Frequently Asked Questions

The Universitywide Commencement ceremony and the Bloomberg School's Convocation ceremony are separate events, for which candidates will receive separate invitations.  

All academic year graduates across all university divisions are invited to the University Commencement ceremony. At the University ceremony, undergraduates and doctoral graduates will walk across the stage. Master's graduates are recognized in groups by division.

Only School of Public Health candidates are invited to the Bloomberg School Convocation ceremony. All graduates walk across the stage at the School's ceremony.

All students will pass through security before entering Robert Scott Gym (within the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center) to check-in. Students, faculty, and guests will go through magnetometers upon arrival and are recommended to arrive early to make it through security. Students and faculty should carry their regalia with them as they enter the magnetometers to speed up the process.  

It is recommended that you leave personal items at home or at your accommodation. All bags and purses will be searched upon entering the gym and stadium, and restrictions are as follows:

• Bags and purses larger than 13” x 15”, are not permitted. Diaper bags are permitted.
• Backpacks and luggage are not permitted. Please plan to have your large bags or luggage stored at your hotel/accommodation if you need to check out prior to the ceremony. Bags that do not meet the requirements will not be permitted into the stadium and bag check will not be provided.
• Wrapped gifts and balloons are not allowed.
• Signs, posters, banners, and flags will not be allowed inside the stadium for safety reasons.
• Umbrellas are not permitted inside the stadium. In case of rain, please bring a rain jacket or poncho. If needed during the ceremony, ponchos will be provided to participating students, faculty, and staff. Additional ponchos may be available for guests as supplies allow but are not guaranteed.
• Food and drinks are allowed in the stands but may not be brought onto the field.  Only water will be permitted on the field.
• Alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, including e-cigarettes, are strictly prohibited.
• Pets are not permitted in or around Homewood Field with the exception of Service Dogs.
• Knives, fireworks, laser pointers, lighters, or weapons of any kind are not permitted.
• Firearms are not permitted (including non-uniform law enforcement officer and concealed carry permit holders).
• Horns, cow bells, whistles, or any artificial noisemakers are not permitted.
• Laser pointers are not permitted.

Guests are permitted to bring an unopened water bottle, and a seat cushion or seat back. 

Attendees should note that the ceremony will continue in the event of rain. Severe weather will only be called in the event of thunder and high winds. Ponchos will be handed out to graduates, but families and attendees should wear waterproof rain gear. No umbrellas will be permitted.

Any decision to postpone the ceremony to the severe weather date (May 21 at 6 p.m.) will be made by 6:30 a.m. on May 20. Notification will appear on this page as well as through the Student, Faculty, and Staff listservs. 

Please visit the Parking and Transportation page for complete details on parking and other transportation options for the ceremony.

Yes, GradImages® will take a photo of each graduate as they cross the stage.

Graduates can pre-register their contact information.

Questions or concerns regarding photos can be directed to the GradImages Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576 or by email (ecc.giservice@gradimages.net).

We expect the ceremony will be two and a half to three hours long. We ask all participants to remain until that last graduate's name is read and faculty have left the stage.

Ceremony invitations will be sent in early March. All August and December 2025 graduates as well as expected May 2026 graduates will be sent invitations to the Bloomberg School ceremony and the Universitywide ceremony. Please respond to both invitations even if you do not plan to attend. 

You should review your Commencement Email which is accessible through the Graduation Application in SIS Self Service (Registration -> Program of Study Info) to ensure you receive the invitations.

Special note to Summer 2025 Graduates: Your access to SIS Self Service and your JHU email will expire when your JHED account is inactivated (6 months after conferral). Please update your Commencement Email before your JHED account is inactivated.

May 2026 expected graduates must complete the Graduation Application in SIS Self Service (Registration > Program of Study Info) no later than Friday, February 27, 2026.

Graduates are required to meet all completion deadlines for Spring conferral:

• ScM and MBE deadlines
• Other non-MPH master’s deadlines
• Doctoral deadlines

Details about the ceremonies will be posted on this page beginning in mid to late February 2026. All August and December 2025 graduates, as well as students expected to graduate in May 2026, will receive ceremony invitations in early March 2026.

Ceremony invitations and related communications will be sent to the Commencement email address listed on your Graduation Application. Please be sure to check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive the message within the expected timeframe.

December graduates must complete the Graduation Application in SIS Self Service (Registration > Program of Study Info) no later than Wednesday, December 17, 2025.

Graduates are required to meet all completion deadlines for Fall conferral:

• ScM and MBE deadlines
• Other non-MPH master’s deadlines
• Doctoral deadlines

Please review and update both your diploma address and the name (legal or chosen) to appear on your diploma in SIS Self Service by January 2, 2026.

Degrees have been posted to transcripts. View information on ordering transcripts. Diplomas have been ordered, and the vendor expects to ship on or about February 5, 2026. The vendor will send an email to the commencement address from the graduation application with tracking information and electronic diploma access.

No. The School and Universitywide graduation ceremonies are held once a year in May. August and December graduates will be invited to participate in the next May's ceremonies.

Graduates should plan to report to Robert Scott Gym (within the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center) on the Homewood campus by 7:15 a.m. to allow time to check in and be seated on the field.

Graduates will need to pass through security before entering the gym to check in. Large bags, backpacks, umbrellas, balloons, posters, banners, flags, and noise makers or amplification are among the items that are not permitted in the gym or in the stadium. A full list of prohibited items can be found on the university’s Commencement website.

All graduates and guests should have a photo ID available.  All purses and other small bags will be searched. This will slow entry into the gym and into the stadium so please plan accordingly.

Gates will open for guests at 8:00 a.m.

Graduates who have RSVP'd that they intend to participate in the May 20 Convocation ceremony will receive detailed information by email no later than May 14.

Participating graduates should plan to report to Robert Scott gym (within the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center) by 7:15 a.m. on May 20 to check in.

Graduates will need to pass through security before entering the gym to check in. Large bags, backpacks, umbrellas, balloons, posters, banners, flags, and noise makers or amplification are among the items that are not permitted in the gym or in the stadium. A full list of prohibited items can be found on the university’s Commencement website.

All graduates and guests should have a photo ID available. All purses and other small bags will be searched. This will slow entry into the gym and into the stadium so please plan accordingly.

You will receive your "readers" card with your name. This is the card that will be handed to the reader when it is your turn to cross the stage. Do not lose this card.

Master's students may sit in any seat within their degree group. Doctoral within their department group for the hooding ceremony. Seating charts and staff will be available to help seat graduates.

Children are not permitted on the field with the graduates during the ceremony. Only graduates are permitted on the field. If you are graduate attending with small child(ren), please make sure you have another adult with you who can supervise and sit with your child(ren).

Out of respect for all members of the graduating class, all participants are expected to stay until the last student's name is called and the Chief Marshal closes the ceremony. However, if it is necessary to leave early, we ask you to move quickly and quietly to an exit to avoid disrupting others.

Please do not gather in the area of the field behind student seating (it is distracting to speakers on the stage). Please note there is no re-entry upon leaving the stadium.

The name that appeared on your RSVP will be the name read during the ceremony. The deadline for changes is April 10.

Tickets are not required for family and guests of graduates to attend the ceremonies. There is no limit to the number of guests graduates can invite.

Guests will have access to the stadium bleacher seats on a first come first served basis. Graduates will be seated from approximately the 40-yard line forward (toward the stage).

Please note: Guests, including children, will not be permitted on the field during the ceremony.

Graduates can obtain a Consulate Letter of Invitation by opening a SEAM case under the Records and Registration -> Inquire or apply for graduation topic area. Please include the names and relationship of each invitee in your request.

The ceremony will have a designated seating area for persons needing ADA seating. Seating is available for the individual with the disability and one companion on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wheelchairs are not available at Homewood Field. For more information or to arrange a wheelchair rental for the event, please call Northern Pharmacy & Medical Equipment at (410) 254-2055.

Captions will be available on the livestream of the ceremony. An ASL interpreter will be located in front of the accessible seating area.

Any graduate or guest requesting ASL should email the Commencement Office by April 17.

In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.

A limited number of large-print copies of the Convocation program will be available at the accessible seating area. The program will also be posted to this site in PDF format which can be enlarged.

All ceremony participants must wear regalia. The regalia order site is now open. The deadline to order regalia online is April 4, 2026. Students who wish to order custom regalia can use the same order site, but must place their order by March 1, 2026.

Master's and Doctoral regalia for the May 2026 ceremonies can be ordered online via the regalia order site now through April 4, 2026. Students who wish to order custom regalia can use the same order site, but must place their order by March 1, 2026.

Graduates in the MPH/MBA program should purchase both the MBA and MPH hoods.

Graduates in the DNP/MPH program can wear their doctoral regalia to both ceremonies. They should also purchase the MPH hood to wear for the Bloomberg School Ceremony. They should contact the JHU Campus Store to order the MPH hood. If they are only attending the Bloomberg School ceremony and want a less expensive option, they can order the MPH master's set.

Note to dual degree graduates earning both a doctoral and a master's degree from the Bloomberg School: you will participate as a doctoral student and should order the doctoral rental.

The regalia order site closes on April 4. Participating graduates who miss the April 4 deadline to order regalia should contact the Johns Hopkins University Campus Store for information about placing a late order.

Doctoral students should return the full regalia (gown, tam, and hood) to the Johns Hopkins University Campus Store by 7 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026. Master’s graduates may keep their regalia or return it to be recycled.

Diplomas are not distributed at the ceremonies. All diplomas are mailed directly from the vendor and will be mailed to the Diploma Address listed in SIS Self Service under Personal Info -> Summary. Graduates should verify their Diploma Address is correct no later than the last day of the term prior to conferral to ensure the vendor receives the desired information.

Orders are placed about two weeks after the conferral date. Diplomas shipped to domestic addresses take 6–8 weeks to arrive and 8–12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their diploma has been mailed and another with instructions on accessing the electronic diploma.

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their diplomas held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their diploma.

Diplomas will be mailed to the diploma mailing address listed in SIS Self Service under the Graduation Application.

You must update the diploma address no later than Friday, May 15, 2026 to ensure the diploma is mailed to the correct address.

All diplomas are mailed directly from the vendor. Graduates should verify their Diploma Mailing Address is correct no later than Friday, May 15, 2026.

Orders are placed about two weeks after the conferral date. Diplomas shipped to domestic addresses take 6–8 weeks to arrive and 8–12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their diploma has been mailed. The email includes instructions on accessing the electronic diploma

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their diplomas held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their diploma.

If you make no other selection on the graduation application,  your Diploma Name will default to the Legal Name on your SIS record. If you added a Chosen Name to your student record via the the my.jhu portal, you may elect to have that name appear on your diploma. You can see both names in SIS Self Service under the Personal Info menu.

You can select either your Legal or Chosen Name to appear on your diploma via the graduation application in SIS Self Service under Registration -> Program of Study Info.

Updates to your Legal Name can be made by logging into SIS Self Service. Under Personal Info -> Summary. You will see a link to the Identify Management form at the top of the page. Click and follow the instructions to submit the proper documentation to update your Legal Name.

Updates to your Chosen Name can be made by logging into the my.jhu portal and follow these directions.

Both updates may take a few days to appear on your record.

Updates to Diploma Name must be made no later than Friday, May 15, 2026 to ensure the correct name shows on your diploma.

Depending on when confirmation of completion is received, certificate diplomas will post to the transcript 1–4 weeks after the conferral date. Certificate diplomas are ordered after the conferral notations have been posted to student transcripts. Certificate diplomas  shipped to domestic addresses take 6–8 weeks to arrive and 8–12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their certificate diploma has been mailed. 

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their certificate diploma held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their certificate diploma.  

Diplomas will be mailed directly from the vendor. They will be mailed to the Diploma Address listed in SIS Self Service under Personal Info -> Summary. 

Graduates should verify their Diploma Address is correct no later than August 29, 2025 to ensure the vendor receives the desired information.

We expect to order diplomas by September 5, 2025.

Diplomas shipped to domestic addresses take 6-8 weeks to arrive and  8-12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their diploma has been mailed. The email includes instructions on accessing the electronic diploma.

Students should file a "Change of Address" form with the USPS if their U.S. address changes after the August 29 deadline.

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their diplomas held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their diploma. 

We expect to have degrees posted to transcripts by May 29, 2026. Unofficial transcripts are available in SIS Self-Service under Registration -> My Grades. Official transcripts can be ordered via the National Student Clearinghouse.  For more Information go to the Transcripts and Official Documents page.