What is UMPI’s Virtual Graduation ceremony?

Our Virtual Graduation ceremony honors all graduates who are unable to attend our in-person Commencement Exercises in May, ensuring that everyone gets the chance to properly celebrate this important milestone. Below you’ll find the most up-to-date information on our latest Virtual Graduation ceremony. Congratulations to all our graduates of the Class of 2025!

UMPI students clapping at commencement.

Fall 2025 Ceremony

Starting with the 2025-2026 academic year, UMPI will host two virtual ceremonies – one in Fall and another in Spring – to honor all graduates who cannot attend our in-person ceremonies in May 2026. Our next Virtual Graduation ceremony will premiere on UMPI’s YouTube channel Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. 

To help make this ceremony one to remember for you, we’ve put together this page with the most relevant and up-to-date information. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Office of Student Records at umpireg@maine.edu.

How to RSVP for the Virtual Graduation Ceremony

Anyone wishing to be honored in the Fall 2025 Virtual Graduation ceremony must apply for graduation no later than Tuesday, Aug. 26. Students who apply after this date will be featured in the Spring 2026 Virtual Graduation ceremony. Watch this video for more information on how to apply for graduation.

Please submit the following information for your slide in the ceremony no later than Friday, Aug. 29 using this Google Form.

  • Name
  • Personal message (25 words or less)
  • Photo (300 DPI – to protect the privacy of others, the photo must only be of yourself)
  • Name Pronunciation (in an audio or video file)

To ensure accurate name pronunciations, UMPI’s Marketing and Communications Office will email students a link to audio files in mid-September. Please email Melissa Lizotte (melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu) no later than Friday, Sept. 26 to confirm accuracy or request a new recording.

Please keep the following in mind while submitting your slideshow information:

  • If you are receiving more than one degree, your highest level degree will be featured first and other degrees will be listed after, on one slide in alphabetical order by official degree name (i.e., Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work).
  • If degrees are at the same level (e.g., bachelor’s), they will be featured on one slide in alphabetical order by official degree name.
  • Master’s degrees do not receive Latin honors. If you are earning both a graduate and undergraduate degree, your slide will only include Latin honors if you have earned honors for your undergraduate degree.
  • Photos, personal messages, and/or name pronunciations are not required for participation in the ceremony but we encourage you to submit all of these. 
  • Without a photo or message, your slide will include your degree(s), name, and Latin honors (if applicable).
  • All photos will be reviewed for quality purposes and appropriateness.

Want to be the Virtual Graduation speaker?

Those applying to be the Virtual Graduation speaker must complete this submission form (link coming soon) no later than Friday, Sept. 5. Interviews will take place Sept. 8-12, with a final decision to be made by Monday, Sept. 15. FMI: Sarah Coyer, sarah.coyer@maine.edu

Cap and Gown Orders

Looking to order a cap and gown in time to include a photo in the slideshow? Orders are due no later than Friday, Aug. 15. If you need your regalia in time to wear during the ceremony premiere, please order no later than Oct. 3. This will ensure that you can feel like a graduate while celebrating with friends and family. Please order your cap and gown through UMPI’s Build-A-Grad website.

Diploma and transcript Information

The Office of Student Records is now using a new diploma service called Parchment. Once all grades are posted in MaineStreet and degrees have been conferred, the Office of Student Records will upload the diploma information to Parchment. Parchment will then send a confirmation email to the student’s maine.edu address with the digital diploma attached. The student must verify their mailing address with Parchment before the hard copy diploma can be released for mailing.

A student can always get a copy of their unofficial transcript via their MaineStreet Student Center. For an official transcript, visit our transcript request webpage and follow the instructions.

Alumni Frames and University Merchandise

Diploma frames and an assortment of University memorabilia are available online at UMPI’s Spirit Store.

Tips for Planning Your Virtual Graduation Ceremony

Earning your degree is a remarkable achievement and worth celebrating in style! Here are some suggestions for making your graduation day memorable.

UMPI graduates tossing caps into air.
  • Invite family and friends and/or host a graduation party.
  • Have food, beverages, and a graduation cake on hand.
  • Wear your cap and gown during the ceremony.
  • Personalize your graduation cap with a special message.
  • Capture moments with photos and/or video (e.g., when your name is spoken, when you turn your tassel, throwing your cap in the air, etc.).
  • Cheer on your fellow graduates on social media, including in the Comments section of the Virtual Graduation ceremony YouTube video.
  • Schedule a virtual watch party with fellow graduates (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, or other social media platform).
  • Use #umpigrad2025 when posting on social media.

Past Virtual Graduation Ceremonies

Want to relive memories of graduation? Our past virtual ceremonies are available in full on UMPI’s YouTube channel.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, graduates participate in just one of the ceremonies. For instance, the Fall 2025 ceremony will feature those who have indicated they aren’t able to march in the May 2026 in-person Commencement Exercises. Those who march in the spring in-person ceremony will not be included in the Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 Virtual Graduation ceremonies. 

The Fall 2025 Virtual Graduation ceremony will premiere on UMPI’s YouTube channel Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. A direct link to the premiere will appear in a banner at the top of the umpi.edu homepage the morning of the event.

The Nov. 1 premiere will feature the entire ceremony unsegmented. We are currently looking into how to segment our Virtual Graduation ceremony after the full ceremony has premiered (e.g., segments for speeches, degree conferrals, etc.). 

All students wishing to be honored in the virtual ceremony must first apply to graduate no later than Tuesday, Aug. 26. You should then submit the following information for your slide in the ceremony no later than Friday, Aug. 29 using this Google Form: name, personal message, photo, and name pronunciation. Anyone who does not apply for graduation will not be included in the Fall 2025 Virtual Graduation ceremony. Your next chance to be recognized will either be the Spring 2025 Virtual Graduation ceremony or UMPI’s in-person Commencement Exercises in May 2026. Please see “How to RSVP for the Virtual Graduation ceremony” above for more information. Students will receive more information on how to RSVP for the May 2026 in-person ceremony in early 2026.

If you are receiving more than one degree, your highest level degree will be featured first and other degrees will be listed after, in alphabetical order by official degree name (i.e., Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Liberal Studies, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Social Work). If degrees are at the same level (e.g., bachelor’s), they will be featured on one slide in alphabetical order by official degree name.

No, only undergraduate degrees receive Latin honors (e.g., Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Cum Laude). If you are earning both a graduate and undergraduate degree, your slide will list your Latin honors with your undergraduate degree if you have earned honors for your undergraduate degree.

The Office of Student Records is now using a new diploma service called Parchment. Once all grades are posted in MaineStreet and degrees have been conferred, the Office of Student Records will upload the diploma information to Parchment. Parchment will then send a confirmation email to the student’s maine.edu address with the digital diploma attached. The student must verify their mailing address with Parchment before the hard copy diploma can be released for mailing.

A student can always get a copy of their unofficial transcript via their MaineStreet Student Center. For an official transcript, visit our transcript request webpage and follow the instructions.

Diploma frames and an assortment of University memorabilia are available online at UMPI’s Spirit Store.

Orders are due no later than Friday, Aug. 15. If you need your regalia in time to wear during the ceremony premiere, please order no later than Oct. 3. This will ensure that you can feel like a graduate while celebrating with friends and family. Please order your cap and gown through UMPI’s Build-A-Grad website.

No, photos, personal messages, and/or name pronunciations are not required for participation in the ceremony but we encourage you to submit all of these. 

To ensure accurate name pronunciations, UMPI’s Marketing and Communications Office will email students a link to audio files in mid-September. Please email Melissa Lizotte (melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu) no later than Friday, Sept. 26 to confirm accuracy or request a new recording.

Graduating students will have three opportunities to give input to our Virtual Graduation team. Submitting your information via this Google Form by Friday, Aug. 29 is the first step. In mid-September, our Office of Student Records will email students asking them to confirm whether their information (name, degree(s), Latin honors, if applicable) included in our master list for the Fall 2025 Virtual Graduation is correct. Please respond by Wednesday, Oct. 1 to confirm accuracy or request changes. Finally, our Marketing and Communications Office will email students a link to audio files in mid-September. Please email Melissa Lizotte (melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu) no later than Friday, Sept. 26 to confirm accuracy or request a new recording.

Any graduate whose information is inaccurate or missing from the slideshow will be featured in the next Virtual Graduation ceremony unless they choose to march in-person in May 2026.

Applicants for the graduation speaker must complete this submission form (link coming soon) no later than Friday, Sept. 5. Interviews will take place Sept. 8-12, with a final decision to be made by Monday, Sept. 15. FMI: Sarah Coyer, sarah.coyer@maine.edu

Please email our Office of Student Records at umpireg@maine.edu for any further questions pertaining to your graduation information. For questions related to the slideshow, contact UMPI’s Marketing and Communications Office at melissa.m.lizotte@maine.edu.