UK Announces May 2021 Commencement Schedule

photo of December 2019 UK Commencement
December 2019 UK Commencement, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Cornelison | UK Photo.

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 31, 2021) — The University of Kentucky announced today its plan to host 10 in-person Commencement ceremonies the weekend of May 14-16, at Rupp Arena, for May 2021 and all 2020 UK graduates.

In the interest of health and safety, multiple ceremonies have been scheduled to limit seating, ensuring proper physical distancing can be implemented. Masks will also be required for all graduates and guests who attend.

Ticketing information will be communicated to the graduates and families in the coming weeks. Participating graduates may bring up to four (4) guests to their ceremony. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed for guests who cannot attend.

The Commencement ceremonies schedule is as follows:

Ceremony 1

9 a.m. Friday, May 14

  • College of Education
  • College of Medicine

Ceremony 2

Noon Friday, May 14

  • College of Fine Arts
  • College of Public Health
  • College of Social Work
  • College of Pharmacy

Ceremony 3

3 p.m. Friday, May 14

  • College of Nursing
  • College of Health Sciences
  • College of Design

Ceremony 4

6 p.m. Friday, May 14

  • College of Engineering

Ceremony 5

9 a.m. Saturday, May 15

  • College of Arts and Sciences 1*

Ceremony 6

Noon Saturday, May 15

  • College of Arts and Sciences 2*

Ceremony 7

3 p.m. Saturday, May 15

  • Gatton College of Business and Economics 1*

Ceremony 8

6 p.m. Saturday, May 15

  • Gatton College of Business and Economics 2*

Ceremony 9

9 a.m. Sunday, May 16

  • College of Communication and Information
  • Martin School of Public Policy and Administration and Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce 

Ceremony 10

Noon Sunday, May 16

  • College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

*Graduates from colleges that have two ceremonies scheduled will be assigned a ceremony in the coming days.

All graduates who registered for the in-person ceremonies should receive follow-up information at their UKY email address. For more information, visit commencement.uky.edu. For questions, contact commencement@uky.edu.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.