Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

The Doctoral Hooding Ceremony is held at the end of each semester. This event is different and separate from the Commencement Ceremony which is held only in the Spring and Fall semesters. In the hooding, doctoral candidates are celebrated and hooded by their Supervising Professor and Dean.

Commencement ceremonies are held at the conclusion of each spring and fall semester. In this ceremony, both undergraduate and graduate candidates are celebrated and officially graduate with a degree, given that the students have met all of the requirements and their degree is conferred. Diplomas are mailed out 6-8 weeks after commencement to the master’s candidates. Doctoral graduates receive their diplomas at the commencement ceremonies and at the summer Doctoral Hooding Ceremony. Diplomas for doctoral candidates who do not attend the commencement will be mailed out 10-12 business days following the commencement ceremony.

Doctoral candidates are highly encouraged to attend both the Hooding Ceremony and the Commencement in the Fall or Spring to celebrate their achievements.

STUDENTS: Doctoral regalia is required for participation. You can rent/purchase your regalia here.

It is customary for the Supervising Professor to hood their doctoral candidate on stage along with the Graduate Dean. If there is a co-chair, they have the option to also assist in the hooding. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their hooding professor to confirm that they have accepted to hood them on stage. In the event that the Supervising Professor is unable to hood the student, the student may ask any member of their committee.

Hooding professors will receive instructions, the script, and seating chart closer to the event date.

All hooding professors are required to wear regalia to hood their students on stage. Hooding professors can order regalia from the bookstore by using the faculty order form.

All hooding professors are required to wear regalia to hood their students on stage. Hooding professors can order regalia from the bookstore by using the faculty order form. Hooding professors may also check with their departments for available regalia that they can borrow.

FACULTY: Faculty/Hooding Professors can rent their regalia from the bookstore here. Deadlines TBD.

The ceremony begins promptly at 1 p.m. Doctoral Candidates and their hooding professors should arrive no later than 12:00 p.m. to line up together and receive further instructions. At 1 p.m. they will then process into the auditorium together. A reception will follow the ceremony in the lobby area.

Each candidate may invite up to 15 guests. Guests should plan to arrive early in order to find parking and be seated in the auditorium before the processional. Doors will open at 12:15 p.m. Guest parking information will be provided closer to the event date via email.

Live streaming of the event will be available on https://ets.utdallas.edu/media-services/webcasts

Also a DVD of the ceremony will be available for purchase here.

Doctoral graduates receive their diplomas at the commencement ceremonies and at the summer Doctoral Hooding Ceremony. Diplomas for doctoral candidates who do not attend the commencement will be mailed out 10-12 business days following the commencement ceremony. If you have any questions regarding your diploma, please contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected].