This site has information about the Commencement Ceremony. If you'd like to learn about the paperwork and fees you need to take care of in order to participate in the ceremony, please visit the Graduation section of the Office of the Registrar's website.
Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, May 19, 2012
10 a.m.
Freeman Stadium
For information regarding petitions to graduate, please email: commencement@csumb.edu.
For information on ceremony guidelines, ADA requests, special accommodations and general information, please email pgrillo@csumb.edu.
For Honors Convocation information, please contact mrutland@csumb.edu.
For GradFest information, please contact hmeyers@csumb.edu.
Attending the Ceremony
California State University, Monterey Bay is committed to providing a safe and enjoyable commencement ceremony. This event provides an opportunity for family members to honor fall and spring commencement participants as they receive their degrees in a single ceremony.
As the university’s graduating classes have grown since CSU Monterey Bay’s founding, commencement crowds in Freeman Stadium have also grown. Obviously, the stadium’s safe capacity must not be exceeded.
For the year, a free Commencement ticketing plan is in place, with several key goals in mind:
- Every effort will be made to accommodate all who wish to attend – within the safe seating capacity of the stadium.
- A maximum of 8 tickets* will be made available to all participating students (*to be confirmed for 2012).
- In the event seating capacity is reached on the day of Commencement, alternative viewing areas will be available.
- The process will be fair and equitable while still maintaining the safety of this event and enabling maximum attendance for family members.
If you or your guests require special accommodations for disabilities, please fill out this request form.
Where and how to get tickets
Due to high demand, all tickets have already been distributed. There will be no tickets released at the ceremony. If individuals have extra tickets available, they can share them via the Cal State Monterey Bay Commencement Facebook page or on ticket exchange group on MyCSUMB.
We offer an alternate viewing site, which requires no tickets, it is located at the Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library. This venue offers viewing indoors and on the big screen.
Will Call
The deadline to sign up for Will Call tickets has passed. If you have already signed up for Will Call tickets, you will be required to show an Otter or a valid State ID in order to pick them up.
Will Call Hours
- Friday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Campus Service Center, located in the Student Services Building on Sixth Avenue.
- Friday, May 18, from 5:30 p.m to 8 p.m. at the University Center front desk. (Will Call will close at the Campus Service Center and reopen at 5:30 p.m at the UC)
- Saturday, May 19 from 8:00 a.m. at the Freeman Stadium. The Will Call is located in the front of the Field House. Guests must come prepared to pick up tickets and enter the stadium. Egress is severely limited and may impact guest's ability to return in a timely fashion to participate in the Commencement ceremony. To pick up your tickets, you will be required to show an Otter or a valid State ID.
- Any tickets not picked up by 9:50 a.m. on May 19 will be forfeited and released for general audience use on a first-come, first-served basis. Those tickets will be distributed from the Will Call Booth at Freeman Stadium.
Due to heavy traffic flow on campus, guests opting to obtain tickets from the Information Booth are strongly encouraged to plan on remaining on site for the duration of the ceremony.
Extra tickets
Any student who has tickets he or she does not need may share them with another participating student using the Commencement Facebook page or the Commencement Ticketing group in MyCSUMB. Students can also return unneeded tickets to the Alumni & Visitors Center.
The sale of commencement tickets is expressly prohibited.
Please contact us at commencement@csumb.edu if you have any additional questions or concerns.
Parents' Reception
Friday, May 18, 4 p.m.
Alumni & Visitors Center
Celebrate your graduate's big achievement with the Alumni Association and University Advancement! This free event will be a wonderful opportunity for parents and graduates to mingle with President Harrison and the deans, enjoy delicious appetizers, purchase alumni gear, and take part in an exciting raffle, which includes a lifetime membership to the Alumni Association.

100 Campus Center
