51ºÚÁÏ

Attend Baccalaureate Mass

The Baccalaureate Mass will be offered on Friday, May 2, 2026 at 5 p.m. at the North Campus Auditorium at the 51ºÚÁÏ.

Graduates and their families and friends, regardless of religion, are warmly welcomed and highly encouraged to participate in this service of thanksgiving. The Mass will be immediately followed by an hors d’oeuvres reception where graduates and families are invited to celebrate their accomplishments with university administration, faculty, and staff.

All listed times are in Eastern Standard Time (EST), the time for Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Everything You Need to Know for the Big Day

Attend Commencement

Commencement is a degree conferral ceremony and will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the .

Doors open for check-in at 12:30 p.m. Graduates must arrive no later than 1:30 p.m. The ceremony begins at 2 p.m. and will last approximately two hours. Students earning a certificate alone do not walk at commencement.

Parking is $8.00 per vehicle.

Check-in

Graduates will be directed by the 51ºÚÁÏ Ushers towards the check-in tables. Staff will provide a name card that will be read on stage. Graduates will line up behind the sign that indicates the correct degree. Staff will be available to assist in preparation to enter the ceremony.

Honors

Undergraduate students conferred honors will receive yellow honors cords after they check-in. Honors at graduation are not conferred on graduate-level degree students.

Photography

GradImages is the official photographer for Commencement. A professional photographer will take individual pictures of each graduate as they receive their diploma. Each graduate will receive a free, passport-sized digital proof of this photograph on an order card following the ceremony, along with instructions on how to order photos.

To pre-register your contact information to receive proofs electronically even faster and/or add family and friends to view Commencement photo proofs, visit the and click on “Pre-Event Registration.” For questions following Commencement, contact GradImages by phone at 800-261-2576 or email at ecc.giservice@gradimages.net.