GRADUATION

Convocations at Northwestern are hosted by individual schools. Students cross the stage and hear their names read at these ceremonies. School-wide convocations are ticketed events.

Some Master’s programs do not participate in a school-wide ceremony and hold their own departmental ceremonies instead, including the School of Communication Master’s programs and the TGS/Feinberg Master’s programs. Many of these ceremonies do not require tickets. These ceremonies are not coordinated through the Graduation office and you will receive specific information from your program with ceremony details.

Purple “souvenir regalia” is custom designed for Northwestern Bachelor’s and Master’s graduates, featuring the University crest. Graduates must wear the Northwestern regalia to participate in Commencement and school-wide convocations. 

Bachelor’s degree regalia includes a souvenir stole. Advanced degree candidates wear hoods. The lining of the Northwestern hood is purple and gold, and the color of the velvet border of the hood indicates the academic area. 

Bachelor’s and Master’s souvenir regalia is purchased and kept by the graduate. There is no rental option for these regalia levels because it is significantly more expensive than the souvenir regalia.

PhD graduates wear the formal rental robes. PhD rental robes may only be picked up at the bookstore in the week before Graduation Weekend; there is no shipping option due to the cost of the gowns.

Graduates who are pursuing a career in academia and would like to own their gown may choose to purchase “fine regalia” from our vendor, Oak Hall. These custom-order gowns are made to your measurements and cost approximately $1000, including the hood, tam, and tassel. Fine regalia gowns require a 10-12 week ordering lead time from the ceremony date. Please see the Regalia page for the order link.

Dual Degree students are receiving two full Bachelor’s degrees, usually over the course of five years and through special programs that they have been admitted to by the schools. Dual Degree students attend convocation ceremonies for both schools where they are receiving a degree.

Combined Bachelor (BA or BS) and Masters (MA or MS) Programs are when students complete both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a combined program where both degrees are awarded at the same time. Students completing a combined bachelor/master’s program should wear master’s regalia to all ceremonies. Graduates in the McCormick BS/MS program attend the Undergraduate ceremony with their cohort but wear the Master’s regalia to signify the second degree; both degrees are recognized together in the Undergraduate ceremony. Graduates in a combined program across two schools will be invited to the corresponding Bachelor and Master’s ceremonies for those schools.

Double Majors have completed a concentration of coursework in another major or program but are only receiving one degree. Double majors only attend the ceremony for their “home school”, since that is the school awarding their degree.

Beginning in mid-February the Graduation Office starts getting lists of approved graduates from the Registrar’s office. This list is updated weekly and is the official list for all communications and ticket access. You will not receive communications or ticket access until you are on the official graduation list, but you will be able to order regalia. 

To get on the Graduation list your anticipated graduation term in CAESAR must be in this academic year (or Summer 2026 for TGS PhD students) and you be marked as approved to graduate by your school. For undergraduates this happens when your petition to graduate is approved. Graduate departments and schools have their own steps and processes; you should watch for information/instructions from them. 

Undergraduates will see information in their class CANVAS. For graduate students who have a late defense date or other situations, you can find copies of our messages on the Class of 2027 Student Emails page Class of 2026 Student Emails: Graduation - Northwestern University. You are encouraged to order your regalia as soon as possible and can get a refund on unopened packages if you end up not walking in June. Unfortunately, you cannot gain access to the ticket system until you are on the official graduation list.  

The Graduation Weekend website also has lots of information about ceremonies and other events, accessibility, transportation, stage crossing photos, and other topics that are important for you and your guests.