Candidate Information

Commencement Arrival Time

Candidates and their guests should plan to arrive one hour prior to the start of the ceremony. We anticipate about 5,000 guests at each ceremony. Graduates and guests should be seated 15 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. Seating for guests is not assigned and is on a first-come first-serve basis.

“Ticket Will Call” will be available one (1) hour prior for those students who have arranged to pick up their tickets the day of the ceremony.

Dress Code/Academic Regalia

Commencement recognizes the academic achievements of our graduates and is considered a formal academic ceremony that should be viewed as such in dress and demeanor. The undergraduate academic robe is blue and the master and doctoral robe is black.

The recommended dress for graduates is comfortable business attire; therefore you should be mindful of the following considerations:

• Shoes and visible items of clothing worn under your gown should be dark colors that harmonize with the commencement gown.
• Please do not wear sneakers, beach sandals or shorts.
• Stoles of Gratitude are not be worn by graduates during Commencement. We recommend that before the start of Commencement, the graduate give the Stoles of Gratitude to those persons in the audience who have provided extraordinary help and support to the graduates. The Stoles of Gratitude would then be worn at Commencement by the graduate's guests that are sitting in the audience.
• Non-academic stoles, non-academic cords, non-academic medallions, and other types of non-academic adornments should not be worn to Commencement.

Go to GRAD SEND-OFF to purchase your cap & gown and for all your Commencement needs. Grad Send-Off will take place at the bookstore at FIU's UP, BBC or Pines Center campuses. The deadline to purchase your cap & gown is April 1, 2008. Please note that regalia will not be available at the Arena on the day of the ceremony.

Doctoral Cap and Gown

Doctoral candidates rent custom professional regalia, therefore, availability of doctoral regalia cannot be guaranteed if orders are not placed prior to April 11, 2008. Purchase is also available. Rush orders can be attempted up to one week prior to the ceremony for a rush handling fee. Doctoral regalia will be available for pick-up at the FIU Bookstore during the days and times listed above. Doctoral candidates’ rental regalia, caps, and gowns, may be returned to the FIU Bookstore. All rental regalia must be returned by Friday, May 2, 2008.

Academic Regalia Cost (Cap & Gown)

The tassel is to be placed on the right side of your cap.
The hood of the Ph.D. candidate gown is navy blue.
The hood of the Ed.D. candidate gown is light blue.
The tassel of all doctoral candidates is Ph.D is Gold.

FIU Traditional Tassel Colors

FIU traditional tassel colors, according to college/school are:

Academic Honor Students

The Bookstore will have a listing of undergraduate students who have achieved, as of their last completed semester, 40 credits at FIU and a GPA of 3.5 and above. Students meeting this criteria will be allowed to purchase an honor cord to be worn over their regalia during Commencement. We urge you to contact the Office of the Registrar if you feel your name was inadvertently omitted from the list provided to the Bookstore. Please note that “Exceptions to Walk” are not allowed to walk with honors.

Honor Societies

Please contact your specific society for stoles, medallions and honor ceremonies.


           
Candidate Seating

There is NO rehearsal before the ceremony. Candidates will NOT march into the Arena. Candidates should enter through the southwest entrance of the Arena and report to their appropriate seating sections when they arrive. Candidates will sit in the assigned sections for their college or school, on the main floor of the Arena. Signage will be posted at the entrances to the Arena identifying the location for the candidates’ schools and colleges. Parents and guests may wish to sit in the section closest to the location of their candidate. Guests will not be permitted into the candidate seating area. Candidates and guests are requested to remain seated for the duration of the ceremony.

Graduates will exit through the northwest and southwest exits of the Arena. Guests will exit through the northeast and southeast exits. Please agree before the ceremony where you will meet your guests, outside of the Arena, at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Seating within the College/Schools on the floor will be as follows:
Specialist degree candidates
Master’s degree candidates
Bachelor’s degree Honor Society candidates
Bachelor’s degree candidates

Doctoral Candidate Info

Doctoral candidates participate in the processional by marching with the Platform Party and Faculty. Upon arrival to the Arena, candidates should enter through the southwest entrance and report to room 122. Candidates will be seated next to their major professors during the ceremony and will be hooded on stage individually prior to the granting of their degrees.

Please return the Commencement Confirmation Form to confirm your attendance. Additional information regarding your participation will be forthcoming from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Honors College

All Honors College students must sit in the designated area in front of the Arena if they wish to receive their Honors College medallion.

Diplomas

Diplomas will be available five weeks after Commencement. Please confirm with your advisor the completion of your degree requirements. Transcripts will not reflect the degree until four weeks after Commencement. Should you need to show proof of your degree, prior to receiving your diploma, your academic advisor can write a letter on your behalf. Participation in Commencement does not imply completion of degree or graduation.