Graduate Commencement

DATE: Sunday, May 3, 2026

TIME: 10 a.m.

LOCATION: The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, 400 Oriskany Street West, Utica NY 13502

To register and order regalia, students must complete the Commencement Participation Form no later than April 1.

Who Can Participate in Graduate Commencement

Students completing one of the following degrees are eligible to participate in the Graduate Commencement Ceremony:

Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Master's degree in Accounting
Master of Business Administration
Master's degree in Cybersecurity
Master of Professional Studies in Cyber Policy and Risk Analysis
Master's degree in Data Science
Master's degree in Financial Crime and Compliance Management (Economic Crime Management)
Master's degree in Education
Master's degree in Health Care Administration
Master's degree in Nursing
Master's degree in Occupational Therapy
Master's degree in Social Work
Advanced Graduate Certificate

To participate in the May 2026 Commencement Ceremony:

Students wishing to participate in the Graduate Commencement Ceremony MUST notify Utica University of this intention by submitting an RSVP via the link below by the April 1 deadline. Due to mail and shipping delays missing this deadline may result in not receiving your regalia by the ceremony date.
Order Regalia (cap, gown, and hood) no later than April 1 - Students are required to order their cap and gown through the Utica University Bookstore.

Graduate Application for Degree Graduate RSVP/Regalia Order Form

Commencement Prep

As the milestone of commencement approaches, there may always seem like one more thing to do. Utica University's Commencement Committee strives to make the process as easy as possible with a checklist for preparation, rehearsal to better understand the logistics of the ceremony, and numerous activities all week long to celebrate your achievement.

Graduating students are welcome to print the following announcement to Utica University's 2026 Graduate Commencement ceremony to share with family, friends, and loved ones.

Please note that all guests must have a ticket for entry into the Adirondack Bank Center to attend Utica University's Commencement ceremonies. Ticket information can be found in a separate tab on the Commencement website.

Graduating and Walking in Commencement Rules for Graduate Students

Students must meet the total credit hours required for their program (assuming they will pass the courses they are currently registered for) to be eligible to graduate.
Students should be eligible to graduate to apply to walk in commencement.
Students are eligible to walk in a May commencement only if they graduated the previous August or previous December, or if they will graduate that May.
Students who have not completed degree requirements are not eligible to participate in commencement ceremonies. Exceptions may be made for:
1. Students who are completing degree requirements in the summer session, provided they are registered for no more than 8 credit hours.
2. Students in an education certification program that have completed all degree requirements except student teaching.
Students who graduated more than 2 semesters prior to a commencement ceremony are not eligible to walk in that ceremony. (E.g., a student who graduated in May 2023 is not eligible to walk in the May 2024 ceremony.)
Students may not walk in more than one commencement ceremony per program but may walk a subsequent time for an additional program. (E.g., a student who completes an MS in Cybersecurity and then an MBA may walk twice, once for each degree program.)

Students graduating with their Master's or Doctoral degree have special academic regalia for commencement, different from each other and from their undergraduate regalia. All three robes are different, so it's important to know which degree you are receiving. For both Master's and Doctoral degree regalia, a hood is an additional component with colors that represent the graduate's academic program and college/university, which goes around the neck and drapes down the back. The hoods vary slightly in size depending of the level of degree. Because hoods are a key component of the graduate academic regalia, stoles will not be allowed (stoles only can be worn with undergraduate regalia). Doctoral graduates wear a tam (soft-sided hat) instead of the traditional mortarboard cap.

Your academic regalia (cap, gown, and hood) must be ordered and purchased from the Utica Bookstore. The regalia order form is part of the Commencement RSVP. Ordering your regalia is a three-step process: (1) reserving your regalia based on size and academic program by April 1, (2) arranging payment with the Utica Bookstore, and (3) arranging pickup or shipping of your regalia with the Utica Bookstore. You will be asked to take a brief survey before being connected to the regalia order form. Orders MUST be placed by the April 1, 2026 deadline to ensure receipt in time for participation in commencement!

Graduate RSVP / REGALIA FORM

How to wear your regalia:

On the day of the ceremony graduates should wear their gown and cap (the tassel should hang on your left side), the hood should be kept readily accessible, but not worn. Please make sure that the cord on the back of the hood is un-buttoned to make it easier for to place over your head.

Master's Degree Regalia

Master's gown, includes mortarboard cap w/tassel
Master's hood

Doctoral Degree Regalia

Doctoral gown, includes doctoral tam
Doctoral hood

The Regalia Order form has been combined with the Attendance Notification - RSVP form to streamline the process.

Have you:

Ordered your cap, gown, and hood from the Utica Bookstore via the link to the left? Orders MUST be placed by the April 1, deadline to ensure receipt in time for participation in commencement.

Completed the online RSVP - Attendance Notification form via the link to the left letting Utica University know whether or not you plan on participating in the Graduate Commencement Ceremony? Deadline to RSVP is April 1.

Received your regalia package.

Paid the graduation fee charged to your student account via your BannerWeb Student Account? Note that this fee appears on your account at the beginning of the semester in which you plan to complete your degree requirements (your graduation date) after you've Applied for Degree.

Completed your Exit Interview with Student Financial Services if you received federal student loans? Note that this happens the semester in which you plan to complete your degree requirements (your graduation date) or if you drop below half-time.

Submitted the Graduate-to-Be Survey?

For questions about accommodations for guests with special needs, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at provost@utica.edu or at (315) 792-3122.

Please note that two sign language interpreters will be at both the undergraduate and graduate Commencement ceremonies. Interpreters will be located near the stage, as well as projected on the jumbo screens. Additionally, the Adirondack Bank Center has designated seating for those in wheelchairs, which is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Commencement Week Activities

The full list of Commencement Week activities and celebrations will be announced soon. Please check back.

Q: When is commencement?

The Graduate Commencement Ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at 10 a.m. EST.

Q: Do I need to let anyone know if I will/will not be attending?

Yes, students wishing to participate in the Graduate Commencement Ceremony MUST notify Utica University of this intention by submitting the RSVP – Attendance Notification form by the March 15th deadline. Due to mail and shipping delays, missing this deadline may result in not receiving your regalia by the ceremony date.

Q: How do I reset my password so that I can log in to the required commencement web-pages?

To get your password go to https://password.utica.edu, the same website you use to activate and reset passwords for your email, ENGAGE, and network accounts. Enter your student ID number, last four digits of your social security number, and date of birth. Remember to include all four numbers in the year of your birth. Click "Activate/Reset Account."

Q: How long will the ceremony last?

Students and guests should expect the ceremony to last approximately 2 hours.

Q: How do I obtain my cap, gown, and hood?

Your academic regalia (cap, gown, and hood) must be ordered and purchased from the Utica Bookstore either via the link on the Caps, Gowns, and Hoods webpage. Ordering your regalia is a three-step process: (1) reserving your regalia based on size and academic program by April 1, (2) arranging payment with the Utica Bookstore, and (3) arranging pickup or shipping of your regalia with the Utica Bookstore. Orders MUST be placed by the March 15th deadline to ensure receipt in time for participation in commencement.

Q: How do I wear my cap, gown, and hood?

Prior to the start of the ceremony you should be wearing your gown and cap (the tassel should hang on your left side), the hood should be draped over your left arm, and hold your name card n your right hand. Please make sure that the cord on the back of the hood is unbuttoned to make it easier to place over your head.

Q: Can someone special hood me on stage?

No, the logistics do not allow for such a request. Hoods will be placed around graduate students' necks by their Program Chair/Director and their Academic Dean.

Q: Do grad students graduate with honors?

No. At the graduate level students do not graduate with honors (e.g., Dean's List, President's List, Cum Laude, Valedictorian). Such honors are only recognized at the undergraduate level. Successfully completing an advanced degree at the graduate level is a significant accomplishment in and of itself due to higher academic standards (including the requirement to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better to graduate), and this separate Graduate Commencement Ceremony is a special recognition of that achievement.

Q: Do I still need to pay the graduate fee if I don't want to participate in Commencement?

Yes. The graduate fee is used to help cover administrative costs of you graduating from Utica University (receiving your diploma), which is separate from participating in the commencement ceremony - graduation and commencement are two separate events.

DEFINITIONS:

"Graduation" is an academic process that involves the official conferral of your Bachelor's degree. It involves a careful review of your academic record and approval by the University. This happens every May, August, and December.
"Commencement" is the annual ceremony where we celebrate our achievements and recognize our degree candidates. This happens once each year, in May.

Q: What if I have a question?

If you have additional questions, contact the Office of Academic Affairs at provost @utica.edu or at (315) 792.3344.

Day-of Details

Information to help you the day of commencement.

Harold Coleman in dark suit and blue tie, smiles.

Utica University is thrilled to welcome back Harold Coleman G’17 as commencement speaker for the 2026 Graduate Commencement ceremony on May 3 at the Adirondack Bank Center in downtown Utica.

He is the Senior Vice President of Information Services at Upstate Caring Partners, a non-profit agency that for more than 75 years has offered programs and services to people of all abilities and become a leader in special education, residential and community services, and behavioral health support. For more than 18 years, Howard has led enterprise technology initiatives with a people‑centered approach.

Earned his MBA from Utica University in 2017, he serves on the boards of his church, the Center for Leadership Excellence, David’s KidZ International, and Camp Shiloh Ministries.

Raised in Port Byron, New York, the proud husband and father of two daughters currently lives in Oriskany Falls, New York.

“As an alumnus, being chosen to serve as commencement speaker is both humbling and deeply meaningful," Coleman says. "It is a privilege to celebrate this moment with the graduates.”

Utica University's graduate programs prepare professionals to meet the present and future challenges posed by the increasing complexity of our global society and to assume the leadership roles necessary to guide their organizations through the ever-changing information and technology age.

Tickets are required for all guests to attend Utica University's Graduate Commencement ceremony. Degree candidates will receive six tickets in their student regalia package. Please note that tickets are general admission and that there is no reserved or assigned seating.

Graduating students do not require a ticket, nor do infants or small children under the age of two who can sit comfortably on a adult's lap.

Based on the number of students that are currently planning to attend the Graduate Commencement ceremony, we anticipate having a limited number of additional guest tickets available. Additional tickets will be made available on a first come, first serve basis beginning at a DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED to graduating students who have completed their RSVP to participate in Commencement. Students will be limited to no more than three additional tickets. Graduate students can pick-up additional tickets in the Office of Student Living and Campus Engagement (206 Strebel Student Center). Off-campus Graduate students may email the Office of Student Living and Campus Engagement at SLCE@utica.edu to request additional tickets.

Student not using their tickets are encouraged to share them with other graduating students or turn them in to the Office of Student Living and Campus Engagement (SLCE) so they can be distributed to other students. Please note that lost tickets cannot be replaced.

There are several parking lots near and around the Adirondack Bank Center, with some being paid lots. Street parking is also available. Guests, as well as graduating students, should plan to arrive at the Adirondack Bank Center at least 30 minutes prior to the ceremony start time to allow sufficient time to go through security.

For details on parking at the Adirondack Bank Center, visit their web site.

There's plenty to see and do while in the surrounding area, and to help you along the way, Utica University has compiled a list of hotels, motels, inns, and restaurants to help you during your stay.

Hotels and Restaurants

Video and Remote Viewing Options

Utica University brings commencement to you through live streaming and video archives of past ceremonies that allow you to stay in the comfort of your own home and enjoy the ceremony.

On Sunday, May 3, prior to 10 a.m., the video window box for Utica University's graduate Commencement livestream will be posted to the Commencement landing page.

Those wishing to view the livestream will simply need to click the video window box.