Graduation ceremonies

Below is a guide to the winter and spring ceremonies that will recognize you for your academic accomplishments. This page is updated as information becomes available, so check back for updates.

May commencement and convocations

In-person 2020 Commencement and departmental graduation ceremonies will not take place as scheduled in May due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Diplomas will be mailed and many units in LAS are producing videos or hosting virtual events during graduation weekend to celebrate the Class of 2020. Check you university email account for more information.

Although we can't celebrate in person, the College of LAS would like to congratulate the Class of 2020 via this video — featuring Dean Hu, some of your beloved professors and instructors, and a special musical guest.

In addition, the University of Illinois is planning a rescheduled in-person Commencement ceremony when it is safe to do so.

All graduates and their families and friends are invited to tune into the campus-wide University of Illinois virtual celebration at 12:00 p.m. CDT on Saturday, May 16.

Unit celebrations

Many units throughout the College of LAS held virtual celebrations for Spring 2020.

• Anthropology
• Astronomy and Physics
• Communication
• Earth, Society, and Environment, School of
  Atmospheric Sciences; Earth, Society, and Environment; Geography; Geology
• Economics
• English and Creative Writing
• History
• Integrative Biology, School of
• Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics, School of 
  Classics, Comparative and World Literature, East Asian Languages and Cultures, French, Germanic Languages and Literatures, Interdisciplinary Studies, Linguistics, Religion, Russian, Slavic Languages and Literatures, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, Teaching English as a Second Language, Translation and Interpetation
• Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of
• Mathematics and Statistics (including Math-Computer Science and Statistics-Computer Science)
• Psychology
• Sociology

 

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Winter Convocation

LAS hosts a collegewide ceremony in December to recognize students earning a bachelor's or master's degree in August or December of that year. Students have the option of participating in the LAS Winter Convocation ceremony or in the university-wide commencement and LAS departmental ceremonies held in May. There is no university-wide commencement ceremony in December.

The 2019 Winter Convocation was held on Saturday, December 21.

Watch the December 2019 ceremony

 

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Doctoral hooding ceremonies

University-wide doctoral hooding ceremonies take place in both December and May.  This event celebrates the accomplishment of doctoral degree recipients and focuses on the formal hooding by their faculty advisors. The event will be also be live streamed for family and friends who are unable to attend the ceremony in person.

December Hooding Ceremony

Doctoral degree candidates are invited to participate in a December Hooding Ceremony on Saturday, December 14, 2019. Please see the Grad College's website for more information.

May Hooding Ceremony

Doctoral degree candidates are invited to participate in a May university-wide hooding ceremony. Doctoral candidates are also invited to attend the university-wide commencement ceremony, where they will be part of the procession and be recognized as a group with other doctoral recipients.