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2025-2026 Commencement Information
When: Sunday, May 3, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Where: Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
123 Vivian Street, Durham, NC 27701
www.dpacnc.com
Driving Directions
Watch it streamed live on Facebook
Commencement Fair and Commencement Tickets
Cap and gown orders and tickets may be picked up at the Commencement Fair.
Date: Friday, April 17, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Main Campus, 1637 East Lawson Street, Durham, NC 27703
Wynn Center (Building 10), Room 10-103
Tickets are required for all guests including infants and children. Students will receive four tickets for guests at the fair. If you cannot attend the fair to pick up your items, please email juneh@durhamtech.edu.
Graduate Photos
Photo Specialties will be present at the Commencement Fair for pictures in your cap and gown.
Photo Specialties will also be present at the Commencement Ceremony and will take a picture of every student as he and she receives his and her diploma and exits the stage. Every student will be photographed, but there is no obligation to purchase these photos.
Students who wish to receive photo proofs may provide contact information:
- At the Commencement Fair
- When checking in for the ceremony
Commencement Day Schedule
Student Check-In and Line-Up, 2:30 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Please arrive by 2:30 p.m. Graduates should enter through the entrance designated for graduates.
Please be prepared to enter through security where your bags will be checked. We recommend small bags only that can be easily hidden and kept with you.
Doors Open for Guests, 3:30 p.m.
Guests will enter DPAC through the main entrance, have tickets scanned and bags searched, and then immediately proceed to the theatre to find a seat.
Balloons and flowers are not allowed in the facility. Guests will be asked to return those items to their vehicles.
Honors Recognition
Students graduating with high cumulative grade point averages in their program courses will be recognized as honor students. Honors are calculated using the cumulative GPA of courses in the student’s program of study, not the total cumulative GPA of all classes taken at Durham Tech.
Honors distinctions include:
- Cum Laude (Honors): Program GPA of 3.25 or higher; indicated in the commencement program with an asterisk
- Magna Cum Laude (High Honors): Program GPA of 3.75 or higher; recipients receive honor cords worn over the gown
- Summa Cum Laude (Highest Honors): Program GPA of 4.0 for associate degree or diploma graduates; recipients receive an honor medallion worn over the gown
Accessibility Accommodations
Graduating students with documented disabilities who need accommodations for the ceremony (such as interpreters for hearing impairments or alternate print materials for visual impairments) should complete the accommodation request form as early as possible. The College may not be able to properly accommodate last-minute requests.
Guests with the following needs should make requests directly to DPAC:
- Seating or mobility assistance
- Wheelchair access
- Hearing amplification
Request Student Commencement Accommodations
Cultural or Religious Accommodations
Students with questions or requests related to religious or cultural concerns involving the commencement ceremony should submit requests in a timely manner to allow adequate time for review and response.
For more information, call 919-536-7200, ext. 8091.
Questions or assistance:
- Curriculum students: graduation@durhamtech.edu
- College and Career Readiness students: ccr@durhamtech.edu
