UMGC 2026 Korea Commencement

Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

Dragon Hill Lodge, USAG Yongsan

Seoul, South Korea

Congratulations on earning your degree with University of Maryland Global Campus in Asia. We are looking forward to sharing this memorable occasion with you, your family, and your guests.

 
Schedule of Events for the 2026 Korea Commencement
7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (and after the ceremony)Commencement Portraits (Optional and by appointment): A professional photography company, will be onsite for graduates who wish to have a portrait photo taken. Please bring your pre-purchased regalia to the photography session. Family members are welcome to join in the portraits. The cost of the photos is based on vendor pricing.
8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Graduate Check-in and Line-up: Graduates will be directed to a location at the hotel to check-in and robe. Upon check-in, graduates will be issued up to two tickets for guests who can be seated in the ceremony room. Graduate marshals will provide guidance about where and how to assemble. Please ensure you arrive at the scheduled time to avoid delays.
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.Pre-processional & Rehearsal: Graduates will receive a ceremony briefing, including a practice run of the processional and recessional in full regalia. After the practice run, graduates will immediately reassemble until the processional begins.
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Guest Seating: Doors will be open for guest seating around 10:30 a.m. Space is limited to up to two guests with tickets and may be standing room only. The third and fourth guests will be directed to the overflow area, where the ceremony will be livestreamed. Children are welcome but if your child becomes restless, please take them to the lobby.
11:00 a.m.Processional Begins: Graduates will march from the formation area to the main hall, followed by faculty and the platform party.
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.Post-Commencement Reception: A reception with light appetizers honoring the graduates will be held shortly after the commencement ceremony concludes.

RSVP to Attend: Please confirm as soon as possible if you plan to attend the ceremony via the unique link sent to you via email. The deadline to RSVP is April 15, 2026. If you haven't received your link by March 1, 2026, email commencement-asia@umgc.edu.

  • If you need to change your RSVP because a change occurred in your plans to attend the ceremony, please go through the RSVP link provided via email to the Tassel system or contact commencement-asia@umgc.edu

Regalia (cap and gown): All graduates must wear regalia to participate in commencement. Regalia must be ordered through our vendor Oak Hall by March 27, 2026 to allow for shipping time. Please note that shipping to an APO/FPO address is considered domestic (USA) shipping (not international, even if the APO/FPO location is outside of the USA). Be sure to select USA as the country for APO/FPO orders. No regalia will be available for rental or purchase on the day of the event. Stoles and sashes are optional and not part of the required regalia.

  • Please be sure to remove your gown from the packing material and hang it to remove wrinkles prior to the ceremony day. We recommend that you STEAM your gown to remove creases and wrinkles. Use care with an iron since a hot iron can burn the fabric easily. A limited number of steamers may be available for you to use on the day of the ceremony for touch-ups.
  • Honor cords will be provided by UMGC for graduates who have earned them.
  • For the ceremony, graduates must wear the black tassel that comes with the cap and gown.

Commencement Dress Code: All graduates are required to wear regalia (graduation cap and gown) to commencement.

  • We encourage you to wear business casual attire under your gown and comfortable shoes. Guests are not permitted to accompany graduates to the robing area.
  • Note that graduates are not permitted to have any items (purses, cell phones, etc.) in their hands when they line-up and the graduation gowns do not have pockets.  Please leave all items with your guest(s), or in your car or room.

Commencement Announcements: Official UMGC in Asia announcements can be ordered from our vendor Balfour.  From the ordering portal, select "state," "school," and “month” of ceremony to get started. Please choose "Maryland" as the state, "University of Maryland Global Campus in Asia" as the school and "April" as the month of the ceremony. Then click on "Get Started."

Guests: Due to space constraints, each graduate may have up to TWO guests attend the ceremony. The third guest is welcome to join in the overflow area, where the ceremony will be livestreamed. Additional guests will be placed on a waiting list and notified within two weeks of the scheduled commencement if space becomes available.

Who is eligible to attend Commencement?

Students who graduated in Summer 2025, Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 (MBA and MSTL programs) with an associate’s degree or higher can attend one of the Spring 2026 commencement ceremonies.

  • If you’ve applied for graduation and are due to complete your program in Spring 2026, you can also participate.
  • Due to limited seating, Summer 2026 graduates will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Learners with a planned permanent change of station (PCS) before the 2027 Commencement season may consider attending UMGC Europe’s Spring Commencement or UMGC Stateside’s Spring or Winter Graduation Walk in Adelphi, MD.

All 2025-26 graduates (undergraduate and graduate) and eligible graduate candidates will receive an invitation to attend commencement in mid January, 2026, including a direct link to RSVP and order regalia. If you think that you are eligible for commencement but have not received an e-mail by March 1, 2026 from UMGC in Asia inviting you to RSVP, please contact our commencement team at commencement-asia@umgc.edu.

When do I need to apply for graduation?

You must apply for gradation in order to have your degree conferred. You can apply for graduation from your MyUMGC portal. Deadlines for Spring 2026:

  • February 15, 2026: Undergraduate students (associate and bachelor's degrees) and graduate programs that do not require DCL 600
  • March 1, 2026: Graduate students (programs that require DCL 600)

Applying by the deadline ensures that you will receive an invitation to the commencement ceremony and will be included in the commencement program. If you miss the deadline to apply for graduation or don’t get an invitation to attend commencement, please contact us at commencement-asia@umgc.edu.

Graduate Students: If you are in a Stateside graduate program (UMGC in Asia offers only the MBA or Master of Science in Transformational Leadership [MSTL]), you are a member of our stateside division. You may join our Asia commencement ceremony by emailing us at commencement-asia@umgc.edu. If you live stateside but want to join the Asia Commencement ceremony, please contact us at commencement-asia@umgc.edu.

Please be sure to apply for graduation no later than March 1, 2026.

Find the information you need to prepare for graduation from UMGC.

Please see the links below to prepare for graduation:

If you have any questions regarding the Korea Commencement Ceremony, please see our UMGC in Asia Commencement website, or check out our graduation and commencement FAQs. You can also stop by your local UMGC office or e-mail commencement-asia@umgc.edu.

Dragon Hill Lodge