Commencement Ceremony
(For information on how to complete your Intent to Graduate or Intent to Complete your Campus Certificate go to https://grad.red.uic.edu/graduation-deadlines. The information below is for the commencement ceremonies only.)
The commencement ceremonies are intended to celebrate and honor students, their families and guests for the completion of a degree. The commenement ceremonies are an important capstone event for the achievement of earning a degree at the University of Illinois at Chicago. While participation is optional, you are encouraged to attend.
The University of Illinois at Chicago holds commencement ceremonies towards the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Check the UIC Commencement website. http://commencement.uic.edu/. for the schedule, details on the ceremonies, academic dress, and individual college information.
- The December commencement is for graduates whose degrees were conferred the previous summer and those who are expecting to grduate (and who have submitted an Intent to Graduate) for the current Fall term. Note: Not all colleges participate inthe December commencement.
- The May ceremony is for students who are expecting to graduate (and who have submitted an Intent to Graduate) for the current spring term.
- Since the fall (December ceremony) and spring (May ceremony) degree lists are not final when the ceremonies occur, participation should not be viewed as having officially completed the degree. The official completion of the degree usually occurs after the final grades are reviewed and the Graduate College certifies completion (in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies of the student's program) to the Office of Admissions and Records. At that point, the degree earned is officially listed on the transcript. Diplomas are ordered after the term and are mailed approximately 2 months later.
- Not all colleges participate in the December commencement. There are seperate graduate and undergraduate ceremonies, combining the different colleges that are participating.
- For the May commencment, every disciplinary college holds their own commencement ceremony. At each college ceremony, undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree students participate and will be individually recognized when degrees are conferred.
- For most academic and regulatory issues, graduate students are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate College; however, for the commencement ceremonies, graduate students participate with their disciplinary college.
Complete information about the ceremonies, receptions and webcasts is available at http://www.commencement.uic.edu. If you have questions, the disciplinary college's contacts are listed under "Schedule." The information provided includes schedules, directions, links for college contacts, and instructions on ordering a cap, gown, and, for doctoral gradautes, hood.
Most disciplinary colleges have special procedures and an on-line confirmation of attendance, so it is important that you follow their instructions and deadlines. Click on the url listed in the paragraph directly above, choose "Schedule," and then click on the name of your disciplinary college.
Doctoral candidates should also consult with their advisor as the advisor usually hoods the student at the ceremony. Also, all PhD candidates should order a red gown regardless of field of study - see the "Caps and Gowns" section at the site listed above for additional information. Any questions about the ceremonies not answered by the website should be directed to the college contact listed under the Schedule section.
See also the Diploma and Transcript.