Over two days, these deeply rooted traditions celebrate and honor your accomplishments at Princeton. Registration for the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony and Commencement is now closed. Registration opened on January 31, and closed on April 28, 2023. Please contact [email protected] with any questions. Hooding and Recognition Ceremony: Monday, May 29, 2023 The Hooding and Recognition Ceremony is a special recognition for graduates receiving a final master's degree or a Ph.D. This ceremony is for graduate students only and does not replace Commencement. The Commencement Ceremony, held the next day, is the official conferring of degrees. Presided over by President Christopher L. Eisgruber and Dean Priestley, the program lasts for approximately 2.5 hours. All candidates are individually recognized, and all faculty and students wear academic regalia. Ph.D. candidates may receive their hood from a faculty member (usually their adviser), or from the chief marshal. Guest seating begins at 3:30 p.m. Guests are not permitted in the student assembly area. Location: Cannon Green (behind Nassau Hall) Eligibility: Ph.D. and final master's candidates Honorees / guests: Open to all advanced degree (Ph.D. and final master’s) candidates and guests, no tickets required. Please limit guests for the Hooding and Recognition Lunch to five people (details below). 11:30 - 2:00 p.m. – Hooding and Recognition Lunch Location: Tent on Poe Field (see Parking and Transportation map) Honorees / guests: Open to all Ph.D. and master's degree recipients and guests (children are welcome). We ask that you observe a five-person guest limit for the lunch. Graduates will be assigned an arrival time upon registration. 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. – Assemble for ceremony Assemble on Chapel Drive in front of Whig Hall. Stand by the sign representing your academic division (for Ph.D. students) or your school and degree type (for master's candidates). Ph.D. students: If multiple people are being hooded by one faculty member, please sit together, with the faculty member taking the second position in line. You must present the name card mailed with your Commencement tickets. The card must clearly list your name and its phonetic spelling. If you are a doctoral candidate being hooded by a faculty member, the card must also include their name and phonetic spelling. 4:30 p.m. – Ceremony begins Master’s Students: You will be sent to the stage by row, and the marshal will assist you. At the stage, you will hand your name card to the dean at the podium and walk across, wearing your hood. There will be an opportunity for individual photos before you return to your seat, where you are asked to remain until the ceremony concludes. Ph.D. Recipients: Please carry your hood over your arm. You will be sent to the stage by row, and the marshal will assist you. Make sure you have removed your hat before leaving your seat. At the stage, you will hand your name card to the dean at the podium and walk to the center of the stage to receive your hood. There is a large X indicating where to stand. Once you have been hooded you will walk off the stage. There will be an opportunity for individual photos before you return to your seat, where you are asked to remain until the ceremony concludes. The Princeton Ring and Frame Agency will be at the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony from 3:30 p.m. until 15 minutes after the ceremony completion selling diploma frames and class rings. 276th Commencement Ceremony: Tuesday, May 30, 2023 Guest seating begins at 8:30 a.m. For complete details, visit the Commencement website. Location: Weaver Stadium Eligibility: Ph.D. and final master's candidates Honorees / guests: All registered graduates will receive eight guest tickets. (Registered degree recipients themselves do not require tickets.) Tickets will be grouped together, then mailed to the graduate after registration closes. International students who need invitation letters to secure family visas should submit requests to [email protected]. 8:30 a.m. – Formation for Commencement Degree candidates assemble on Weaver Track for the procession. If you would like to sit near a particular person, please make sure they are either in front of or behind you. Candidates for advanced degrees assemble in the following order: Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts in Near Eastern Studies, Master in Public Affairs, Master in Public Policy, Master of Science in Engineering, Master of Engineering, and Master in Finance. Marshals will be available to assist. 9:30 a.m. – Commencement begins Guests must be seated, and the academic procession begins. 10:00 a.m. – Commencement exercises Time may shift later in the case of inclement weather. Students should remain standing until President Eisgruber sits down. Please remove your cap when President Eisgruber does. Conferring of Advanced Degrees: Dean Priestley will ask candidates receiving various degrees to rise and remain standing until the president confers the degrees. 11:30 a.m. – Commencement concludes At the conclusion of the program, all will stand to sing “Old Nassau.” Remain standing, put on your cap, and follow the faculty marshals onto Weaver Track. 12:00 p.m. – Commencement Reception Alumni Engagement is proud to welcome its newest members into Princeton’s alumni community. Immediately following Commencement, celebrate the completion of your graduate degree with family and friends at a casual reception. Formal invitation and location will be mailed to the graduate closer to the date of the event. Diplomas Advanced degree recipients for the May degree period will receive their diploma by mail. Please make sure to submit the advanced degree application by May 12, 2023 as your diploma will be mailed to the address provided on your advanced degree application. Please note that it may take six (6) to eight (8) weeks after the degree date for the diploma to arrive. We strongly encourage you to supply an address that you will have access to for at least six (6) months after graduation. September '22, November '22, January '23, and March ’23 advanced degree recipients should have received their diploma by mail. Special Events Princeton Reunions: Thursday, May 25 - Sunday, May 28 Degree candidates are welcome and encouraged to attend APGA Reunions 2023. As graduating graduate students, degree candidates are eligible for one free wristband to access the Reunions headquarters sites in the evenings. Additional information, including online registration for wristbands and meal tickets, is available via the APGA Reunions 2023 website. Class of 2023 Cultural Graduations: May 2 - May 28 Additional details and registration information can be found on the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding site. Questions can be directed to [email protected]. Registration is now open. Graduates in the Class of 2023 need to register in order to participate. Important Information Eligibility September '22, November '22, January '23, and March '23 degree recipients May '23 anticipated degree candidates: If you are defending between April 28-May 12, you must register by the deadline to be included. Those who do not defend by the May deadline will receive information to participate in next year’s events Accessibility Accessible seating is available at both the Hooding and Recognition Ceremony and the Commencement Ceremony. Indoor simulcast sites are Frist Campus Center-B Multipurpose Rooms, 100 level TV Lounge, and Room 302 (3rd Floor). If you or another member of your family needs accommodation for a disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services online or at 609-258-8840 as soon as possible and no later than May 1 with information about your particular needs. Photos While guests may take their own photos, we ask that they remain seated and do not block the aisles. This keeps the ceremony running on schedule and ensures the safety and convenience of all attendees. The Graduate School will have professional photographers cover the ceremony and take pictures of each graduate. Photos may be downloaded for free, or print copies may be purchased on the website. Alerts & Notifications Download the free Tiger Safe app via the App Store and Google Play. Graduate School staff (orange and black polo shirts) and University marshals (orange hats and black robes) will be on hand to assist at both events. Severe Weather In the case of severe weather, the Hooding & Recognition ceremony will be held indoors in Jadwin Gymnasium. If this is necessary, an announcement will be sent to all registered participants and faculty, and details will be posted on the Graduate School website by 2 p.m. on Monday, May 29. Videos of Past Ceremonies 2022 Hooding and Recognition 2021 Virtual Hooding Ceremony 2020 Virtual Hooding Ceremony 2018 Hooding Ceremony 2017 Hooding Ceremony 2016 Hooding Ceremony 2015 Hooding Ceremony 2014 Hooding Ceremony