Commencement

May 16, 2025 – 

• Undergraduate Tropaia Ceremony, 10 a.m., Gaston Hall
• Undergraduate Dean’s Reception, 11 a.m. PwC Plaza, Rafik. B Hariri Building
• Graduate Commencement, 3 p.m., Healy Lawn
• Graduate Reception, 5 p.m., Rafik B. Hariri Building

May 17, 2025 – 

• Izmirlian B.S. in Business and Global Affairs Program Ceremony, 9 a.m., Gaston Hall
• Undergraduate Commencement, 2:30 p.m., Healy Lawn
• Undergraduate Reception, 3:30 p.m., PwC Plaza, Rafik B. Hariri Building

Marching Order is the software system we use to verify student data, collect information such as name pronunciation and accommodation requests, and track expected attendance. You will receive several emails from MSBEvents@georgetown.edu regarding this process, so make sure the email address is added to your safe senders list and you read each email carefully.

If weather permits and the commencement ceremony takes place outside under the tents on Healy Lawn, there is no limit to the number of guests you can bring. 

In the case of severe weather, ceremonies will be held in the McDonough Arena. Due to space allowances in this space, our graduate ceremony will accommodate up to three guests. No ticketing will be required for any undergraduate ceremony.

• Full-time and Flex MBA
• Executive MBA – D.C. and Dubai cohorts
• EML-Qatar
• M.A. in International Business and Policy
• M.S. in Management
• M.S. in Business Analytics
• M.S. in Global Real Assets
• M.S. in Finance

Student lineup begins at 1:15 p.m. for masters level students on Friday, May 16, and at 11:45 a.m. for the undergraduate ceremony on Saturday, May 17. Students will receive further lineup instructions from their academic program office prior to commencement.

Guests are encouraged to arrive one hour prior to the ceremony start time. Seating is on a first come, first served basis, but there are ceremonies before that need to finish before guests for the McDonough event can find their seats.

Please reference the Travel and Parking Tips page for more information on travel, parking, and directions around campus. 

Yes, the ceremony will be livestreamed on Georgetown University’s Facebook Page. 

The university will make an announcement 4 hours before the event, indicating whether the severe weather plan will be in effect. A Hoya Alert will be issued to all students, faculty, and staff if the severe weather plan goes into effect.

Tickets will be assigned through Marching Order as needed.

Please email MSBEvents@georgetown.edu if you and/or your guests require accommodations. Someone from the McDonough Events team will be in touch with you regarding what accommodations can be provided.

You must bring your cap, gown, hood, and tassel to the student lineup. We will demonstrate how to place your hood on your arm when you arrive, and staff will be available to help with regalia. Dress is professional and should be weather appropriate. Please wear appropriate shoes (no sneakers or flip flops), keeping in mind that you will need to climb stairs and potentially walk in wet conditions. 

Please leave your personal items with guests before arriving for lineup. Only graduates are allowed into the lineup areas (ICC and White Gravenor). We are not allowed to leave anything is the buildings or tents during graduation, so please do not bring purses, accessories, or extra clothing items with you. Staff will not be responsible for anything lost, stolen, or left behind. 

In the event of weather conditions, you will be permitted to carry an umbrella for the outdoor ceremony. You may not use the umbrella once seated but you may use it during lineup. The seating areas on the Healy Lawn will be covered by tents. You may leave the umbrella at your seat while you ascend the stage and retrieve it before the recessional. 

During commencement, we will recognize Beta Gamma Sigma (recognition in the commencement book; cords and pins on regalia); valedictorian, salutatorian, and Latin honors for relevant academic programs, and McDonough Scholars for relevant academic programs. 

The commencement speakers for the graduate ceremony and undergraduate ceremony will be announced closer to the date of commencement.

During the ceremony, you will receive a paper scroll when you cross the stage. The registrar’s office will mail diplomas to graduates using the address you provided in MyAccess when you applied to graduate. 

Yes, the university contracts with an independent company, GradImages Studios, that will take photos of each graduate as they walk across the stage. Graduates will receive information about purchasing these photos after commencement. 

Please let family and friends know they will not be permitted to move closer to the stage in order to get a photo. 

Your Georgetown email address is yours forever! You also will have lifetime access to login to Canvas, but many instructors make specific course sites unavailable as soon as the semester is over so you should download any course materials you may need to your computer before the end of the semester.

Per the Tech Center, you’ll have access to your Zoom account for approximately three to four months after graduation, at which point your Georgetown Zoom account will be reverted to a basic account.

The Georgetown University library grants alumni access to various resources. Please refer to the Georgetown University library website for more information. 

If you hold the University’s Premier Plan student health insurance, your 2022-2023 coverage will remain active through August 2024.