Doctoral Hooding

College of Professional Studies 2024 Doctoral Hooding and Graduation Ceremony

Location and Timing

The College of Professional Studies Doctoral Hooding Ceremony and Graduation will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 10:30 a.m. onwards at Matthews Arena, 238-262 St. Botolph Street, Boston, MA 02115.

The doctoral hooding ceremony is a special, intimate ceremony designed for our doctoral students.

College of Professional Studies Doctoral Hooding 2024 FAQs

Doctoral Hooding & Graduation Ceremony

Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.
Matthews Arena, Boston Campus

The doctoral hooding ceremony is a special, intimate ceremony designed for our doctoral students.

Eligibility for 2024 Hooding Ceremony on May 9, 2024

2024 Degree conferral dates (EdD, DLP, DPT programs):

  • July 2023
  • September 2023
  • December 2023
  • April 2024

July 2024 and Summer 2024 conferral dates will be invited to the May 2025 ceremony.

We highly encourage you to attend the commencement ceremony at your primary campus. 

Each campus of the Global System will be hosting its own ceremony for its graduates. To view the dates and locations, please click here. 

You will receive a separate registration email from your designated global campus. 

You will need to check in for graduation at 8:30 a.m. (subject to change) at the Gainsborough garage near the Matthews Arena parking lot. Failure to check in may result in your exclusion from the ceremony. It is very important that you do not arrive after 10:00 a.m.

Doors open for guests at 9:30 a.m. 

The best way to ensure that you will receive your regalia is to have it shipped to you. You can choose this option when you are completing your ceremony confirmation process in MarchingOrder. 

However, campus pickup will also be available. The cap and gown pickup information for the Class of 2024 will be announced at a later date. 

If you plan to attend the graduation ceremony, your academic regalia, including a cap and gown, will be provided at no cost to you as a keepsake of this special occasion. 

A cap and gown will only be provided to students attending the commencement ceremony or college celebration. 

The 2024 CPS Doctoral Hooding and Graduation Ceremonies will take place on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at Matthews Arena. 

Admission to the ceremony is by ticket only; general seating applies. Ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. 

Parking and Transportation

Complimentary parking for the ceremony will be made available in the Columbus Garage (795 Columbus Avenue, Boston). The garage is a considerable walk from Matthews Arena. If your guest has a mobility issue, it is advisable that you provide a wheelchair and/or drop off your guest at the arena with an escort prior to parking. Parking is handled on a first-come first-served basis.

Guest Entry and Seating

Guests will be admitted by ticket only; general seating applies. Guests enter at the main entrance of Matthews Arena. 

Individuals with mobility issues may use the elevator located inside the main entrance. Northeastern University and/or Matthews Arena staff will be available to assist you. Specific seating locations have been designated within Matthews Arena for wheelchair access only. Guests who use wheelchairs are to be accompanied by no more than one escort and will be directed to these areas by facility personnel. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Graduates will be seated according to degree. Graduates should plan with their guests to meet after the ceremony at a specified location away from Matthews Arena. Your cooperation in doing so will help alleviate the congestion resulting from ceremony attendance and expected pedestrian and vehicle traffic within the immediate area.

Facility Protocol

For safety reasons, the following items are not permitted inside Matthews Arena for the ceremony:

  • Backpacks or bags larger than 12″x 12″x 12.” Women’s handbags of acceptable size may be allowed entry after search.
  • Luggage
  • Baby strollers
  • Outside food/beverages
  • Balloons
  • Wrapped gifts
  • Laptops
  • Drones
  • Laser pointers or similar items
  • Firearms or other weapons
  • Artificial noisemakers
  • Alcohol

All guests and their belongings will be subject to search, at the discretion of Northeastern University. Patrons with prohibited articles will be turned away at the entrances. There is no storage or check-in area for such items. Enforcement will be without exception.

Out of consideration for others, we ask that mobile devices be turned off during the ceremony and that all guests remain seated until the end of the ceremony and after all the graduates have left Matthews Arena.

The graduation ceremony is expected to last 2 hours. 

Out of consideration for others, we ask that you and your guests plan to stay for the entirety of the program. 

The graduate procession into the arena will begin 15 minutes prior to the ceremony start time. Please plan accordingly to see your graduate process into Matthews Arena. 

Yes, you will be given opportunities to “capture the graduation moment” in your official NU (Northeastern University) academic regalia. A professional photographer, GradImages, will be available at the ceremony. Proofs, with information on ordering photos, will be mailed by the photographer to all degree candidates immediately following the ceremony. You may also contact GradImages directly with your questions. 

Here’s some important info:

  • Each doctoral graduate is invited to bring 6 guests to the CPS Doctoral Hooding ceremony in Boston.
  • Admission to the ceremony is by ticket only; general seating applies.
  • Children 2 years or younger who can sit on an adult’s lap for the ceremony do not need a ticket. Please note that strollers are prohibited. Children older than 2 years must have a ticket.
  • You will claim your guest tickets when you confirm your attendance at the ceremony in Marching Order.

As a reminder, the graduation ceremony will be live streamed on the CPS graduation website for your loved ones who cannot attend in person.

Tickets will be available electronically only through your graduate Marching Order account.

There will be closed captioning available on the screen for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. 

Yes. There is handicap seating throughout the arena. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.

We understand that attending the ceremony can be a special and exciting moment, and we want to ensure that all of our graduates have a positive experience. If you need assistance or have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Learner Services.

They can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 1-833-NU-LEARN (1-833-685-3276).

If you require any accommodation during the ceremony, we would like to make the process as seamless as possible for you. When registering for the ceremony through Marching Order, please kindly indicate on the registration form that you require accommodation so that it can be arranged ahead of time for you. We want to ensure that your ceremony experience is enjoyable and stress-free.

This ceremony is exclusively reserved for eligible Doctoral candidates, and it represents a proud moment for both you and the university. Your faculty advisor will have the distinguished privilege of presenting you with your Doctoral Hood during the ceremony.

Your official diploma will be mailed to you four to six weeks after the Office of the Registrar has officially awarded your degree. Please be advised that for international mail, an additional one to two weeks should be allowed for delivery. These time frames are estimates and subject to change. Graduates will be notified of the exact diploma mailing dates in advance. Additionally, it is important to note that diplomas cannot be picked up on campus.

Please see the Commencement Office website for FAQs regarding diplomas or contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected]. Please include your student ID number.

Northeastern is located within walking distance or a short drive from more than a dozen hotels in the greater Boston area. We suggest starting your search in the Back Bay area of Boston. 

If you have questions about the CPS Graduation or Doctoral Hooding ceremonies, please contact [email protected] or phone 1-833-NU-LEARN (1-833-685-3276).