Hooding Ceremony
The Annual Graduate College Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is held during Spring Commencement weekend and is an opportunity for graduating doctoral students to be hooded by their faculty advisor on stage in front of family and friends. Students' names and their doctoral thesis/dissertation title will be read as they are hooded.
Doctoral graduates who are enrolled in a graduate program under the Graduate College's umbrella are invited to participate along with their faculty advisor. Free tickets are available for family and friends to visit and witness this celebratory event.
The Commencement weekend schedules are available online here: https://commencement.uic.edu/schedule-2/
The 2025 Hooding Ceremony will be held at the UIC Dorin Forum on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 5:00 pm. Students and faculty should arrive 15-20 minutes early to register and dress in regalia. A reception with light refreshments will be held immediately following the ceremony.
FAQs
If your question is not answered here, please contact the Graduate College.
a
The UIC Commencement office will send an email to students graduating at the end of the Spring semester. Students should complete the RSVP form, including the name of their faculty advisor. Once the Graduate College receives the registration, staff will contact faculty advisors to invite them to participate in the Hooding Ceremony.
a
The Annual Hooding Ceremony is only held once per year as part of the May Commencement weekend. Students who graduated in previous semesters are welcome to participate. Please contact the Graduate College for directions to register to participate!
a
The UIC Commencement office will send an email to students graduating at the end of the Spring semester. After students complete the RSVP form with the name of their faculty advisor, the Graduate College receives the registration and will contact faculty advisors to invite them to participate in the Hooding Ceremony. Additional details and directions will be shared with faculty for reserving regalia and attending the ceremony.
a
The Hooding Ceremony is similar to a Commencement ceremony. Regalia may be ordered through the Commencement Office’s website: https://commencement.uic.edu/preparation/caps-gown/
Graduating doctoral students should dress in their robe and cap, carrying their hood over their arm for the ceremony. Faculty who will be hooding students should be dressed in full regalia (robe, hood, cap).