Family & Friends

The Class of 2024 Commencement exercises will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. 

• The Graduate Commencement Ceremony occurs on Thursday, May 15 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm . Doors open for guest entrance at 3:00 pm.
   
• The Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony occurs on Friday, May 16 from 2:00 - 5:00 pm. Doors open for guest entrance at 12:00 noon.

Please plan to arrive early to give you enough time to park and find seating. All guests must have a ticket to enter the Arena, which will be scanned at the main entrance area (doors 10, 11 & 12) at the DCU Center.

• We are working with a group of Class of 2024 students to plan the Earle Bridge crossing and Convocation, scheduled for Tuesday, May 7. 
• On Commencement day at the DCU Center, the student Processional will proceed into the DCU Center, past the 3D-printed Gompei Goat statue, and onto the carpet runner, complete with the WPI Seal. 
• While the Processional is occurring, a video from the Class of 2024 Earle Bridge Crossing (recorded on May 7) will be played on the arena monitors. 

Ticketing information: 

• Tickets are required for both the Graduate and Undergraduate Ceremony. 
• Beginning February 15, 2024, students may access their HUB account to list their ticket recipients. We anticipate that each candidate may request up to 8 tickets.
• The ticketing site closes on April 22. After this date, if additional tickets are available, a ticket lottery may be possible. 
• A request for Parents -- Please remind your student that they MUST sign-up for tickets (via their student HUB account) if they wish to have guests present at the DCU Center and in the Arena. 
• Tickets will be sent to the e-mail address identified by the student. Each seat may have a single guest seated in that location. Aligned with the DCU Center Policy, children under 2 years of age do not require a ticket to enter, as long as they will be seated on the lap of a guest. 
• There is no charge for tickets, yet all guests must have a ticket to enter the arena. 
• Tickets will be scanned at the main DCU entrance doors (10, 11 & 12).
• On May 9th and 10th, each ticket's QR Code will activate once the guest clicks on their ticket.

For guests, there are several conveniently located parking garages and lots in the downtown area and surrounding the DCU Center. For more information please visit the DCU Parking site.

For alternative travel options to the DCU Center from airports or using the MBTA, please visit the DCU Transportation site. 

Please visit the DCU Center website to review their policies. Bags must be no larger than 8" x 10". Please note that small see-through bags/purses are permitted, as well as medical bags and diaper bags, which will be checked prior to entry. All other bags/items, such as backpacks, cross body, larger totes, duffle bags, coolers, etc. are not permitted. Helium balloons are NOT permitted in the DCU Center arena and Exhibit Hall. 

Please note: 

Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability. Service dogs that are trained to provide services and tasks for guests are permitted. Support or companion animals, and other pets are not permitted. Guests with service dogs may not take up additional seats unless a ticket has been secured for the adjacent seat for the service dog.

Please note: these basic guidelines are continuously being monitored and adjusted. They may change as our planning changes. 

• WPI strongly encourages everyone attending our Commencement Ceremonies to be vaccinated/boosted or have a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours of the event. Masks are welcome and encouraged yet not required. WPI encourages everyone to respect the choices that individuals make about their own masking. 
• WPI also expects that guests will not come to the DCU Center with symptoms or having recently tested positive for COVID-19. 

We thank you for supporting the safety and welfare of our campus community.

As each student crosses the stage to receive their diploma from the President, a professional photograph will be taken. These photos will be sent to each student following the ceremony via e-mail; students may then elect to purchase their respective photo proof. 

After the student receives their diploma and proceeds across the stage, a photo will be taken using green screen technology featuring signature WPI backgrounds; these photos will also be sent to each student for purchasing consideration. 

Guests are not permitted in the Exhibit Hall, nor on the Arena floor. All guests are expected to remain in the designated seating area. 

While we cannot guarantee accessible seating, the DCU Center has plenty of ADA designated seating areas available on a first-come, first-served basis for guests with ADA and/or mobility impairments. So that we can best accommodate all of our guests with seating accomodations, each guest in the ADA seating areas may have one assistant to be seated together. Wheelchairs are allowed in the venue; however, wheelchairs are not provided by the venue. Upon arriving, seek direction from one of the WPI staff members to guide you to the designated areas. If your group would rather stay seated together, we kindly suggest that your group arrive early to find suitable seating near one of the designated seating areas.

Guests with ADA needs are asked to enter through Door 13, directly adjacent to the main entrance doors. Please note the stage will be located opposite of the arena diagram located via the hyperlink above (the stage will be at the 102/103/104 section end of the arena). 

Closed Captioning

All ceremonies offer closed captioned text. 

We make it easier for you to find information about getting around the city and where to stay while you're in Worcester.

Here are some options for dining out in Worcester.

DCU Center Address: 

50 Foster Street, 

Worcester, MA. 01608

We encourage guests to visit the DCU Center site for venue specific information. 

The DCU Concession stands will be open and available for food and drink items. The WPI Bookstore will have a station in the main entrance area for WPI gear and swag, and flower bouquets will also be available for purchase. 

• A map of the DCU Center seating area is available. For our ceremony, the stage will be on the opposite end (at the 102/103/104 section end).
• We ask that parents/guests remain seated during the ceremony, and not block any views of the ceremony. Parents/guests are not permitted to access the arena floor. 
• Parents/guests are expected to remain in their seats until the Recessional exits the arena.

Many parents, students and family members choose to go out for a nice dinner following the conclusion of the commencement ceremony. We encourage our guests to visit the Central Massachusetts Visitors website when considering overnight accommodations, as well as varied dining options, such as these below:
Local Restaurant List

We are constantly reviewing our Safety and Security Plans, and will share more information here in the days leading up to our May 9 and May 10 Ceremonies.