Brand new tradition for University-wide Commencement ceremonies!
Graduate Students will now be able to attend a Commencement ceremony closer to their degree conferral date- one in January and another in May!
As of January 2017, Montclair State is eliminating our school-based convocation ceremonies and implementing three separate Commencement ceremonies for both graduates and undergraduates. Graduate students will be able to attend one of two Commencement ceremonies held in the year, depending on when they complete their graduation requirements.
The year’s first graduation ceremony will be held on Monday, January 23, 2017 for all Undergraduate and Graduate students who will have completed their graduation requirements in:
- Summer term 2016
- Fall term 2016
- Winter term 2017
Location: Prudential Center, Newark
Ceremony Start Time: 7 p.m.
The second Commencement ceremony will take place on Monday, May 22, 2017 for all graduate students who have completed their graduation requirements in:
- Spring 2017
Location: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark
Ceremony Start Time: 7 p.m.
These three Commencement ceremonies will replace the separate Convocation and Commencement ceremonies of prior years. Each of the three Commencement ceremonies will have the following characteristics:
- Students and their families will attend only one event.
- Every graduate’s name will be announced as they walk across the stage.
- All ceremonies will be indoors, eliminating the uncertainties of the weather.
- The facilities will provide sufficient space for guests.
- Graduates will have the opportunity to participate in a ceremony that is closer in time to the term in which they actually complete their degrees.
Why the change?
The increasing number of our graduates, together with the University’s limited ability to hold graduation-sized events on campus, necessitated a change in the University’s Commencement planning. The new plan developed for the 2016-2017 academic year was based on careful review of the survey information received from graduates in recent years and on a thorough review of available venues and a number of related logistical issues. The new plan is designed to give students what they have told us they wanted – an exciting and satisfying experience in which their achievements are personally recognized and an event that is predictable and provides for the comfort of their guests.