Congratulations to our Graduates!
Graduation is an exciting milestone, and we're here to help you celebrate it. Be sure to review the Graduation Checklist to stay on track and ensure you're fully prepared for the Commencement Ceremony.
Spring Commencement May 2nd, 2026
Our Spring Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 10:30 am in the Superior Dome. Speech-to-text service will be available to attendees via smartphone or tablet.
Spring 2026 Commencement Schedule
Commencement Rehearsal
Commencement rehearsal will be held on Friday, May 1st at 2:15 pm in the Superior Dome. Students must arrive at least 15 minutes early to locate their seat assignment.
Spring Commencement Ceremony
The ceremony will begin at 10:30 am at the Superior Dome. On the morning of Commencement, all graduating students should report to the Physical Education Instructional Facility (PEIF) according to the following schedule:
9:00 am Check-In: Students must report to Vandament Arena to check in and receive their name card.
9:45 am Check-In Closes: Please arrive on time, as check-in will end promptly at this time.
Processional Assembly: Once checked in, students are to assemble in the Practice Gyms to line up and march to the Superior Dome.
Don't forget to order your Cap, Gown and Tassel from the NMU Bookstore!
The Spring Grad Fair will take place March 27th from 1pm-4pm at the NMU Bookstore in the Northern Center.
Keynote Speaker & Honorary Degree Recipient: Mark Ruge
Mark Ruge, a Northern Michigan University alumnus from Menominee, will deliver the keynote address at the university’s May 2nd commencement. “Almost everything good that happened in my personal and professional life can be directly traced to Northern,” Ruge said. Now a partner at K&L Gates, he has built a distinguished career focused on the American maritime industry and Great Lakes policy, becoming the only lawyer inducted into the Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame. Ruge began his career working for Congressman Bob Davis before earning a law degree from Georgetown University and going on to lead major public policy efforts in Washington, D.C. He credits his time at Northern as transformative, shaping both his career path and lifelong connection to the Upper Peninsula.
Student Speaker: Blake Stenberg
Blake Stenberg, a social studies secondary education major at Northern Michigan University, has been selected as the student speaker for the university’s May 2nd commencement. A native of Bark River, he took a nontraditional path to graduation, first earning a degree from Bay College before transferring to NMU and later completing a student teaching assignment in New Zealand. Stenberg’s speech reflects on perseverance, community, and the welcoming environment he found in Marquette, which helped shape his academic and personal growth. After graduating, he plans to move to the Green Bay area to pursue a career as a social studies teacher.
Speech-to-Text
For those attendees of our Commencement ceremony who require captioning, please use your smartphone or tablet to access our speech-to-text service at nmu.edu/ceremony
Media Broadcast
WNMU Public Television, Channel 13, will broadcast the commencement ceremony starting at 10:30 a.m. and lasting approximately 2-1/2 hours or the length of the ceremony. The broadcast begins with the procession and ends promptly after the alumni representative's speech.
The broadcast is available for all of Upper Michigan and part of Northeastern Wisconsin -- WNMU Television's normal broadcasting area.
Streaming Video
Northern offers two live video streaming of our Commencement ceremony. For those within the WNMU-TV designated market area, you may view the ceremony by means of the WNMU-TV live stream. For others, you may stream the event by means of our Panopto live stream.