Stetson to Honor More Than 1,000 graduates at 2026 Commencement
More than 1,000 graduates will be honored this month during four Commencement ceremonies in DeLand and at the College of Law in Gulfport.
In DeLand, Stetson will celebrate its 140th annual Commencement and award bachelor’s and master’s degrees to 784 students on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9.
This year’s ceremonies will move back to the DeLand campus. Instead of taking place outdoors in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium, the ceremonies will be held indoors in the newly renovated Edmunds Center, Insight Credit Union Arena, at 143 E. Pennsylvania Ave., DeLand.
During the three ceremonies, graduates will be individually recognized for their achievements as they walk across the stage and their names are called. Master’s degree candidates also are honored through the traditional hooding.
“Commencement is a milestone moment for our graduates and their families, and we are honored to support this important celebration,” said Julie Hunter, Executive Director of University Events & Conference Services. “Our team has worked carefully to plan and coordinate each ceremony, ensuring a meaningful, well‑organized experience as we welcome guests back to our newly renovated Edmunds Center for Stetson’s 140th Commencement.”
At the College of Law in Gulfport, 303 students will be awarded a Juris Doctor, Master of Laws or Master of Jurisprudence degree. The Commencement Ceremony will take place Saturday, May 16, at 5 p.m. in The BayCare Sound at Coachman Park, 255 Drew St., Clearwater.
The keynote speaker will be Stetson Law alumnus Michael J. Loparco, a 1996 graduate who is cofounder and CEO of OrcaWorcs.ai. The AI-driven platform supports complex workflow and compliance needs across multiple industries.
The Stetson Law ceremony will be livestreamed, with a viewing link posted at the top of the College of Law website on the morning of May 16. For more information, visit Stetson Law’s Commencement website.
For the ceremonies on the DeLand campus, Stetson has a long tradition of selecting students from the graduating class to serve as keynote speakers, which is considered a great honor. The ceremonies in the Edmunds Center are set for:
• Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. for graduates in the School of Business Administration who will earn a Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration or Master of Accountancy.
• Saturday, May 9, at 9 a.m. for graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Music who will receive a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Education, Educational Specialist degree, or Master of Fine Arts.
• Saturday, May 9, at 3 p.m. for graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences who will earn a Bachelor of Science or Master of Science.
Tickets are required for all guests, ages three and older (at no charge). Live streaming of the DeLand ceremonies will be available through Stetson Broadcast Productions. For more information, visit the 2026 Commencement website.
-Stetson Today
