Commencement
Commencement
The Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony will include the graduates from the College of Education.
Location: Credit Union 1 Arena (525 S Racine Ave, Chicago, IL 60607)
Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Congratulations, Spring 2025 graduates!
Please visit UIC Spring 2025 Commencement for the most up-to-date information.
Participation in Commencement
Students who complete their degree requirements during the summer or fall semesters are eligible to participate in the December commencement ceremony.
To be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony, you must:
- Apply to graduate via Student Self-Service during the registration period.
- Meet with your academic advisor and verify your degree requirements.
- To participate in the Spring 2025 commencement ceremony, students must register through Marching Orders as soon as possible. Look for your email with the unique registration link from Marching Orders. If you have not received the link, please email commencement@uic.edu.
For questions about degree progress, please make an appointment with your College of Education Academic Advisor.
Commencement Speaker: Sharon Bush, President, Grand Victoria Foundation
Sharon Bush is the President of Grand Victoria Foundation, a $150 million grantmaking organization with annual giving of $10 million to nonprofit organizations across Illinois.
With over 20 years in the social sector, Sharon has spearheaded transformations of organizations and initiatives that resulted in deep social and economic impact. She is a trustee of Roosevelt University, a community of educators, scholars, and learners committed to academic, creative, and service excellence. She was appointed to the Chicago Fed Advisory Council on Small Business, Community and Economic Development, Agriculture and Labor, comprised of diverse leaders who advise the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago leadership about issues impacting their industries and communities. Sharon is chair of the Board of Directors of ABFE, a national philanthropic organization that advocates for responsive and transformative investments in Black communities.
Born and raised on Chicago’s west side, Sharon has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Public Administration from Roosevelt University.
Information for Students
Who can participate in Spring 2025 Commencement Ceremony?
Students who complete their degree requirements during Spring 2025 semester and who have filed their Intent to Graduate form are eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony.
Student Registration
Student Registration
To participate in the Spring 2025 commencement ceremony, students must register. Look for your email with the unique registration link from Marching Orders. If you have not received the link, please email commencement@uic.edu.
Guest Tickets
Guest tickets are required to enter the ceremony. You can request tickets on the registration form. Details will be sent in the registration email. Please do not take more tickets than you need.
Ordering Caps and Gowns
Caps and gowns are required to participate in the commencement ceremony. Caps and gowns are available for purchase from the UIC Bookstore, located on the first floor of Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted. You can also order online, shipping and in store pickup options are available. Note that cap and gowns cannot be purchased the day of graduation. Tassels are to be worn to the front-right of the cap prior to the ceremony. When degrees are conferred, graduates will be instructed to switch them to the left side.
Virtual Ceremony
In addition to our in-person events, all events have a virtual ceremony which will include the live webcast and the customizable graduate slides. The virtual sites will be posted on our homepage closer to the ceremony dates. Commencement | University of Illinois Chicago (uic.edu)
All graduates are encouraged to customize a commencement slide through the Marching Orders registration system. Graduates can customize a slide with a photo and personal message that can be downloaded and shared with family and friends or posted to social media. In addition to the virtual ceremonies, the customized slides will be shown prior to the in-person events for most ceremonies.
If you have any questions, please email commencement@uic.edu.
Video and Photography
The College of Education Commencement is televised live through the University’s Commencement website, and archived audiovisual recordings can also be viewed after the ceremony through the website. In addition, still photographs of Commencement activities are taken for University archival and promotional purposes.
Professional photographs will be taken of each graduate as they cross the stage and as they leave the stage with their diploma cover in hand and will be available for order. Within 2 to 3 days following the ceremony, the photographs will be posted online and can be accessed via the following web page by entering the last name of the graduate and the Commencement year: http://www.gradimages.com/universityofillinoischicago. Graduates will also receive proofs and order forms from the photography company to both the mailing and email addresses you provided on the Attendance Reservation Form within 2 to 7 days following the ceremony.
Diploma Information
Diplomas represent degrees earned, not majors and minors. Majors are only listed on diplomas for students with specialized curricula. See a list of how diplomas and majors are represented (see – “Degree Conferred”). Transcripts, however, list all appropriate majors, minors, and concentrations. Educational goals are not listed on diplomas or on transcripts.
Diplomas will be ordered and sent 4-6 weeks after degrees are certified. UIC’s diploma printing group, Michael Sutter, has provided a link that shows what a student’s diploma will say and when it was mailed. Students can begin checking the website 2-4 weeks after degrees are certified to see when a diploma was sent.
Address Change Information
Personal information (e.g., address change) and diploma information can be found on the UIC Registrar website.
Important Links for Graduating Students & Their Families
Important Links for Graduating Students & Their Families
What is the difference between Commencement and Graduation?
Graduation is the official awarding of degrees earned, while Commencement is the event which celebrates the completion of degree programs.
General Information for Faculty and Staff
Faculty attending the commencement ceremony should arrive no later than 6:00 p.m.
Enter through Gate 2, located to the right of the main doors.
Obtain your academic attire, if needed, from the faculty robing area on the lower concourse of the Credit Union 1 Arena.
By 6:00 p.m. form a double line behind the Platform Party of campus and college officials. Staff will guide you.
How do Faculty and Staff order Regalia?
Please click HERE to order your regalia as soon as possible, as the deadline to request academic apparel is March 16, 2025. All electronic orders will be confirmed via e-mail. Regalia will be delivered to Credit Union 1 Arena and picked up on the ceremony day.
Additional information
Commencement 2023 Photos
Contact Us
If you have a question that has not been answered online, please contact us at edstudentsuccess@uic.edu.