Master's Hooding Ceremony
CONGRATULATIONS TO August 2025 and December 2025 GRADUATES!
The Fall 2025 Master's Hooding Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the ÌìÌì³Ô¹Ï Auditorium. You are expected to arrive no later than 6 - 6:15 pm.
An invitation will be sent to your NEIU email address from the College of Graduate Studies and Research in mid-October with an RSVP link. The RSVP deadline is noon Wednesday, November 19, 2025, but we ask that you RSVP as soon as you receive the invitation. It will help us with our planning for this event.
REGALIA INFORMATION
All graduates participating in the Master's Hooding Ceremony must attend in the appropriate regalia (cap, gown, and hood). In keeping with the formal nature of academic regalia, robes and hoods must be fully visible; caps may be decorated and graduates may wear stoles, cords or medallions signifying University clubs/organizations and veteran status with their regalia.
The deadline to order regalia is Monday, November 3, 2025. This is a hard deadline from Jostens. To ensure students receive their orders before the ceremony, all online orders will be mailed directly to the address provided with the order. All inquiries regarding cap and gown orders should be directed to at (800) 854-7464 or their customer service .
MASTER'S HOODING CEREMONY GUEST TICKETS
Graduates participating in the Hooding Ceremony do not need a ticket; however, their guests do. Children under 2 years of age will not require a ticket.
Due to limited seating, graduates participating in the Hooding Ceremony may request up to 2 (two) guest tickets each. Guest tickets will be offered until seating capacity is reached on a first-come, first-served basis. Graduates will have the opportunity to place their name on a waiting list to receive additional tickets should there be any remaining tickets available.
Guest tickets will be available for pick-up during the Commencement Resource Fair being held on the Main Campus in Alumni Hall from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 and from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. You must RSVP prior to ticket pick-up.
If you are unable to attend the Commencement Resource Fair, please email MastersHooding@neiu.edu or call the Graduate College office at 773-442-6011 to request an alternate arrangement for ticket pickup.
The guest ticket pickup deadline is noon on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
After the noon Wednesday, November 19, 2025, guest ticket pickup deadline, if we have not reached seating capacity, we will distribute remaining tickets to our wait list, and we cannot guarantee the availability of your guest tickets if they have not been picked up.
Please note: Ticketing is separate for the Master's Hooding Ceremony and Commencement. You'll need to pick up tickets for each event if you plan on attending both. If you have questions about Commencement tickets, please contact commencement@neiu.edu or (773) 442-4630.
THE DAY OF THE MASTER'S HOODING CEREMONY
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Complimentary parking is available on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Parking Facility, which is marked as Building 16 on the NEIU Campus Map.
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Wear your gown and cap and bring your hood.
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Leave personal belongings in your vehicle or with your guests; the University is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
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Go to the check-in table located outside of the Auditorium to obtain your reader card which will feature your name and program. It will be used to announce your name as you walk across the stage.
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An usher will be available to escort you and your guests to the appropriate seating area. Your guest(s) will not sit with you during the ceremony.
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Due to the formality of this event, please tell your guests that if young children are unable to sit quietly during the ceremony, they are encouraged to step outside into the hallway out of courtesy to your fellow graduates.
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No balloons will be allowed inside the Auditorium.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We encourage graduates, friends, and family to use the hashtag #NEIUgrad on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don't forget to follow NEIU on Facebook and Instagram (@neiulife) and Twitter (@neiu)!
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Contact the College of Graduate Studies and Research at (773) 442-6011.