Atlanta

Saturday, May 9, 2026 • 1 p.m. • Gas South Arena • 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097

We hope the information provided here will assist you and your family in planning for Commencement. Additional information will be added to this page as it becomes available during the Spring semester.

Commencement Ceremony

Commencement for the Class of 2026 will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Gas South Arena – 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, Georgia 30097.

Eligibility and Participation

Please read carefully the following statements concerning your degree requirements and eligibility to participate in the graduation ceremony. In addition to the information below, you will also receive emails to your Mercer-issued student email account throughout the Spring with information regarding your participation in Commencement.

Your ceremony location is determined by your degree program. If you have not received emails to your student email account specific to the Atlanta ceremony, you may be on the wrong page.

Confirm Participation Status

Students who plan to participate in the ceremony must have indicated this on the Graduation Application submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the published deadline, or respond to the Commencement-related email communications if the identified participation status is incorrect. These emails begin in late January and continue throughout the Spring for eligible students who have indicated they will participate.

Eligible students who have opted not to participate will receive at least one email from the Office of the Registrar to confirm this status, offering an opportunity to opt in or correct an error.

While participation may still be possible, inclusion in the printed program cannot be guaranteed for participation status confirmed after February 28.

Who constitutes the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 includes students who completed requirements in the previous Summer or Fall semester and will complete requirements in the current Spring semester.

Additionally, students completing requirements in the upcoming Summer semester may participate if official approval to participate is granted. Once approved to participate in Commencement early, the graduate is not eligible for any future Commencement ceremony for the same degree.

All students who have completed all degree requirements and have properly informed the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline of their plan to participate may march in the ceremony.

For more information, visit the Graduation Information web page at registrar.mercer.edu.

Students Completing Requirements in Summer

Students completing requirements in Summer may be eligible to participate in the May Commencement ceremony with special approval provided by the end of February.

Undergraduate Students who are on track to have no more than 12 credits remaining and will complete requirements by the end of Summer may participate with documented approval of their academic advisor via the Special Request to Participate form.

Graduate students who will finish requirements by the end of Summer do not need to submit a form, but should contact their school/college, department, or advisor to notify the Office of the Registrar of eligibility to participate.

Doctoral candidates must complete all graduation requirements before the ceremony in order to participate.

Additional Information

Regalia

Academic regalia (caps and gowns) and other items are available for ordering online through Herff Jones at herff.ly/mercer. The last day to order online is 11:59 p.m. Friday, March 20, 2026. Regalia and other items ordered online will be shipped directly to students. If you do not pre-order academic regalia from Herff Jones, a very limited number of caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels will be available for purchase from the Bookstore on a first-come, first-served basis. Students will not be permitted to participate in the ceremony unless they have the required regalia.

Assembly of Graduates

Graduates must arrive two hours before the ceremony. Enter the building through Door 2 on the main concourse level (see map) and proceed down the concourse to the 108 stairwell. Graduates who need elevator access will be directed accordingly upon arrival.

Graduates will assemble in assigned zones and be lined up alphabetically by college and degree program for the processional. Please be in your assigned zone no later than one hour before the ceremony begins — those who arrive after that time may not be seated with their degree program.

The ceremony is expected to last approximately 3 hours.

Recommended Attire

In general, dress for comfort. Men should wear dark slacks, dark shoes, and a shirt with a white collar. Women should wear comfortable dark dress shoes with a dress or skirt that does not show below the gown, or dark slacks and a blouse.

Commencement Tickets

Eight (8) guest tickets will be provided to each participating graduate after completing the Graduate Career Outcomes Survey. The survey will be available in mid-April, with ticket distribution to begin soon after the priority deadline for survey completion. Students who complete the survey promptly will have access to guest tickets on the first day of ticket distribution.

Guests without tickets will not be permitted to enter the Arena. Infants under 2 years of age are not required to have a ticket.

More information will be provided via student email and this web page as it becomes available.

Guest Seating

Seating is by general admission. An usher will direct all guests to available seating. Smaller children who can remain on laps the entire time will not need a ticket. Anyone that needs their own seat is required to have a ticket.

Mobility Impaired Seating

The Arena has accessible seating located in all levels. Ushers will direct guests needing accessible seating to the designated areas. All levels of the Arena are accessible by elevator and escalator.

Commencement Etiquette

Commencement is a special event for both the graduates and their guests. During this time, Mercer requests that all participants and guests respect the importance of this occasion with the proper decorum. Graduates are requested not to leave prior to the conclusion of their respective ceremony.

In order to maintain propriety of this event, it is important that all cell phones are turned off or on “silent” during the entire ceremony.

Diplomas

Diplomas are not issued at the Commencement Ceremony. Graduates will receive a diploma cover as they cross the stage during the ceremony. Actual diplomas for Spring 2026 graduates will be mailed to your permanent address of record after the final degree requirements have been certified approximately 3 to 6 weeks after the ceremony.

Photography

Guests are prohibited from leaving their seats to take photographs. However, GradImages, the professional photographer for Commencement, will be taking photographs of each graduate as they receive their diploma. A professional photograph of the occasion will be available for purchase should you decide to choose this option. An email will be sent to graduates a few days after the ceremony with photo proofs and purchasing options. (Mercer University is not involved in this process.)

Recessional

Once Commencement has concluded, graduates are to meet their families at their cars or off site. There will be no congregating allowed in the Arena or on the concourses.

Parking

Graduate Parking

Graduates park free of charge regardless of which entrance or lot they use. Simply notify the parking attendant upon arrival — verbally, by showing your student ID, or by displaying your cap and gown. This applies even if you are arriving with family or guests in your vehicle.

Parking staff will direct graduates to the nearest available lot. (GPS: 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097)

Guest Parking

Event parking is $15 per vehicle. Guests are encouraged to purchase parking passes in advance — click here to pre-pay. Pre-paid passes must be presented upon entering the lot, either as a printed hard copy or on your mobile device.

Cash will not be accepted. Paid parking is also available on-site for those who have not pre-purchased.

Parking staff will direct guests to the nearest available lot upon arrival. See the Guest Parking Map (GPS: 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097) or visit Parking and Directions at Gas South District for more information.

Parking for Guests with Mobility Needs

ADA-designated spaces are available at the front of the Arena and on all levels of the parking deck. These spaces are first-come, first-served and cannot be reserved in advance.

For drop-off and pick-up, use Arena Drive (traffic light on Sugarloaf Parkway) and drop off near the front of the Arena at the crosswalk. Guests in wheelchairs should enter through the main entrance. Please speak with a Parking Attendant for additional assistance.

Safety and Security measures

Upon entry in to Gas South Arena, all guests will be required to have their bags checked and pass through a metal detector. Metal detectors are an effective method for Event Security to safely screen guests and prevent prohibited items from entering the building. In order to increase the efficiency of these machines, guests are asked to keep the following guidelines in mind when attending an event:

  • Arrive early in preparation for additional security measures
  • Only clear bags are allowed
  • Limit the number of personal items brought into the venue in order to expedite the screening process
  • Once in the screening area:
    • Make sure you have your ticket in hand
    • Prepare for a bag check by Event Security
    • Place your cell phone, camera and purse on the screening table and prepare to walk through the metal detector
  • Guests will be subject to a secondary screening process if the alarm sounds when passing through the walk-through metal detector
  • An alternative security screening is available to guests who are: expectant mothers, wheelchair-bound or have a medical condition

Please see Gas South’s Safety and Security Measures site for additional information.

Prohibited Items

No backpacks, balloons, large posters or noisemakers will be allowed inside the venue. Cameras allowed.

Live Streaming

Live streaming will be available. Guests who cannot be in attendance can watch on any device from any location. Streaming video will begin promptly at the start time for each ceremony at mercer.edu/commencement.

Contacts

Here are a selection of Mercer University and related business contacts that may help in your preparation for the upcoming Commencement.

Registrar’s Office

Mercer Website

  • For general University information and inclement weather updates: mercer.edu

Mercer Bookstore

  • Academic robes and regalia, Mercer merchandise: (678) 547-6350

Herff-Jones

Grad Images