Commencement
The Graduate School at the University of Notre Dame hosts a separate Commencement ceremony specifically for doctoral and master’s students (business and law excluded). Students are invited to participate in both the Graduate School ceremony on Saturday, and the University Commencement ceremony on Sunday, but the hooding of Ph.D. recipients and the conferral of graduate degrees will take place during the Graduate School program.
Gregory Sterling, dean of the Graduate School, will preside over the ceremony. Fr. John Jenkins, president of the University, the academic officers, and the college deans will be in attendance.
All students, staff, faculty and their guests are invited to attend the Saturday ceremony.
Important Links
Downloads and instructions will be posted early in 2010.
- Commencement Instructions for Graduate Students [PDF]
- Commencement Instructions for Faculty Advisers (Hooding) [PDF]
- Commencement Instructions for Faculty Audience (Non-Hooding) [PDF]
- Graduate School Commencement Protocol [PDF]
- RSVP Form
Confirmation of Attendance (RSVP)
Students eligible to participate in the Saturday ceremony must notify the Graduate School of their intent to attend by Tuesday, March 31. The RSVP form will be posted early in the spring semester.
If your plans change after you have submitted the RSVP, please notify the Maureen Collins in the Graduate School as soon as possible at (574) 631-5926 or mcollin5@nd.edu.
Venue
The 2010 Graduate School Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 15, at 10:00 A.M. in the Joyce Center, directly east of the stadium. Tickets are not required to attend this event.
Note: All times and venues are tentative and subject to change. The final schedule will be posted early in 2010.
Commencement Weekend:
Tentative Schedule of Events
| Saturday, May 15 | |
| 9:00 a.m. | Assemble for academic procession, Joyce Center (North Dome). Participating students and faculty enter through Gate 1 or 2; guests enter through Gate 10. |
| 9:40 a.m. | Academic procession. (Cap and gown attire required.) |
| 10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. | Graduate School Commencement Ceremony |
| 11:45 a.m. | Outdoor tent reception adjacent to the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (DPAC) immediately following the ceremony. Light refreshments will be served. |
| 4:15 p.m. | Assemble for the academic procession for the Commencement Mass, Joyce Center (North Dome). Graduating students enter through Gate 2; guests enter through Gate 10. |
| 4:30 p.m. | Academic procession. (Cap and gown attire required.) |
| 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. | Commencement Mass, Joyce Center (South Dome) |
| Sunday, May 16 | |
| 11:30 a.m. | Doors open for guests; enter through Gate 10. |
| 12:30 p.m. | Assemble for academic procession, Joyce Center (North Dome). Participating students and faculty enter through Gate 3. |
| 1:10 p.m. | Academic procession. (Cap and gown attire required.) |
| 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. | University Commencement Ceremony, Joyce Center (South Dome). Tickets for admission to the Commencement Exercises are required for parents and guests. See the Registrar’s site for more information. |
