December Commencement

Tuesday, December 9, 2025
10 a.m. CT

Overview

Tuesday, December 9, 2025
December Commencement Ceremony
10 a.m. CT
Tudor Fieldhouse

While Rice University’s main commencement ceremonies take place in May, at the conclusion of the Spring semester, the university does have a smaller commencement ceremony in December, at the end of the Fall semester. For students who complete their degree in the Summer (August) or expect to complete their degree in the Fall (December), and are unable or do not wish to return for the end-of-year May Commencement Ceremony, Rice has a combined December Commencement Ceremony available to them. Every Rice degree recipient is given the opportunity to “walk” across the stage and to participate in one commencement ceremony.

PLEASE NOTE: Students are eligible to cross the stage only once: either in December or in May. Students that participate in the December Commencement Ceremony are not eligible to participate in the following May Commencement Ceremonies.

Note:
i. As noted in the Fall 2025 Academic Calendar, the Registrar’s deadline to apply for December degree conferral is Friday, September 26, 2025.

ii. Since the ceremony will take place before Fall 2025 final grades have been submitted, students should understand that participation in the ceremony is not a confirmation of a student’s degree conferral.

Ticketing

Rice University’s December commencement ceremony is a private, ticketed event. A ticket is required for entry to Tudor Fieldhouse. Below is important information about the ticket claiming process for the ceremony.

  • Each degree candidate can request up to fifteen (15) guest tickets. Degree candidates may request additional tickets, as needed. Tickets are not transferable. Requests for additional tickets must be submitted by Monday, December 1, and will be approved if space permits.
  • An email with details on how to claim tickets has been sent to each degree candidate’s Rice email address. It is the degree candidate’s responsibility to claim their guest tickets via the unique URL sent to them.
  • Once guest tickets have been claimed by the degree candidate, it is their responsibility to send the tickets to their guests. The system will provide an option to either email the tickets to guests or to print the tickets. Guests will need to either pull up the ticket on their mobile device or have a physical copy to gain entry to the venue.
  • All guests over the age of 2 years old will be required to have a ticket for entry.
  • Rice students, faculty and staff guests will be granted entry with their Rice ID.
  • Re-entry into Tudor Fieldhouse will not be permitted after exiting.

Invitations to claim guest tickets will remain open until the conclusion of the December Commencement ceremony.

Web Broadcasting

Commencement will be broadcast over the internet for family members and friends who are not able to attend the ceremony. The links will go live 20 minutes before the scheduled start times. They also appear on the Commencement website the day of the event.

Photography

Complimentary cap & gown photo sessions will be available in RMC - Ley 2nd Floor Conference Room, Monday, December 8th, from 11:00a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Immediately following the ceremony on December 9th, portraits will be available in Room 1402 in Alice Pratt Brown Hall until 2:00p.m. Click HERE to make an appointment for either day. We encourage graduates to bring family along for the portraits & walk-ups are welcome if time allows.

At the Commencement ceremony, while receiving their diplomas, all graduates will be professionally photographed by Marc Nathan Photographers, Inc. To ensure that you and your family members receive the notification, please go online HERE to sign up. Information on availability of those images will also be sent to each graduate’s email address provided with his or her permanent address on file. The following day after the ceremony, graduates can view all the images at www.gradphotonetwork.com (enter RICE for school name... nothing else).

If you have any questions, please contact them at grads@mnathanphoto.com or 281-549-2367.

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available. General questions can also be directed to commencement@rice.edu.