: the livestream will not be available until the ceremony starts at 9:50 AM.
Regalia
It is important for graduates to make plans now for ordering commencement regalia — including caps and gowns — and announcements. Spalding’s Campus Store will be handling orders through Jostens. The deadline for ordering regalia is Wednesday, April 30.
Representatives from Jostens will be on campus Tuesday, April 15 from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM in the Egan Leadership Center to take orders. Prospective graduates may also order regalia online by clicking the button below.
If you have questions about ordering regalia, please contact Contact Alisa Peach, Campus Store Manager:
Email: apeach@spalding.edu
Phone: (502) 585-7108 Select option 1 to reach the Campus Store
Accessibility Concerns
To ask questions about accessibility or to request accommodations for commencement, please contact Katherine Walker-Payne at accessibility@spalding.edu. At least two weeks’ advance notice will help us to provide seamless access.