Two men and a women at the Master's Hooding Ceremony pose for a picture
Two people drape a hood over a male graduate's head at the Master's Hooding Ceremony
Two people drape a hood over a male graduate's head at the Master's Hooding Ceremony
A wide shot of the stage at the Master's Hooding Ceremony with one person walking toward three other people on stage
A man shakes a graduate's hand at the Master's Hooding Ceremony

The Fall 2021 Master's Hooding Ceremony will be held on Monday, December 6, 2021. There will be two ceremonies. The first ceremony, for students graduating from programs in the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education, will begin at 6 p.m. The second ceremony, for students graduating from programs in the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business and Technology, will be held at 8 p.m. Both ceremonies will be held in the Northeastern Illinois University Auditorium.

Special precautions will be taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure everyone’s safety. In order to facilitate safe social distancing, attendance will be limited to 200 for each ceremony. In addition, all attendees are required to wear a mask or face covering for the duration of the ceremony.

Graduates: An invitation will be sent to your NEIU email address from the College of Graduate Studies and Research approximately four - five weeks before the Hooding Ceremony with an RSVP form. The RSVP deadline is November 18, 2021.

If you are planning to attend the Hooding Ceremony and Commencement, you must RSVP for both events. 

REGALIA INFORMATION

  • All graduates participating in the Master's Hooding Ceremony MUST attend in the appropriate regalia and wear a mask or face covering.
  • The price for full regalia i.e., master’s cap, gown, hood and tassel is $78.75. You will wear full regalia for both the Master’s Hooding Ceremony and Commencement. 
  • Regalia ordered on-line through Jostens prior to the September 21, 2021 deadline will be available for pick up at the Commencement Resource Fair on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 3 – 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall. For those who missed the deadline, there will be a limited supply of regalia for purchase at the Commencement Resource Fair.
  • Please come to the Hooding Ceremony attired in your cap and gown (steamed or ironed) and bring your hood. Because of safety precautions due to the pandemic, hooding will not be done on stage; instead, graduates will put their hoods on themselves at their seats as part of the ceremony. The students sitting next to you can advise you to ensure that your hood is seated well on your regalia. We encourage you to practice putting your hood on yourself at home prior to the ceremony.

GUEST TICKETS

  • No guests will be allowed to be in the Auditorium for the ceremony unless they have a ticket and wear a mask or face covering for the duration of the ceremony. 
  • Due to limited seating, graduating students 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. 
  • Requests for guest tickets after the November 18, 2021 RSVP deadline will be added to a waitlist. 
  • Tickets for your guests may be picked up at the Commencement Resource Fair on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. or Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 3 – 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall. 
  • Beginning Friday, November 5, 2021, guest tickets may be picked up between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Monday-Friday) at the Welcome Desk located in Village Square. Photo ID is required. 
  • The deadline to pick up your guest tickets is Friday, November 19. After this deadline, if we have not reached seating capacity, we will distribute remaining tickets to our wait list and cannot guarantee the availability of your guest tickets if they have not been picked up.

We ask that you pick up your tickets as early as possible - it will help us with our planning for this event. If you are unable to pick up your tickets, please call (773) 442-6011 or email us to make other arrangements.

THE DAY OF THE CEREMONY

  • Arrive at the Auditorium no later than half an hour before your ceremony on December 6, 2021.
  • Complimentary parking is available on the 3rd or 4th floor of the Parking Facility, which is marked as building 16 on the NEIU Campus Map.
  • Wear your gown and cap and bring your hood. Graduates will put their hoods on themselves at their seats as part of the ceremony. The students sitting next to you can advise you to ensure that your hood is seated well on your regalia.
  • Leave personal belongings in your vehicle or with your guests – the University is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
  • 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. 
  • 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.
  • Once the ceremony begins, an usher will guide your program on stage.
  • 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.
  • No balloons will be allowed inside the Auditorium.

HOODING

  • Because of safety precautions due to the pandemic, hooding will not be done on stage; instead, graduates will put their hoods on themselves at their seats as part of the ceremony. The students sitting next to you can advise you to ensure that your hood is seated well on your regalia. We encourage you to practice putting your hood on yourself at home prior to the ceremony.

MARCHING

  • Ushers will indicate when to go on stage.
  • Take your reader card with you to the stage.
  • Hand your reader card to the reader on stage.
  • Walk to the center of the stage. You will be congratulated by your College’s Dean and the Graduate Dean. Our photographer will take a photo of this celebratory moment.
  • Continue to the other side of the stage for a photo with the Northeastern Illinois University banner.
  • Quietly return to your seat; an usher will be available to assist you.
  • Out of courtesy to your fellow graduates, please stay in the Auditorium for the entire program.

After the conclusion of the ceremony, the graduates will march out of the Auditorium (row-by-row, at the direction of an usher); guests will exit the Auditorium after all the graduates have processed out

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 or graduatestudies@neiu.edu.