Convocation

Fall 2023 convocation

December 11 & 12

The Thunderbird School of Global Management will celebrate its Class of 2023 degree candidates at the fall 2023 convocation ceremony. The ceremony will take place on Tuesday, December 12 at 4 p.m. at the Phoenix Convention Center, South Ballroom (33 S 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004). Please find additional details below regarding ASU Commencement ceremonies, regalia and more.

Ceremonies are being held on Monday, December 11 and Tuesday, December 12.

Monday, Dec 11 at 9 a.m. | ASU Graduate Commencement (Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, AZ)
Monday, Dec 11 at 2:30 p.m. | ASU Undergraduate Commencement (Mountain America Stadium, Frank Kush Field, Tempe, AZ)
Tuesday, Dec 12 at 4 p.m. (doors open at 3 p.m.) | Thunderbird School of Global Management Fall 2023 Convocation Ceremony (Phoenix Convention Center, South Building | 33 S 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004)

Other special interest ceremonies can be found here.

Image of undergraduate students during convocation

Convocation tickets

All guests will be required to have a ticket. Students may obtain up to five (5) tickets starting on Monday, November 27 during business hours (Monday - Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.) in the Academic Operations Office in Suite 401 at Thunderbird Global Headquarters Building in downtown Phoenix. Additional tickets may be available closer to graduation. Please contact Josh Allen after December 7th. Tickets will not be available at the door.

Safety and security policies

Clear bag policy: All guests bringing a bag of any kind must meet the following specifications: clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC (max size: 12”x6”x12”) or be a small clutch bag approximately the size of a hand (max size: 4.5”x6.4”).

Please note: Helium balloons are not permitted inside the Phoenix Convention Center. If balloons are brought to the venue, guests will be asked to dispose of them before entering.

Image of Thunderbird graduates wearing their regalia and face masks at the Fall 2021 Convocation ceremony

Register to walk in the convocation ceremony

All ASU graduation ceremonies require reservations (RSVPs) from graduating students who wish to participate. Registration will be available beginning the week of October 16. Students will register via MarchingOrder on their MyASU homepage to attend the events, including undergraduate commencement, graduate commencement, Thunderbird Convocation, and special interest convocations. Learn more here. The deadline to RSVP to is Wednesday, November 15 at 11:59 p.m. MST. Be sure to register in advance of that date.

Graduation Awards Ceremony and Reception

The Fall 2023 Graduating Student Awards Ceremony & Reception will take place on Tuesday, December 12 at 10 a.m. inside the Haas Digital Global Forum located on the first floor of Thunderbird Global Headquarters. This event is for the graduate receiving an award and their guests only. Award notices will go out approximately three weeks from the date of convocation.

Image of Thunderbird graduates carrying their country's flags in the flag ceremony

Parade of Flags

Thunderbird graduates have the opportunity to represent their home countries in the long-lived tradition of the Parade of Flags during convocation on December 12. Parade of Flag volunteers will need to be available for a short rehearsal at the Phoenix Convention Center in the early afternoon on that day. They will then return to Thunderbird Global Headquarters prior to Convocation to get ready and lead the procession back to the Phoenix Convention Center. Participating students should also prepare 1-2 facts about their home countries to share during the ceremony.

Graduating students interested in volunteering for the Parade of Flags should fill out this form no later than November 17. Registration is first-come, first-served, and further details will be provided to the selected graduates after the registration deadline.

Regalia Orders

All graduating students must wear proper regalia. Undergraduate students wear maroon. Graduate students wear black. Graduating students may purchase regalia directly from Herff Jones. The deadline to place orders is Sunday, November 12 at 9:59 p.m. MST. Regalia will be mailed to the address the graduate provides. After this deadline, regalia may be purchased at the ASU Bookstore in-person from November 13 until the day of graduation. Herff Jones will also host an online grad fair with package discounts from Friday, October 6 at 8 a.m. MST until Friday, October 20 at 8 a.m. MST. Graduating students will receive an individualized link via email on the morning of October 6. Students can email help@southwestgrad.com for questions regarding regalia.

The deadline for faculty to purchase regalia through Herff Jones is October 24. After this deadline faculty regalia can be purchased or rented at the ASU Tempe Bookstore (limited supply of ASU colored regalia only). Rental regalia for faculty is also available online through October 31 at 9:59 p.m. MST. Orders will need to be picked up at the campus selected starting on Monday, December 4.

Image of Thunderbird graduates in full regalia marching in the flag procession

Diplomas

If all university academic requirements are met, students will receive their diplomas in the mail six to eight weeks after the degree conferral date. Graduates will receive an email notification via their ASU email account when their diploma has been mailed. Diplomas are mailed to the student's diploma mailing address, which can be viewed and updated from My ASU. For more information, visit this website.

Regalia Photos

Once you receive* your cap and gown you may attend one of the following GradImages photography sessions where you may purchase a photo package. This is entirely optional. After the photo session, you will receive your photo proofs via email with instructions on how to select photos to purchase.

Learn more and book an appointment here: https://graduation.asu.edu/ceremonies/memories

*Regalia must be individually purchased.

Date	Time	Campus
Thursday, November 2	10 a.m. to 4 p.m.	West
Tuesday, October 31	10 a.m. to 4 p.m.	Downtown
Wednesday, November 1	10 a.m. to 4 p.m.	Poly
Sunday, November 5	10 a.m. to 6 p.m.	Tempe
Monday, November 6	10 a.m. to 5 p.m.	Tempe
Tuesday, November 7	10 a.m. to 6 p.m.	Tempe

Information for convocation guests

If you are in need of hotel accommodations, options with special rates can be found here. Select “Phoenix Airport/Downtown Phoenix campus” for options closest to Thunderbird and the Convention Center.

If you arrive early to celebrate with your graduate, we invite you to join us in our historic Pub. Hours are as follows:

Monday- Wednesday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Friday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.

We know you look forward to celebrating your graduate on the day of convocation; however, in order to have an amazing ceremony experience, we ask that you prepare to say “see you later” around 2 p.m. Graduates are required to line up, process in, and sit separately from their families for the ceremony.

Parking downtown is first-come, first-served in the many city garages and streets. Please be prepared to walk to the venue from your car. There is a drop off outside the venue.

We ask that families and friends attending the ceremony be at the venue and seated by 3:30 p.m. Convocation day photos may be taken back at Thunderbird HQ or outside the venue after convocation. The ceremony will end approximately at 5:45 p.m.

Click here to view a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding convocation ceremonies. For further inquiries, please contact Josh Allen at Joshallen@thunderbird.asu.edu.

Live stream viewing

The virtual live stream will be available 30 minutes before the start of the Fall 2023 Convocation Ceremony.