Winter Commencement FAQs

Graduation is the official academic conferring/awarding of degrees earned. It is not the ceremony. Dominican confers degrees five times each year. 

Commencement is the ceremony celebrating the completion of degree programs. Dominican has ceremonies—December and May. Participation in a Commencement ceremony does not represent satisfactory completion of all degree requirements. Students do not receive an official diploma or have access to their official transcript signifying graduation until all course requirements have been fulfilled. 

The 2026 Fall Semester Commencement Ceremony will take place on December 13 in Lund Auditorium on Dominican University's River Forest campus. It is a single ceremony for both graduate and undergraduate students. The Spring Commencement Ceremonies—Undergraduate and Graduate—take place in May.

Graduating students can request tickets on the Countdown to Commencement Canvas Page. Each graduate can request up to four (4) tickets for the 2026 Winter Commencement. All guests, including babies and children, will need a ticket for entry. Graduates do not need a ticket. 

Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open one hour before the ceremony. 

Ample free parking is available in DU's west parking lot and in the parking garage. See the Campus Map for reference.

For anyone who prefers to listen to the ceremony in Spanish, headsets will be available for check out in the lobby.

The Commencement Ceremony will be streamed live in English and with Spanish subtitles. The livestream will be available on December 13 on the Commencement Livestream page. 

Yes, a photographer will be on site for the Commencement ceremony. Graduates will have an opportunity to pre-register on the Grad Images website to save up to 20%. 

The link will be posted in the Countdown to Commencement website, which will be sent to the DU email of graduating students. Since photographs will be available, family members and guests are encouraged to remain in their seats, relax, and enjoy the ceremony. 

All students participating in the Commencement ceremony must wear regalia. Ordering information is available to students in their Countdown to Commencement website. A link to the Countdown to Commencement website will be emailed to the DU email accounts of graduating students. 

Undergraduate regalia includes cap, tassel, and gown. Graduate regalia includes cap, tassel, gown, and hood. 

Attire should be business-appropriate (i.e., no jeans, flip-flops, shorts, etc.).

The regalia is the "keepsake" variety—graduates do not need to return regalia after the Commencement ceremonies. The regalia is yours to keep.

Printed announcements can be ordered through Herff Jones. Ordering information is available to students in the Countdown to Commencement website. A link to the Countdown to Commencement website will be emailed to the DU email accounts of graduating students.

Dominican University class rings or other jewelry can be purchased from Herff Jones. Ordering information is available to students in the Countdown to Commencement website. A link to the Countdown to Commencement website will be emailed to the DU email accounts of graduating students.

Please bring your tickets and enthusiasm for your amazing student.

Items not allowed include: large signs, balloons, tripods or other bulky photography equipment, noisemakers, laser pointers, pets (working service animals welcome), and bags larger than a backpack. When in doubt, please leave it at home or in your car. Items cannot be held at the door.