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Commencement

Information

McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics
Commencement Ceremony Information


We are pleased to announce that McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston School will host its Commencement Ceremony on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. McWilliams graduates who earned (or will earn) a Master of Science (MS), Doctorate in Health Informatics (DHI), or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Spring 2025 will be eligible to walk during the ceremony.

The 2025 McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics Commencement Ceremony promises to be an exciting time as we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates. By recognizing and acknowledging the excellence of our students and faculty, we spotlight this honored tradition.

Note: This will not be a joint ceremony with other UTHealth Houston schools.

Commencement Ceremony Event Details

Date:
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Time:
2:00 to 4:00 PM (CT)
Location:
NRG Arena
 
1 NRG Pkwy, Houston, TX 77054

 

  • Graduation Canvas Course & Check-out/E-mail Access

    Graduating students: Please ensure all deadlines are/have been met to maintain your eligibility to participate in this year’s commencement ceremony. Students enrolled in their final term at SBMI should use, the Canvas graduation course as a resource. Please ensure you have access to the course and complete required assignments in a timely manner.

    Please continue to check your UTHealth e-mail account regularly as we communicate updates regarding this event.

    Note: Your UTHealth email account ending in @uth.tmc.edu will be deleted 90 days from the end of your final term of enrollment.

    If you will be transitioning within these 90 days to employee status, registering for the upcoming Summer/Fall semester, or pursuing another degree at UTHealth Houston, then your email account will remain active.

  • Regalia Orders

    Regalia Rentals/Purchases

    Official regalia must be ordered through Graduate Affairs. Note that the approved regalia items are necessary if you wish to ‘walk’ in the ceremony. To rent regalia for the ceremony, please complete the online regalia request form and make payment through the Graduate Affairs website:


    The deadline for ordering regalia is March 31, 2025. We encourage you to submit your order as early as possible. Any order received after this date will be charged a late fee of $25.

    If you prefer to purchase your regalia instead of renting regalia, please see the information on the Graduate Affairs website.

    Regalia Distribution

    Rented regalia will be distributed and picked up at the commencement ceremony site on the day of the event; May 14 from 12:30-1:30 PM. Please arrive early to pick up your items, get dressed and take any pictures, if you desire. Purchase regalia will be mailed to the graduates home week prior to the commencement ceremony.

    Return of Regalia

    Students and faculty should return their regalia rental package immediately after the graduation ceremony. Unreturned regalia will be charged to you at its equivalent purchase amount.

  • Driving Directions and Parking Rates
    nrg parking lot

    NRG Arena is located at NRG Stadium, 1 NRG Pkwy, Houston, TX 77054.

    You can find driving directions to the arena and view detailed parking maps on the NRG Park website.

    Parking is available for $22 to $25 per vehicle, with payment accepted only via credit or debit card. Please note that cash is not an option. Graduate parking is located in the Maroon Lot, while guest parking is available in the Blue Lot.

    Attendants will be on-site to assist with parking as needed.

  • Travel and Lodging

    For detailed driving directions to NRG Arena, please visit the NRG Park website.

    If you are looking for accommodations, there are several hotels conveniently located near NRG Park and NRG Stadium. For more information on local lodging and to explore tourism options in Houston, visit the Visit Houston Official Site to help plan your trip.

  • Commencement Ceremony

    Graduates should plan to arrive at the venue by 12:30 p.m. to ensure that they will be dressed in their regalia and lined up in the correct order. McWilliams SBMI staff will be available to assist you, your family, friends, visitors, and faculty alike. Ceremony will begin promptly at 2:00 PM.

  • For Family & Guests

    The McWilliams SBMI staff welcomes all families and guests to partake in this momentous occasion to celebrate the successful culmination of years of training for our students. Watching our students achieve this goal and celebrating it with them, their families, and their friends is a gratifying experience. We hope that you will find the ceremony enjoyable and memorable.

    Below are some general guidelines for the commencement ceremony:

    1. Doors will open approximately at 1:00 PM to allow guests time to find seating.
    2. Open seating is available to all guests, friends and family members of graduates that would like to attend. At this time, there is no cap on the number of guests our graduates can invite and tickets are not required for attendance.
    3. Photographs: There will be professional photographers on site to take pictures of the graduates. These photos will be posted on  MSBMI’s Flickr account a few weeks after the commencement ceremony. You can bring your own camera for any additional photo opportunities. If you choose to take photos as the graduate walks across the stage, please take the photos in assigned designated area and then return to your seats quickly, enabling others to do the same. Our goal is to allow you to document this momentous occasion, but maintain a clear view of the stage for the rest of the audience. Please remember to respect the reverence of this memorable event for our graduates.
    4. Special guests from the university and the community will be present and will be directed by the staff to assigned seating.
    5. Staff will assist any persons needing special access.
    6. Staff will direct any disruptive individuals to a quiet location.
    7. After the ceremony, please permit the faculty and graduates to exit first during the processional.
  • Commencement 2025 Photos & Video

    Streaming of the Commencement Ceremony will be available the day - more information to come. There will be professional photographers on site to take pictures of the graduates. You can bring your own camera for any additional photo opportunities at the venue.

    Day of Photos can be viewed in the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics Flickr account. Previous videos of the commencement ceremony are also available in MSBMI’s YouTube channel.

    Thank you to all the Graduates, Faculty, Staff and Family and Guests in attendance.

Updated: 10/1/2024


Contact Information: 

Office of Academic Affairs
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics 
(713) 500-3591
[email protected]