Planning Information for Families & Guests
We look forward to welcoming family and friends to CMU's campus for commencement, May 9-11, 2025. Visit the schedule page to review the weekend schedule.
- Commencement Welcome Area
- Travel, Transportation & Parking
- Accessibility Accommodations
- International Travel
Commencement Welcome Area
Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Sunday, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Wean Commons, First Floor, Cohon University Center
Upon your arrival at CMU, stop by the Commencement Welcome Area to speak with staff, answer your questions and find all the information you need to help make your visit to the university and Pittsburgh a pleasant one.
Travel, Transportation & Parking
Travel & Transportation to CMU
CMU is located in the Oakland are of Pittsburgh, 22 miles from the Pittsburgh International Airport. The street address of the university is 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
- Shuttle service is available between the airport, downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland. Visit www.supershuttle.com.
- Bus service (28X Airport Flyer) runs between the airport, downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland. Visit www.rideprt.org or call 412-442-2000.
- Rental cars, taxis and rideshare services are available at the airport.
Parking
On Friday, May 9, visitor parking is available in the East Campus Garage only. Regular parking rates will apply.
On Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, parking will be extremely limited. Guests must reserve and pay for parking before arriving on campus. Spots will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Parking can be purchased via the ParkMobile app, or the ParkMobile website, and will be $10 per space daily. Purchases are nonrefundable.
- Once you open the app, navigate to the "Reserve" section, select Carnegie Mellon University on the map, the desired date and parking lot. Click on the green "Reserve" button to select parking. If the "Reserve" button is not available, parking is sold out in that lot.
- You must purchase parking for each day you will be on campus.
- You will receive a one-use only QR code for each purchased spot, for each day. Once scanned, a QR code cannot be used by other individuals or on additional days.
- Day-of parking in the lots listed below will not be permitted without a QR code.
The following paid lots, located on and near campus, are available for advance reservation on a first-come, first-served basis:
- Dithridge Street Garage
- East Campus Garage
- Mehrabian CIC Garage
- Morewood lot
- Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall Garage**
- Tepper Building Garage*
*Indicates parking available on Sunday only
**Indicates not available in ParkMobile, please see Tepper Undergraduate Programs below for more info.
For more information on purchasing parking, accessible parking options, parking shuttles, traffic restrictions, alternatives to driving to campus and more, please visit our Parking page.
Accessibility Accommodations
Accessible Seating
During the main commencement ceremony at Gesling Stadium, we will provide accessible seating options for graduates and guests on the field surface.
If you have family members who may have difficulty navigating the bleachers, we offer a limited number of seats on the field (up to four seats per family). Additional family members may sit in the bleachers. We must limit the number of on-field guests to ensure that there is space available for all who need it.
You do not need to contact us ahead of time to utilize accessible seating.
Wheelchairs and Scooters
If you would like to rent a wheelchair or a scooter for the weekend, we recommend contacting Mobility Plus at 412-426-9144.
Mobility Plus is available to deliver wheelchairs and scooters on Saturday, May 10, and pick up is available on Monday, May 12.
Sign Language Interpreters and Closed Captioning
Sign language interpreters will be stationed in the on-field seating area. Guests who will rely on the interpreters should plan to sit on the field.
Closed captioning will be projected onto the screens throughout the ceremony.
International Travel
Please be sure to review the website of the U.S. Embassy nearest to you to get current information and visa requirements.
Applying for a B-2 tourist visa?
Review this webpage for helpful information.
Additional supporting evidence for international guests may be needed. These may be in the form of:
- An Enrollment Verification Letter, which may be requested through Student Information Online (login required)
- A printout from the commencement website
These documents can be used to convey to the U.S. consular office the need for a timely visa decision.
Questions?
Contact the Office of International Education at 412-268-5231 or via email oie@andrew.cmu.edu.
Unable to travel?
For guests who are unable to travel, many commencement activities, including the ceremony on Sunday, May 11, will be live-streamed. More details to come.