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PLEASE NOTE: The following information is only applicable to the Graduate Student Commencement Ceremony scheduled for 3 p.m., Saturday, May 13, 2023. If you are seeking information about the Undergraduate Student Ceremony scheduled for 9 a.m., Saturday, May 13, 2023, please go to the Undergraduate Student Ceremony FAQ page.
Graduate Student Commencement Ceremony (Students receiving a master’s or doctorate)
Saturday, May 13, 2023
1:15 p.m. Student Lineup; 3 p.m. Processional
Renaissance Coliseum,
N Maplewood Ave,
Peoria, IL 61602
Each graduate is allowed to invite and bring as many guests to the ceremony as they would like. Tickets are not required for the ceremony. In the unlikely event we reach seating capacity in the ceremony arena, guests will be turned away. The ceremony will also be livestreamed for guests who are unable to attend.
Yes. For any guests who need accessible seating, please have them tell an usher when the arena doors open and they will be helped to the accessible seating area.
Graduate students will line up for the ceremony in the practice gym located in the renaissance coliseum. The doors to the gym will open at 1:15 p.m. and graduates MUST be in line no later than 2:30 p.m. Please note, only the doors on the West side of the building, across from the Main street parking deck, will be open for student access. There will be signs outside directing you to the proper entrance. All graduates are responsible for their own transportation to and from the event.
Master’s and doctoral degree recipients will not be able to sit next to their friends during the ceremony and must line up in the designated order upon arrival to ensure they are hooded by the appropriate person during the ceremony.
Graduate students should arrive dressed in their cap and gown. Hoods should not be worn, but carried into the ceremony. Students should also bring their reader card with them to the ceremony. Personal items cannot be left in the lineup area; please consider leaving all personal items with your guests. Bradley University will not be held responsible for any items left behind, lost, or stolen during the ceremony.
All on-campus graduates will be provided a reader card when they pick up their cap and gown; they will hand the card to a designated reader before crossing the stage. Distance education students will be able to pick up their reader cards the day of the ceremony in the line up area.
All graduates will receive an email, closer to the ceremony date, with a personalized link to a website where they will be able to record their name. The deadline to submit the recording is April 17th, 2023 at 11 p.m.
Graduates will pick up their reader card when they pick up their cap and gown. Distance education students will be able to pick up their reader card in the lineup area.
Guests may begin arriving at the Renaissance Coliseum as early as 2 p.m. The doors to the arena where guests will be seated will open at 2:15 p.m. Please plan accordingly if standing for longer periods of time is difficult.
Guests and graduates should park in the Main Street Parking Deck, located to the west of Renaissance Coliseum.
The ceremony is estimated to end around 5 p.m. Graduates and guests should plan accordingly.
On-Campus Students:
You must order your cap and gown online through Jostens. Students will be able to pick up their cap and gowns at the Grad Fair. The deadline to order a cap and gown is April 17th, 2023.
Distance Education Students:
You must order your cap and gown online through Jostens. The items you order will be sent to the address you provide when completing the order. The deadline to order a cap and gown is April 17th, 2023.
Grad Fair, or Graduation Fair, is an event hosted by the Alumni Relations Office where students can take some fun photos, grab a quick snack, and get in on some fun giveaways. On-campus students can also pick up their cap and gown. The Grad Fair will take place May 4, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. on the 3rd floor of the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center.
Students can pick up their cap and gown at the University Bookstore Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. AFTER GRAD FAIR ONLY!!
Students can pick up their cap and gown at the University Bookstore Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. AFTER GRAD FAIR ONLY!!
Grad registration is an event that students can attend to do all of their commencement registration. Commencement staff, registrars and bookstore staff will be at the event to answer any and all questions. The event is on March 7th and 8th from 9am to 3pm in the student center ballroom. This event is a come and go as you please event. Registration will take about 10 to 15 minutes so attend when it works best for you.
Professional photographers from Pro Pics will be at Commencement and Grad Fair to take portraits of graduates. Photos of the graduates crossing the stage, as well as individual portraits on multiple backgrounds, will be available for purchase from Pro Pics following the ceremony. To identify your photos and receive proofs, please visit www.BradleyUniversityPhotos.com to submit your information. You can email questions about photos to: info@propicsusa.com
The Office of Alumni Relations will host a reception to welcome all graduation candidates to the Bradley family of alumni. Students can celebrate their achievement with fellow graduates, family, faculty, and staff. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. The reception is scheduled to take place on the Alumni Quad on May 12 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Families will receive a separate invitation to the reception.
Yes, you may come to campus to take photos. Please visit Bradley Unite for all Bradley University safety guidelines.
The ceremony will be live streamed for anyone to watch. The morning of the ceremony, guests should go to Bradley’s Website at bradley.edu. At 2:45 p.m. guests will then be able to click the banner to take them directly to the livestream. If the banner does not change right away, we recommend guests refresh their browser every few minutes until the page updates.
Programs with the order of exercises will be given out at the ceremony. This will also have a QR code which links to the digital version of the program containing all the names. Each student will be mailed 2 copies of the commemorative program with their diploma.
Students who attend the ceremony will receive their cover during the ceremony. Diploma covers will not be mailed to students who do not attend the ceremony.Once mailed, the documents are typically received within two or three weeks, but they can take longer to arrive. If you have a grade hold on your record for any reason, your diploma(s) will not be released until the hold is cleared. Holds do not inhibit the conferral of a degree, only the release of the official documents (i.e., diplomas, transcripts). Please refer to the Graduation Information page for more information or contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@bradley.edu or (309) 677-3101.
The Spirit Tassel is a way to show your school spirit by making a contribution of $20.23 to represent your class year and to support the endowed scholarship fund established by the Bradley University Alumni Association (BUAA). You can purchase a Spirit Tassel here.
Honors are only applicable to undergraduate students and are not bestowed on master’s and doctoral students.
You may do so through Jostens.
The Legacy Stole can be worn by a graduate who has a parent, grandparent, or sibling who graduated from Bradley University.
We recommend students wear attire representative of a formal ceremony rich with tradition and dignity. We ask students to refrain from wearing jeans, tennis shoes, or other informal clothing.
The cap, also known as a mortarboard (bachelor’s and master’s degree recipients), is kept level with the tassel at the middle of the left side. Please note, there is a front and back to a mortarboard.
Yes, you may order them through the Commencement Tool Kit on the Commencement website, here.
The Commencement Group has some great offerings on their website where you can place an order in advance and pick up the day of the ceremony at the Renaissance Coliseum. You can also make purchases the day of the ceremony. Jostens also has some great extras on their website as well.
A news release announcing your graduation from Bradley University will be sent to your hometown newspaper. If a hometown newspaper is not listed in your student record, give this information to the Office of Public Relations. Feel free to contact the commencement office via email, at commencement@bradley.edu if you have any questions.
No, if you choose not to participate in your Commencement ceremony and you have met the university requirements, you will receive your diploma in the mail.
Yes, you must apply to graduate regardless of participation in a ceremony. For information about how to apply to graduate as a graduate student, please visit the Graduate Education page.