Commencement

Out the Door

The Office of Student Services will host the “Out the Door” class meeting on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at UHCO in the Health 1 Building. All Class of 2026 students are expected to attend. Details will be shared by the Office of Student Services as the date approaches.

Ceremony & Reception

Ceremony

Join us online for the Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony Live Stream to celebrate our graduates! The Class of 2026 Commencement Ceremony will take place Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 2pm at the UH Cullen Performance Hall. Students are expected to arrive by 12:30pm. Additional details will be shared by the Office of Student Services during the Out the Door event.

Parking

Commencement parking will be available in the Welcome Center Garage – parking instructions can be found here: https://uh.edu/commencement/commencement-parking/. Please note, parking is available for a fee in Lot 2A (Health 1 & 2 Buildings). Validations will not be available.

Clear Bag Policy

The UH Clear Bag policy will be enforced in the Cullen Performance Hall during commencement ceremony for all students, faculty, staff, and guests. Details on UH’s Clear Bag Policy can be found here: https://uh.edu/cullen-performance-hall/plan-your-visit/clear-bag-policy/.

Reception

A reception will immediately follow the ceremony to celebrate the college’s newest alumni. Graduates and guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments in honor of the Class of 2026:

University of Houston College of Optometry
Health 1 Building
Doctors of Texas State Optical Alumni Education Center

A variety of photo opportunities for graduates and their guests will be available at the reception.

Regalia

Regalia is ordered through Herff Jones: https://collegegrad.herffjones.com/. Last day to submit online orders is April 15.

Tickets

Tickets are required for all University Commencement ceremonies. Per University protocol, tickets will be distributed to each graduating student to their UH ticketing account. Each graduate will receive six (6) electronic tickets.

Ticketing Notes:

• All commencement tickets are complimentary.
• Graduates themselves will not require a ticket.
• Children two (2) years of age and younger will not require tickets.
• Any unused tickets should be returned to the commencement ticket pool.
• If additional tickets are needed, students must enter a ticket lottery.
  • The lottery opens April 13 at 10:00am and closes April 18 at 11:59pm.
  • A link will be provided on the University Commencement website to submit requests for additional guest tickets.
  • All graduates that enter the lottery will be emailed results to their @cougarnet.uh.edu address by the end of day on April 24.
  • If awarded additional tickets, they may be picked up, with photo ID, during the following dates/times:
    • April 30, 10:00am – 3:00pm: UH Campus Store
    • May 4-8, 9:00am – 7:00pm: Houston Athletics Ticket Office
    • May 9, 9:00am – 2:00pm: Houston Athletics Ticket Office
    • May 12, 9:00am – 5:00pm (or until tickets run out): Houston Athletics Ticket Office
  • Availability of extra tickets is not guaranteed and depends on the number of graduates and amount of returned or unclaimed tickets.
• Additional information regarding tickets can be found here: https://uh.edu/commencement/tickets/.

Grad Chronicle Distribution Dates

Students will receive Grad Chronicle emails in Spring 2026. These chronicles include important information that will help navigate graduates in preparing for commencement.

Topics covered in the chronicles include:

• Commencement Schedules and Planned Events
• Guest Tickets
• ADA, Prohibited Items, Clear Bag Policy
• Parking
• Livestream

General UH Commencement Information

For more information regarding UH commencement, visit https://uh.edu/commencement/.