The University of Northern Colorado held its 129th spring commencement ceremonies Friday, May 3, at Bank of Colorado Arena in Butler-Hancock Athletic Center, and Saturday, May 4, at Nottingham Field, with about 1,600 expected graduates.

Graduate Ceremony

About 450 candidates earned advanced degrees during the graduate ceremony, which started at 7 p.m. Friday, May 3.

The graduate keynote speaker was Kato Crews, a U.S. magistrate judge with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The 1997 UNC graduate and former UNC trustee was appointed to the bench last August, becoming the first African-American U.S. magistrate judge in the district.

The graduate student speaker was Jessica Kirby, who graduated with her doctorate from the School of Sport and Exercise Science with an emphasis in social psychology of sport and physical activity. Her research focuses on developing social connection through physical activity to enhance well-being.

 

Watch the graduate ceremony:

---

Undergraduate Ceremony

The undergraduate ceremony started at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 4. Over 1,100 candidates received their undergraduate degrees.

The keynote speaker was UNC graduate Ed Werder, an award-winning journalist who’s covered the National Football League for 35 years including a total of 32 Super Bowls for ESPN and Westwood One national radio.

The undergraduate student speaker was Jacqueline Ulfers, an audiology and speech-language sciences major who graduated summa cum laude.

 

Watch the undergraduate ceremony:

---

About the 2019 Graduating Class: 

View a larger version of the infographic (PDF)

Updated as of May 7, 2019. Updates are made on a weekly basis until exact numbers are finalized. Degrees yet to be conferred for spring 2019.

• No. of students graduating: 1,581
• No. of students earning bachelor's degrees: 1,137
• No. of students earning graduate degrees: 444 (365 master's, 54 doctorates, 25 certificate/specialists)
  
  
• Age range:
  • Undergrad: 19-60
  • Grad: 22-68
    
    
• Average age:
  • Undergrad: 23
  • Grad: 32
    
    
• Graduate's average GPA:
  • Undergrad: 3.32
  • Grad: 3.83
    
    
• Most popular majors (by degrees awarded):
  • Undergrad: Business Administration, Elementary Education, Nursing, Psychology and Sport and Exercise Science.
  • Grad: Nursing, Special Education, Music, Sport and Exercise Science and Educational Leadership 
    
    
• International Countries Represented: 12 (Canada, China, Ethiopia, Greece, Iran, Kuwait, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and the United Kingdom)
  
  
• States/Territories Represented: 49 (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming)
  
  
• Colorado Counties Represented:47 (Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Delta, Denver, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Logan, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Morgan, Otero, Park, Phillips, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld, and Yuma)