Doctoral, Master's, & J.D. Candidates

Commencement and Convocation

All college convocations, all special interest convocation events and both University Commencement events require an RSVP for participation. Please contact the dean's office of your college to ask about the RSVP policy for your college convocation event. For information about special interest convocation activities, please contact the University Ceremonies Office.

For questions about Graduate Commencement, please email commence-rsvp@asu.edu

PLEASE NOTE: Only graduates and working staff are permitted on the floor of the arena, the field at Sun Devil Stadium and specified locations at other venues. 

University Commencement for Graduate Students will be held Monday, May 11, 9:00 am in Desert Financial Arena (Formerly Wells Fargo Arena). Check-in for the Graduate Commencement Ceremony will begin at 7:30 am. Doctoral candidates will check-in with commencement volunteers on the Sun Devil Stadium Plaza, located directly west of Desert Financial Arena.  For the May 11, 2020 ceremony you should plan to arrive no later than 8:00 am. The ceremony will begin promptly at 9:00 am.

May 2020: In order to RSVP for the ceremony, you must apply for graduation and pay the graduation fee. Once this is complete the link to RSVP for ceremonies will appear on your you My ASU page. For more information about how to RSVP please click HERE. It is the responsibility of graduating doctoral candidate to submit the name of their mentor or hooder (the faculty member attending with you).  For Doctoral students, the link will appear after you have been advance to Candidacy by the Graduate College, applied for graduation and paid your fees.  If the name and contact information for your hooder is not submitted a seat WILL NOT be reserved.

Please be aware that Doctoral candidates must complete all degree requirements in order to participate in the commencement ceremony as outlined on the Graduate Education Office Deadlines.  For more information about the deadlines and procedures for graduation, please click here.

Tickets are NOT required for Graduate Commencement held in Desert Financial Arena (Formerly Wells Fargo Arena) for May 2020.  Students must apply and pay their graduation fees on or before February 15, 2020 in order to have the RSVP link for graduation ceremonies placed on your My ASU page. The link will appear under the Graduation Tab on your My ASU page.   

Academic Regalia

Academic regalia (caps and gowns) are required for all graduation events. Instructions on how to wear the regalia can be viewed at

Doctoral regalia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26I-suoeq84
Masters regalia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGIJy7A84dk

For more information about regalia please click here 

PhD Candidates

All PhD candidates and graduate mentors will wear proper academic regalia to University Commencement and convocation ceremonies. Candidates, please carry your hood over your arm. It should not be worn before your degree is conferred. Please invite your PhD mentor to participate in the hooding ceremony. If your mentor cannot attend the ceremony, please invite an appropriate substitute from the ASU faculty. Your faculty mentor/hooder or substitute will be seated next to you.  It is the responsibility of graduating doctoral candidate to submit the name of their mentor or hooder (the faculty member attending with you).  For Doctoral students, the link will appear after you have been advance to Candidacy by the Graduate College, applied for graduation and paid your fees.  If the name and contact information for your hooder is not submitted a seat WILL NOT be reserved.

At the designated time, you will hand your hood to your hooder who will then place the hood over your head. As your name is called, you will proceed across the platform. For the ceremony on Monday, May 11 you should plan to arrive no later than 8:00 am. *All Doctoral candidates will check-in with commencement volunteers at the southeast entrance of Sun Devil Stadium. You will receive your reader card at check in before entering the arena.

Professional doctoral candidates

(e.g. AUD, EDD, DBH, DNP, JD)

All Professional Doctoral candidates will wear proper academic regalia to University Graduate Commencement.  Candidates please carry your hood over your arm.  It should not be worn before your degree is conferred.  Please invite your PhD mentor to participate in the hooding ceremony.  If your mentor cannot attend the ceremony, please invite an appropriate substitute from the ASU faculty.  Your faculty mentor/hooder or substitute will be seated next to you.   It is the responsibility of graduating doctoral candidate to submit the name of their mentor or hooder (the faculty member attending with you).  For Doctoral students, the link will appear after you have been advance to Candidacy by the Graduate College, applied for graduation and paid your fees.  If the name and contact information for your hooder is not submitted a seat WILL NOT be reserved.

At the designated time, you will hand your hood to your hooder who will then place the hood over your head.  For commencement on Monday, May 11, 20202 you should plan to arrive no later than 8:00 am.

Summer 2020 Graduates:  Doctoral candidates must complete degree requirements to be eligible to participate in all ceremonies. Doctoral candidates completing coursework, dissertation defense, etc., in August of 2020 are elgibile to participate in December 2020 ceremonies. All degree requirements, successful defense of their dissertation and completion of all documentation required by the Graduate College must be complete in order to participate.  For more information about the procedures for graduation, please click here.

Master's Candidates 

All master's candidates will wear proper academic regalia to University Commencement and convocation ceremonies.  For University Commencement, please bring your hood with you but do not wear it prior to your hood being invested during the ceremony.

At the appropriate time during the ceremony, master degree candidates will come toward the stage and will be hooded by one of the Marshals of Investiture. After being invested with the masters degree hood, masters graduates will return to their seats. Master degree candidates will not be called by name at Graduate Commencement.

Master's candidates will enter Desert Financial Arena through the west tunnel to be seated by college.  For the May 2020 ceremony you should plan to arrive no later than 8:00 am.

Summer 2020 Master and Juris Doctor Candidates:  Master and Juris doctor candidates who completed degree requirements in August of 2020 are eligible to participate in May commencement. Candidates must apply for summer graduation and pay your fees in order to have the RSVP link appear on your My ASU page.  Your name will appear with the listing of students who completed degree requirements in August 2020 in the December 2020 Commencement program.

Graduation Products

Personalized graduation announcements may be purchased online through Herff Jones.