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UB School of Nursing Commencement 2026
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The University at Buffalo School of Nursing is proud to host our 85th annual commencement on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 9 a.m. in the Center for the Arts.
The ceremony is open to graduates of all of our degree programs and their families. This ceremony is intended for students whose degrees were conferred in September 2025, February 2026 and June 2026.
Additional information on this event and the University’s commencement weekend can be found below and on the University’s commencement website.
Commencement Address
This year, the commencement address will be delivered by Dr. Kimberly Ennis, MS ’07, BS ‘05, Vice President for Nursing and Patient Care Services at NYU Langone Health. Dr. Ennis received her bachelor's in nursing and her master's in Adult Health Nursing at the UB School of Nursing and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Yale University. You can read more about her career in a profile done for the School of Nursing news here.
Remote Access to Ceremony
Degree conferral ceremonies will be available for live stream and post-ceremony viewing. Each live stream will begin five minutes prior to the ceremony start time. Viewing links will be posted here prior to the ceremonies.
Registration for the Ceremony
To register for the commencement ceremony and receive information on ticketing, please complete the online form here. Registration deadline is March 15th and information on claiming tickets will be circulated to those who register shortly after the deadline.
Ticketing
To ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for all graduates and guests, all commencement ceremonies will be ticketed. Ticketing will allow us to adhere to venue capacity regulations, ensuring the safety and comfort of attendees. All graduates will initially have access to five tickets. Additional ticketing information will be sent to those students who register for commencement by March 15th.
Health & Safety
Deliberate disruption or prevention of the peaceful and orderly conduct of classes, lectures, events, meetings and other University activities is strictly prohibited.
Eligibility
This ceremony is intended for students whose degrees were conferred in September 2025, February 2026 and June 2026. Only graduating students may participate in the graduation ceremony, including walking in the processional and crossing the stage. The University will make limited exceptions when a graduating student requires assistance due to a disability.
Students needing accommodations to participate in the ceremony should contact Rob Cenczyk at robertce@buffalo.edu.
Cap and gown information
Information about cap and gown ordering is available on the University’s commencement site. It is imperative that you order your cap and gown as soon as possible if you are planning to participate in the event.
Guests and tickets
To ensure a safe, enjoyable experience for all graduates and guests, all commencement ceremonies will be ticketed. A standardized ticketing process will allow UB adhere to venue capacity regulations to ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees.
Additional information on ticketing will be sent to those students who register for commencement by March 15th.
Details on accessibility accommodations, including accessible parking, venue entry, and assisted listening devices can be found on the university's commencement website. There are no specific tickets for accessible seating. Each guest will need a standard ticket.
Additional information on parking and security checks at the location can be found on the UB commencement site.
Photography
A photographer will be present to capture a photo of each student at the ceremony. The university has arranged for GradImages to be the exclusive photographer for individual student photos at degree conferral ceremonies. Additional information on ordering photos will be forthcoming.
Accessibility
If you indicate in your registration that you require accommodations to participate in the ceremony, you will be contacted with additional instructions. Details on accessibility accommodations, including accessible parking, venue entry, and assisted listening devices can be found on the university's commencement website. There are no specific tickets for accessible seating. Each guest will need a standard ticket.
Additional questions on accessibility can be emailed to Robert Cenczyk at robertce@buffalo.edu.
Printed Diploma
The Office of the Registrar will mail a printed diploma, free of charge, to your permanent address approximately four to six weeks after the conferral date. Students are responsible for making address changes; these should be made by the term conferral date to ensure that you receive your diploma.
Certified Electronic Diploma
Students who graduated in June 2020 or later may purchase a certified electronic diploma (CeDiploma) for $15.95. Notification will be sent to your UB email, from info@cecredentialtrust.com, approximately 3-6 weeks after your degree conferral date.
Students who qualify for Latin Honors will be identified prior to graduation and contacted by the department. You will need to bring identification to the bookstore to purchase a Latin Honors cord.
Students earning baccalaureate degrees (including those awarded as part of combined degrees) are eligible to receive Latin honors based on their UB cumulative grade point average (GPA) on the following scale:
Average (based on 4.000=A)
- 3.200 — cum laude
- 3.500 — magna cum laude
- 3.750 — summa cum laude
To qualify for Latin honors, students must present a minimum of 60 credit hours of UB undergraduate coursework, at least 54 of which must be graded credits (i.e., not grades of 'P,' ’NP’, 'S' or 'U').
To receive the Latin honors designation in commencement program books, and to be eligible to wear the honorific gold cord (cum laude, magna and summa) at the time of ceremonies, candidates for the June degree conferral date must qualify based upon their UB cumulative GPA through the winter intersession of that year and projected UB credit hours through the spring semester of that year. Standings for Latin honors may change once final grades are posted or degrees conferred.
This recognition is only intended for students who will have their degrees conferred in June or have had their degrees conferred in the previous February or August.
The gold cords will be available for purchase ($14.25) through the University Bookstore on North Campus beginning March 9. At that time, qualifying students may purchase their cord at the store; please bring UB ID. Students who are unable to purchase in person may email the store at 0405mgr@follett.com to indicate their interest and provide a call-back number so a store representative may take their order by phone; in this case, add $7.99 for home shipping.