Undergraduate Commencement

Congratulations, undergraduate candidates!

Completing your degree is a big accomplishment, and we want to make sure your commencement ceremony goes as smoothly as possible. The following information will help ensure you have a great experience.

Planning to participate in Commencement? Make sure to RSVP and order your cap and gown. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions page. If you have any additional questions, email us at commencement@niu.edu. Please include the name of your college in your message.

When to Arrive

You should plan to arrive one hour before your ceremony begins to allow enough time for parking and be sure to wear your cap and gown. If you get there late, you might not be able to participate in the ceremony. You'll receive detailed ceremony instructions in your student email closer the ceremony dates. View a sample of assembly instructions (PDF).

Commencement Program and Privacy

The commencement program lists the names of students who applied to graduate. Your name will only appear in the program if you applied to graduate by the deadline set by Registration and Records.

If you entered a preferred/proper name in MyNIU, that name will be listed in the commencement program. If you’d like to change or remove your preferred/proper name, you must submit the change in MyNIU by the deadline to apply to graduate. Please note: Your diploma will include only your legal name.

Please note: Your name won't appear in the commencement program or other public notifications (such as your hometown newspaper) if you suppressed the release of your name in your privacy settings in MyNIU. Read more about the confidentiality of your student record. To control whether or not your name is published, check your privacy settings in MyNIU before the application deadline.