North Carolina Central University held its 142nd Commencement Exercises in McDougald-McLendon Arena on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 9 a.m. (baccalaureate) and 2 p.m. (graduate and professional).
Both ceremonies were streamed on NCCU’s YouTube channel and the university’s website.
Review and download pictures from NCCU’s 142nd Commencement Exercises on December 9.
Congratulations on your candidacy for graduation! Please check out the graduation checklist and FAQs to help you prepare for a memorable event.
View the commencement program here.
All attendees of the 142nd Commencement exercises must adhere to the Department of Athletics’ clear bag policy. All permissible bags will be checked upon entry into the arena. All bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and less than 12" x 12"x 6" — exceptions will be made for medical and baby needs. Small wristlets/clutches (less than 4.5" x 6.5" x 1") with or without a strap are permitted.
View the undergraduate ceremony held on Saturday, December 9, 2023.
View the graduate and professional ceremony held on Saturday, December 9, 2023.
The baccalaureate and graduate and professional ceremonies will take place at the McDougald-McLendon Arena on Saturday, December 9, 2023.
The baccalaureate ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Graduating students are advised to arrive by 7:30 a.m. for line-up in the arena.
The graduate and professional ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Graduating students are advised to arrive by 12 p.m. for line-up in the arena.
Due to limited seating within the arena, each graduating student will be allocated a certain number of tickets for guests. Baccalaureate degree candidates will receive four (4) tickets, and graduate and professional degree candidates will receive nine (9) tickets. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. To accommodate larger parties, the following campus locations will be available to additional guests who exceed the ticket limit:
Graduate and Professional Ceremony Rehearsal
Thursday, Dec. 7
6 p.m.
McDougald-McLendon Arena
Baccalaureate Ceremony Rehearsal
Friday, Dec. 8
11 a.m.
McDougald-McLendon Arena
Issuance of Marching Permits, Honors Cords, and Guest Tickets
Diploma and Transcript information
Fall Commencement Parking Announcement
Parking Map
Chancellor’s Reception for Graduates
Friday, Dec. 8
12–3 p.m.
NCCU Student Center Lobby
Note: If you and/or your guest(s) would like to request accommodations for various accessibility needs for the Fall 2023 Commencement Ceremony, please complete the Fall 2023 Commencement Accommodation Registration Form (form expired on November 17, 2023). Please note that floor seating arrangements are limited, and individuals who are receiving accommodations may be placed at a virtual viewing site. Should you have any additional questions or concerns regarding accommodations, please contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) by phone at 919-530-6325 or by email at [email protected].
Graduating students must adhere to the Commencement Decorum Agreement.
Leland Melvin, the first NFL draftee to have flown in space, will address Fall #NCCU23 graduates on December 9 at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
While North Carolina Central University (NCCU) encourages undergraduates to complete their studies in four years, sometimes life just gets in the way.
Felicia Lindsay understands that. And this December, 40 years after first stepping onto the NCCU campus, Lindsay will collect her degree.
Sometimes teachers inspire students. For Ashley Pointe, her students inspired her to earn a law degree.
Pointe, who is scheduled to graduate from the School of Law at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on Dec. 9, taught earth sciences for five years at Riverside High School in Williamston, North Carolina.
In his senior year of high school, Chester Crowder Jr. had a disagreement with a teacher of African American literature.
“After the cooling down, he brought me to the side for a one-on-one,” Crowder recalled. “I was 17 or 18, and he talked to me at a level where we could meet and took a moment to learn where I was coming from. I understood that he cared.”