PhD, EdD, and DPM candidates invite their committee chair to escort them to the ceremony and hood them on stage.
AuD, DAT, DBA, DMA, DNP, DPT, and OTD candidates will be escorted and hooded on stage by assigned faculty from their college.
This is an appropriate way to celebrate the accomplishment of the candidate and the work done between the mentors and the new doctors.
- Faculty Regalia
Faculty may wear their own regalia or rent regalia from the UF bookstore.
A faculty rental outfit will include a black robe and cap with an appropriately colored hood. To rent faculty regalia, fill out a rental request form through https://facultydirect.herffjones.com. Faculty regalia should be ordered by the March 21, 2025 deadline. This is a HARD deadline.
Rented regalia can be picked up from the UF bookstore beginning April 28 through graduation weekend during the bookstore’s open hours. It should be returned by 5pm on Monday, May 5, 2025.
For questions about regalia rental, contact the UF bookstore directly at:
- EMAIL: cap-gown@ufl.edu
- PHONE: (352) 392-0194
- WEBSITE: https://businessservices.ufl.edu/services/uf-bookstore/graduation/
- Doctoral Ceremony Timeline
7:30am - Arrive at Gate 4 of the Stephen C. O’Connell Center
The doors open at 7:30am for doctoral graduates and their escorts. You’ll go through metal detectors, so be thoughtful about your pockets and/or purses.
Once inside the building, you’ll find the candidate(s) you’re escorting in your college’s line in the Volleyball Practice Court. Stand to the right of your candidate, ensure tassels are on the left. If you are serving as the escort of more than one candidate, stand to the right of the one who will cross the stage first.
8:40am - Doctoral Candidate processional line will move toward the arena floor
College by college in alphabetical order, college lines will move out of the Volleyball Practice Court and onto the arena floor.
8:55am-Platform Processional - The stage party will enter the arena floor.
9am-11am (approximately) - Doctoral Commencement Ceremony
The university president will preside over this ceremony. There will be a commencement address provided by a faculty member. Each candidate will be individually recognized alongside their escort while being hooded.
11am (approximately) - Exiting the Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center
Following the platform recessional, the new doctors will recess from the arena alongside their escorts.
- Doctoral Escort Protocol
- MOVE TO THE PLATFORM
After the degree has been conferred and at the marshal's signal, the faculty escort stands with the graduate. Both file out of the seat row and line up, side by side, to move to the platform. The graduate is on the left, the escort on the right. - MOVE TO THE SCANNING STATION
After graduate and escort reach the scanning station, the graduate gives the name scanning card to the marshal at the scanning station. The marshal scans the card and returns it to the graduate. - MOUNT STAIRS TO THE PLATFORM
When prompted, climb to the top stair and wait until admitted to the platform. - MOVE TO THE READER STATION
Graduate and escort move toward the reader station. Upon being prompted, the graduate hands their card to the reader marshal's assistant. - MOVE FORWARD FOR HOODING
Upon being prompted, both the graduate and escort move up to the hooding line as their names are read over the public address system. The hooding line begins at the center rear of the stage in front of the state seal. - HOODING
The hooding marshal stands left of the graduate; the escort to the right. Together, the hooding marshal and the escort hood the candidate. - SHAKE HANDS
After being hooded, the graduate and the escort move left across the stage, and the graduate shakes hands with various officials. In the case of a faculty escort with multiple graduates, the escort accompanies the final graduate across the stage. Only the graduate shakes hands, not the escort. - PHOTOGRAPH
After all hands have been shaken and the stage crossed, graduate and escort go down the exit stairs to the arena floor. Immediately adjacent to the exit side of the platform is the photography station, and the graduate gets in line for a picture. - RETURN TO SEAT
Once the graduate's picture has been taken, graduate and escort walk back to their seats
- MOVE TO THE PLATFORM