2026 Graduate Commencement

2026 Schedule of events

Graduate Commencement ceremony

Friday, June 5, 2–3:30 p.m., Tiffany Loop 

Graduates, please arrive promptly by 1:30 p.m. to line up. Meet on the Fifth Avenue streetscape (between Marston and Weter), and line up according to program. Doctoral students, with hoods in hand, should line up at the front of the processional (on the south end of the Streetscape), by program. Staff will be on hand to direct you.

The processional will begin moving down to Tiffany Loop at 1:55 p.m. Keep your place in line and be sure to sit in your assigned row.

If you have any accessibility needs (e.g., cannot manage stairs), please contact graduationinfo@spu.edu, so that we can assist with accommodations.

After Commencement

Meeting family members/guests: Following the platform party and faculty recessional (students will not recess), you can visit with your family members and guests in Tiffany Loop and take photos up by the platform.

Graduate hooding ceremonies

Friday, June 5 (various locations on campus; contact your department or school for information)

Stay tuned for our 2026 Graduate Commencement speaker announcement!

Before you graduate

There are important steps you must take before you graduate (further instructions provided below):

• Apply to graduate in Banner by January 15, 2026
• Beginning February 1, register for Commencement events through Banner by May 26, 2026
• Order your regalia
• Pick up your regalia

Regalia (caps, gowns, and hoods) is required for participation in the Graduate Hooding and Graduate Commencement ceremonies. All gowns are black, and hood and tassel colors depend upon your degree.

Ordering

You will need to purchase your cap, gown, and tassel online through Josten's by midnight on Thursday, March 5, if you plan on picking it up at Grad Fest on April 9. If you do not purchase your regalia by March 5, some pre-packed regalia and optional accessories will be available to purchase at Grad Fest. After March 5, regalia can be ordered online for home delivery only. Home delivery orders placed after midnight on Sunday, April 19, cannot be guaranteed for delivery prior to Commencement 

For doctoral graduates only: If you are or will be employed in an academic environment where you will need to wear regalia on an annual basis, you may want to consider purchasing higher quality, custom doctoral robes. There will be a Josten's representative at Grad Fest, on April 9, to assist you with the ordering process. Or, you may contact our Josten's rep directly to order in advance of Grad Fest. (If you are ordering custom robes, the order-by date of March 5 mentioned above does not apply to you.)

If you have any issues or questions associated with ordering regalia, please contact the Bookstore at 206-281-2137 or bookstore@spu.edu.

Picking up regalia

If your regalia order is placed by March 5, your regalia will be ready to pick up at Grad Fest on April 9. Orders placed after March 5 will be delivered to the address specified in your order.

Announcements, diploma frames, and class rings

You can order announcements, diploma frames, and class rings through the Josten's website. Diploma frames are also available in the SPU Store.

Wearing your regalia

As a master’s and doctoral graduate, you will wear your tassel on the left side of your cap or tam.

Remember to wear comfortable footwear, as you will be on your feet quite a bit. Note that the Graduate Commencement ceremony is outside, so please plan your clothing and footwear accordingly.

About graduate hoodings

Graduate hooding ceremonies, where master’s students will be hooded, will be held at various times and campus locations prior to the Graduate Commencement ceremony (doctoral students will be hooding during the Graduate Commencement ceremony). All students wear regalia. Hooding ceremonies are an intimate celebration of students and their program faculty. Some hooding ceremonies do require registration or tickets, so students should check in with their graduate program coordinator.

Getting there

Please refer to the directions and parking page and to the hooding location map for more information.

The rain plan for Graduate Commencement goes into effect only if there is a forecast for severe weather, including heavy rain and/or thunder and lightning. With such a forecast, SPU will send a Rain Plan Notice, via email, to all registered graduating students, as well as faculty and staff. If you do not receive this notice, you can assume the ceremonies will take place, as planned, outdoors. Please, however, plan for the weather. The ceremonies will take place outdoors even in light rain.