Congratulations, Doctoral Candidates!
We invite you to attend the winter commencement ceremony on Thursday, December 19, 2024, at 9:30 am in EagleBank Arena. All doctoral candidates will be individually recognized and hooded at the commencement ceremony.
Registration
All doctoral candidates will receive an email from gmuevent@gmu.edu via MarchingOrder with the subject line "Register for your Ceremony." The email will provide all necessary instructions on how to register and claim your guest tickets for commencement.
Only doctoral candidates who register will be issued a grad pass. This is not a ticket. Your faculty advisors will be given a separate pass or asked to present their Mason faculty ID. Please provide the relevant information for your faculty advisor when RSVPing.
Guest Tickets
Doctoral candidates will be able to claim up to 12 guest tickets to ensure everyone has the opportunity to invite their guests. Please note that graduates do not need a ticket for themselves; they will receive a grad pass.
After your tickets have been claimed, you can print or email them to your family/friends. All tickets are general admission.
The deadline to claim your tickets is November 18, 2024. If any additional tickets are available, there will be a second chance to claim them later that week. For further information, please visit the commencement information page.
Day of Ceremony
In keeping with university tradition, doctoral candidates join their faculty advisor on Commencement morning for a continental breakfast and robing. Please join us at the East Concourse of EagleBank Arena at 8:15am. University Events staff will check you in and provide instructions on lining up. Doctoral candidates should enter EagleBank Arena via the loading dock, and must present their grad pass at that time.
Hooding
Doctoral candidates will only be hooded at the commencement ceremony. Candidates will be hooded by their advisor; if your advisor cannot attend, then the University Marshal will hood you. Please make sure you invite your advisor to participate in the ceremony. Please review “The Dos and Don’ts of Hooding” video before Commencement. Doctoral candidates will have their degrees conferred by the University President.
Rental Regalia
The rental fee for doctoral regalia is $197.98. Below are your important dates:
- Grad Fair: The first opportunity to place your rental regalia order in person will be at Grad Fair, November 6 and 7, 2024.
- Online Orders: The first day to place your online order is Friday, November 8, 2024. The final day to place an online order is Wednesday, November 27, 2024.
- In-Store Orders: If you miss the online deadline, you can still place your rental order at the George Mason Bookstore at the Fairfax Campus until Tuesday, December 3, with an additional $25 late fee.
Doctoral Gown Purchases Unavailable for Winter Commencement
Due to production delays resulting from Hurricane Helene, custom doctoral gown purchases will not be available for Winter Commencement. Custom gowns require a minimum of 8 weeks for production, and unfortunately, the supply chain has been impacted. Rental gowns will still be available in time for the ceremony.