The University of Central Arkansas registrar's academic calendar lists "May 6, Thursday Spring Commencement: Graduate Ceremony" and "May 7, Friday Spring Commencement: Undergraduate Ceremonies" for 2027, and the university's important-dates page lists "Dec 10 | Graduate School Commencement Ceremony" and "Dec 11 | Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies" for 2026. All four are weekdays and all four check out. The commencement page states "All ceremonies will be held at the Farris Center and will be livestreamed" and schedules December: "Thursday, December 10, 2026 (Graduate Ceremony) 5 p.m." for every college; "Friday, December 11, 2026 (Undergraduate Ceremonies) 9 a.m." for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Business, "12 p.m." for Education, Health and Behavioral Sciences, and Science and Engineering. "Graduation tickets will be available online only, starting mid-November." Spring times were not published at this check. The page asks that "no wrapped gifts be brought into the ceremony" and says of lodging only that accommodations are "located throughout the city." An undergraduate family needs the Thursday night; a graduate-degree family the Wednesday.
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The same shape every round
UCA divides commencement by degree level, not by day of the weekend. The registrar’s calendar for Spring 2027: “May 6, Thursday Spring Commencement: Graduate Ceremony” and “May 7, Friday Spring Commencement: Undergraduate Ceremonies.” The important-dates page for Winter 2026: “Dec 10 | Graduate School Commencement Ceremony” and “Dec 11 | Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies.”
Thursday for master’s and doctoral degrees. Friday for bachelor’s degrees, in more than one ceremony by college. All four dates are weekdays and all four check out against the calendar.
December is scheduled, to the hour and college
The commencement page: “All ceremonies will be held at the Farris Center and will be livestreamed.” Then the December schedule. Thursday 10 December 2026, Graduate Ceremony, 5 p.m., every college together. Friday 11 December 2026, Undergraduate Ceremonies: 9 a.m. for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Business; 12 p.m. for the College of Education, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Science and Engineering. Graduates check in an hour before their ceremony.
The Farris Center is on Bruce Street on campus. The spring 2027 calendar row does not restate a building or times.
Tickets from mid-November, and no wrapped gifts
“Graduation tickets will be available online only, starting mid-November,” per the commencement page, sent to each eligible graduate by personalised link, with questions to the Reynolds Performance Hall Box Office. So December is ticketed, and the graduate holds the tickets. The other guest rule: “no wrapped gifts be brought into the ceremony.” Bring the card; leave the box in the car.
A weekday round means a night off work
An undergraduate family needs the Thursday night in May and December. A graduate-degree family needs the Wednesday. The weekend itself is free, which is why Conway’s hotels see a different pattern from a Saturday-ceremony town.
The university names no hotel
“Overnight accommodations are located throughout the city,” says the commencement page, and nothing more. The where to stay page names the three I-40 hotels nearest the Farris Center and the ring down the interstate to Little Rock.
Live availability near campus
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Frequently asked questions
When is UCA's Spring 2027 commencement?
Thursday 6 May 2027 for the Graduate School and Friday 7 May 2027 for undergraduates, per the registrar's academic calendar read on 14 September 2026. Both weekdays check out.
When is the December round?
Thursday 10 December 2026 at 5 p.m. for the Graduate School and Friday 11 December at 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. for undergraduates by college, per UCA's commencement page and important-dates page.
Where are the ceremonies?
The Farris Center on Bruce Street: "All ceremonies will be held at the Farris Center and will be livestreamed", per the commencement page. The spring 2027 calendar row does not restate it.
What time, and which ceremony is my graduate's?
December: 5 p.m. Thursday for all graduate degrees; 9 a.m. Friday for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Business; 12 p.m. Friday for Education, Health and Behavioral Sciences, and Science and Engineering. Spring 2027 times were not published at this check.
Do we need tickets?
Yes. "Graduation tickets will be available online only, starting mid-November", sent to eligible graduates by personalised link; questions go to the Reynolds Performance Hall Box Office. And no wrapped gifts in the ceremony.
Can we watch online?
Yes. "All ceremonies will be held at the Farris Center and will be livestreamed", with a View Live Streams link on the commencement page.
How many nights?
The Thursday night for undergraduates, the Wednesday for graduate degrees. UCA names no hotel; the where-to-stay page names three at I-40 and the road to Little Rock.
How we verified this
Last verified:
- UCA Registrar, academic calendar ("May 6, Thursday Spring Commencement: Graduate Ceremony"; "May 7, Friday Spring Commencement: Undergraduate Ceremonies")
- UCA, important dates ("Dec 10 | Graduate School Commencement Ceremony"; "Dec 11 | Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies")
- UCA, Commencement ("All ceremonies will be held at the Farris Center and will be livestreamed."; "Thursday, December 10, 2026 (Graduate Ceremony) 5 p.m."; "Friday, December 11, 2026 (Undergraduate Ceremonies) 9 a.m. ... 12 p.m."; "Graduation tickets will be available online only, starting mid-November."; "no wrapped gifts be brought into the ceremony"; "Overnight accommodations are located throughout the city")
This page is verified in two stages. Every fact is checked against the primary sources listed above, then the page is reviewed and signed off by our editor, A. Hassan. Corrections and enquiries: hello@graduationstay.com