North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) 143rd Commencement Exercises will be held in McDougald-McLendon Arena on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 9 a.m. (graduate and professional) and 2 p.m. (baccalaureate).
Both ceremonies will be streamed on NCCU’s YouTube channel and the university’s website.
Congratulations on your candidacy for graduation! Please check out the graduation checklist and FAQs to help you prepare for a memorable event.
All attendees of the 143rd Commencement Exercises must adhere to the Department of Athletics’ clear bag policy. All permissible bags will be checked upon entry into the arena. All bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and less than 12" x 12"x 6" — exceptions will be made for medical and baby needs. Small wristlets/clutches (less than 4.5" x 6.5" x 1") with or without a strap are permitted.
The 143rd commencement exercises at NCCU were filled with big and small moments.
Review and download pictures from NCCU’s 143rd Commencement Exercises on May 4.
View the graduate and professional ceremony held on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
View the baccalaureate ceremony held on Saturday, May 4, 2024
The baccalaureate and graduate and professional ceremonies will take place at the McDougald-McLendon Arena on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
The graduate and professional ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Graduating students are advised to arrive by 7 a.m. for line-up in the arena.
The baccalaureate ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Graduating students are advised to arrive by 12 p.m. for line-up in the arena.
Simulcast Viewing Sites for the Ceremonies:
Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye cordially invites you to attend:
Chancellor's Reception for Graduating Students and Their Families
May 3, 2024, 12–3 p.m.
NCCU Student Center
Effective immediately, ADA seating requests for the lower floor of the McDougald-McLendon Arena are no longer available due to limited seating arrangements. However, virtual viewing sites will be provided for your convenience. Additionally, both ceremonies will be streamed live on NCCU's YouTube channel and the university's website for broader accessibility.
Billionaire industrialist and philanthropist Trisha Bailey, Ph.D., will deliver the keynote address at the institution's 143rd Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
A person could be ready for a nap by the time they finished reading about the various honors and accomplishments of Elena Kendrick.
One day in her 11th-grade history class, Sandi Owens suddenly found she could not see out of her right eye.
“I went to read a textbook and I could not see,” said Owens. “My teacher was like, ‘Sandi, stop lying.’”
If there is a theme in the life of Darius Stephens-York, it is helping youth. For Stephens-York, who will graduate from the School of Law at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) on May 4, helping young people has manifested in several ways.
When Andraya Yearwood began studying Spanish in seventh grade, she would listen to songs in Spanish and read the lyrics. Then, she would translate them into English.
“I would learn vocabulary through the songs,” Yearwood said. “I would see how the verbs were conjugated and the grammatical structures I learned through the lyrics.”
Alexis Hurd had thought about becoming a lawyer while earning her undergraduate degrees and had interviewed a couple of her professors who had law degrees. “(They said) it’s a big commitment,” Hurd recalled. “That you want to make sure you are ready for it.”