2023 Commencement

2023 Commencement

140th Commencement Ceremony honoring the 2023 graduates

Parents, family, and friends of the Class of 2023 are invited to join the Cleveland Institute of Art for our Commencement on Sunday, May 21, at 10am ET. 

Students will be recognized individually as they cross the stage by their respective major chairs followed by the conferral of degrees by President Heidemann.

Location

The Maltz Performing Arts Center is just minutes from the CIA campus. The Maltz is located at 1855 Ansel Rd, Cleveland, OH 44106. 

Graduates arrive at the Maltz for check-in at 9am ET. Doors open for guests at 9:30am ET.

The ceremony will be followed by a reception for the graduates and their families at CIA in the College's Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Atrium.

Watch Commencement virtually

For those who are unable to attend in-person, we invite you to stream Commencement online.

Rehearsal 

Commencement rehearsal will be held in PBL at CIA on Thursday May 18, 2023 at 10am, brunch to follow. Financial Aid Exit Counseling will be following brunch in PBL. Regalia (caps and gowns) pick-up will be after Financial Aid Exit Counseling outside of PBL. 

Announcements, Tickets, and Regalia

Tickets are required for all guests, excluding the graduating student. Personalized announcements and tickets to the ceremony will be distributed to the students starting April 17, 2023 at 10am in room 120. A photo ID is required at pick up. Any tickets/announcements not picked up by the date of rehearsal will be distributed at the end of rehearsal. 

Regalia will be available to be picked up outside of PBL at the end of rehearsal. 

Presentation of Images

A very entertaining part of commencement is the presentation of images as the graduates go up on stage to receive their diplomas.

All graduates are required to submit one digital image by April 28, 2023 using the survey link below. The image may be of the graduate, of their work, the graduate with their work, or a collage. 

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7282533/2023-Photos-for-Commencement

Diplomas

Diplomas are not distributed to students during the ceremony. Diplomas are mailed in June. Diplomas will be mailed to addresses provided in the graduation application or the legal/home address on file. 

Degree candidates must meet specific obligations for graduation before diplomas and final transcripts will be issued. All degree requirement must be complete for the degree to be awarded. 

Social Media

Share your excitement leading up to the ceremony and celebrate with us during the big day by following CIA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and tagging your posts with the official commencement hashtag: #CIAgrad2023. 

Questions

For questions about tickets, regalia, graduation applications or diplomas, please contact the Registrar’s Office by phone at 216.421.7321 or by email at registrar@cia.edu.

For questions about commencement, please contact the President’s office at 216.421.7410 or by email at president@cia.edu.