The University Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony will be held on Friday, May 23 at 6:00 p.m. at Barton Hall. At this event, we will celebrate and recognize the significant achievements of doctoral PhD, JSD, and DMA graduates from August ’24, December ’24, and expected May ’25 and August ’25. This special ceremony is for all doctoral candidates to be individually recognized on stage and welcomed into the academy of scholars. Ph.D. candidates and their families, friends, and faculty members are invited to attend. A reception with light refreshments will immediately follow the ceremony.
Doctoral regalia must be worn by Ph.D. degree candidates. An outfit will include a Ph.D. robe, Ph.D. hood, soft tam, and gold tassel. You should wear your Ph.D. regalia at the Ph.D. Ceremony on Friday, Commencement on Saturday, and your college or field ceremony during the weekend. It is not necessary to wait until your degree is finalized.
Refer to cap & gown for more information, if you plan to walk in May. Pricing, link to order, and all instructions are on the cap & gown page.
To Participate in the Ph.D. Ceremony
Ph.D. candidates must register by Friday, May 2, 2025, to participate in the PhD event and either of the University Commencement Ceremonies and number of guests attending here.
“Walking early” is permitted, so candidates may participate in the Ph.D. Ceremony prior to their degree being finalized. Must regsiter at the link above as well.
Hooding Photos Prior to Recognition Ceremony
May 23, 2025 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. ILR Conference Center, Room 229
The Graduate School invites Ph.D. graduates and their advisors to the ILR Conference Center for the opportunity to have a professional photographer capture posed photos acting out the ceremonial hooding prior to the formal Ph.D. Recognition ceremony on May 23, 2025. Photos will be shared with the graduates free of charge in the days following Commencement weekend.
Photographers and photo backdrops will be available between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. in Room 229 at the ILR Conference Center, next to Barton Hall. Photographers will capture posed photos of Ph.D. graduates and their advisors acting out the ceremonial hooding, in which a faculty member places the hood over the shoulders of the graduate to signify their success in completing their graduate program.
Hundreds of Ph.D. candidates will be recognized at the event, so please plan to arrive early to avoid a last-minute rush to take your photos. The photographers and backdrops will not be available following the formal Ph.D. Recognition Ceremony.
Graduates are free to invite their advisors or another committee member to perform the hooding. In addition, Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Graduate Education, Kathryn Boor, will be available from 4:30-5:30 p.m. to hood graduates whose advisors are unable to attend. Graduates should wear their appropriate cap, gown, and hood. Faculty members may wear their regalia, but it is not required.
Graduates and their advisors do not need to RSVP to take advantage of this opportunity. However, candidates must registerhere to attend the ceremony in Barton Hall.
Please contact the Graduate School with any questions about this event: gradschool@cornell.edu
Ph.D. Hooding Photos
May 23, 2025
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
ILR Conference Center, Room 229
| Families | 5:00 p.m. Doors open for guests, no tickets are needed |
|---|---|
| Candidates | 5:00-5:45 p.m. Arrive, receive name card, assemble by 5:45 p.m. for procession |
| Faculty | 5:30-5:45 p.m. Arrive, assemble by 5:45 p.m. for procession |
All participants of the academic procession should be inside Barton Hall and lined in place by 5:45 p.m. The program begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. as music begins and the University Marshal leads the formal procession of candidates, faculty, trustees, deans, provost, and president.
All PhD candidates will walk across the stage as each name is read, during the ceremony. When the ceremony concludes, an informal reception will follow inside Barton. All are welcome to enjoy refreshments at the reception until 8:00 pm.
| 5:00-5:45 pm | Arrive at Barton Hall wearing cap & gown, and hood. Report to alphabetic tables along the red curtain to receive a name card for the reader to announce your name and field of study during the ceremony. Carefully proofread all information on the card and make changes, if necessary. Volunteers and Graduate School staff will be there to distribute name cards, assist with regalia, and lining up for the procession. |
|---|---|
| 5:45 pm | Must be in place to participate in the procession. |
| 6:00 pm | Procession in Barton Hall begins the ceremony. |
| 7:30 pm | Ceremony concludes. A reception in Barton Hall will follow the ceremony. |
Accessible Entrance and Passenger Unloading: 
To avoid stairs, enter Barton Hall from the main entrance located on the Garden Avenue side, not from the Statler Hotel side. Courtesy wheelchair shuttles from the Garden Avenue entrance will be available to transport guests from the entrance to seating areas, if needed.
Wheelchairs/Walkers and Floor Seating: Floor seating is available in Barton Hall and does not need to be requested in advance. Guests with wheelchairs and walkers will be able to sit with other family members in general seating without requiring a separate or reserved location. However, early arrival offers best chance for the entire party to find seats together in floor seating (doors open at 5:00).