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Woman in cap and gown, waving on to the crowd, while behind her, a group of other graduates in caps and gowns look on

May 2024 Undergraduate Commencement

May 9, 2024 – School Based Ceremonies

Cap and Gown Ordering

Dear Graduate/Degree Candidate,

We are pleased to be holding our May 2024 Commencement Ceremonies to recognize our undergraduate students who have completed their degree requirements during the Spring 2024 semester. 

In order to participate, you will need to order your cap and gown (hood and tassel included) directly through Herff Jones. The site will be open on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, and will close on Friday, March 15, 2024, at midnight. Please place your order as soon as possible to ensure your cap and gown will be delivered to campus in time for the ceremony. Please check your student email for the link to order your cap and gown. There is no cost to you to order your cap and gown. You will need your cap and gown to participate in your school-based commencement ceremony.

The undergraduate ceremonies are listed below. All ceremonies will last approximately an hour and 30 minutes.

Undergraduate School Based Ceremonies to be held in OceanFirst Bank Center on May 9, 2024:

  • Leon Hess Business School, at 10 a.m.
  • Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, at 1 p.m.
  • Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies, School of Education, School of Science, School of Social Work, at 4 p.m.

Graduates will be provided six (6) guest tickets for the school based ceremonies on May 9. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed. Graduates do not need a ticket. Requests for extra tickets will be addressed in the RSVP email that will go out in March. A link to request extra tickets will be included in the RSVP email to be sent out in March. We cannot confirm that there will be extra tickets available. If we do have extra tickets, we will do our best to equally distribute those tickets to our graduates. Also, please remember that guests who want to be on campus and don’t have tickets may watch the live ceremony on the televisions in the Student Center.

Academic honor cords issued by the University, not an individual academic honor society, for graduates receiving their bachelor degrees who also have a final GPA of 3.50 or higher, will be available for pick up at the registration area on the day of the ceremony.

Please continue to check your Monmouth University student email for more information as it becomes available. 

Congratulations on achieving this important milestone in your life! I look forward to congratulating you in person.

Sincerely,

James D. Pillar, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Life

Commencement Decorum

The Commencement Ceremony is a dignified academic event that recognizes the achievements of our graduates and honorees. Students who choose to participate in Commencement are asked to observe the following guidelines.

  • Graduates must return to the seating area after receiving their degrees. Out of respect for all students being recognized, participants are required to remain for the entire ceremony. The conferral of degrees is an important part of our program, and it is imperative that consideration be extended until the final student receives his/her degree. If you choose to participate, you are expected to remain until the recessional
  • All cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for the duration of the ceremony. 
  • Noise-making devices are prohibited, as are any objects that would detract from the formality of the event.
  • Applause should be held until all students have received their degrees. Names will be read quickly, and it is important that every name is heard.

The points listed above are meant to ensure that our graduates and guests have the most enjoyable day possible. 

GradImages Photography

GradImages, a professional photography service, will be at Commencement to photograph graduates as they are recognized on stage. Your proofs will be sent via e-mail to your student account and mailed to your home address. If you have any questions regarding your proofs, please contact GradImages Customer Service Department at 800-261-2576 or email them at ecc.giservice@gradimages.net.

You may pre-register your e-mail address at https://www.gradimages.com/registration to ensure an accurate address is on file. By pre-registering, you will receive a coupon for 20% off your order of $50 or more. 

Certified Electronic Diploma

We are pleased to be able to provide you with a Certified Electronic Diploma! When your Certified Electronic Diploma is ready to be downloaded, you will receive an email with instructions. You will not receive this notification unless all university obligations are met.

We will also mail you a traditional paper diploma approximately 2 weeks after the conferral date, provided all university obligations are met.

Honor Cords

Please note: If you are a baccalaureate degree recipient graduating with Honors (cumulative GPA 3.50 or higher with at least 53 MU credits) please pick up your honor cord at the check-in table the day of commencement.

Honors Designations:

  • Cum Laude: 3.50 – 3.64
  • Magna Cum Laude: 3.65 – 3.84
  • Summa Cum Laude: 3.85 – 4.00

Honor society and non-academic honor cords will be distributed by the advisor for each of the relevant organizations. If you are currently a member of such an organization, you should contact your advisor to determine if and when honor cords will be distributed to the graduating members.

Graduate students are not eligible for honor cords unless provided by their specific academic discipline’s honor society.

Color Representation

The colors you will see in the hoods of our faculty represent the various fields in which the degrees were taken:

  • Apricot – Nursing
  • Brown – Fine Arts
  • Citron – Social Work
  • Crimson – Journalism
  • Dark Blue – Philosophy
  • Golden Yellow – Science
  • Green – Medicine
  • Lemon-Yellow – Library Science
  • Light Blue – Education
  • Orange – Engineering
  • Pink – Music
  • Purple – Law
  • Sage Green – Physical Education
  • Salmon Pink – Public Health
  • Scarlet – Theology
  • Yellow-Brown: Commerce, Business, Accounting
  • White – Arts, Letters, Humanities