Graduate Ceremony

Learn how you can play a role in Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Ceremonies.

Students who will complete requirements for a degree in a given semester must make a written application for graduation. “Applying to graduate” means you want your degree conferred and officially recorded on your academic transcript (whether or not you attend the commencement ceremony).

If you apply to graduate (receive your degree) in August, January, or May, you are automatically eligible to participate in the May graduation ceremony.  You do not need to make a separate application to participate.

To apply for graduation, log on to mylasalle and search “Apply to Graduate“. After launching the service, follow the directions to complete the graduation application. The application will be submitted to the appropriate Dean’s or Program Director’s Office. Please check with your Dean’s/Program Director’s Office for deadline dates pertaining to each conferral of degree. No student will receive their degree (meaning you cannot graduate) without applying to do so. The $100 graduation fee will be assessed to accounts once the graduation application is processed by the Registrar’s Office.

Senior Portraits will be held Feb. 24-26 in Union Building Conference Room 312. This is your last chance to be photographed for the yearbook. Book your appointment today.

Information regarding your sitting:

• It is important that you arrive on time for your scheduled appointment. No walk-ins permitted.
• Sitting will include poses in your own business attire and cap & gown. The cap/gown attire will be provided.
• There is no charge to be photographed.
• Don’t forget that you can use these portraits for your Professional Networking and Job Search sites.
• You will receive a Session ID & Access Code at the time of your sitting. You can use these codes to view your proofs online 7-10 days after you are photographed.

For support, please call 1-800-736-4775 or email prestigelwarea@lifetouch.com.

Thursday, April 9
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
La Salle Outpost and Hansen Quad Driveway 

The La Salle University Alumni Association, Registrar’s Office, and the La Salle Outpost, in cooperation with University Events, will host the Annual Grad Fair on La Salle’s Main Campus.

At this time, graduating students will be able to: 

• Ask questions related to Commencement Weekend activities;
• Pick up and/or purchase caps, gowns and other graduation-related items, including announcements, class rings and diploma frames;
• Get their senior portraits taken;
• Speak with Registrar’s Office representatives about their graduation application;
• Opportunity to receive a graduation cord and gift by participating in Day of Giving;
• Receive information related to La Salle’s graduate programs and other adult enrollment opportunities;
• Discover resources available through the Career Center;
• and receive information related to the Senior Gift campaign and giving back to La Salle post-graduation.

Commencement is an academic ceremony, and as such, academic regalia is required to participate in the ceremony. Only those students in full academic regalia will be permitted to process in their designated ceremony. The only exception are graduates in military uniform.

Regalia Pick Up Pre-Orders (until March 3)
Pre-order your regalia through the Herff Jones website.  All pre-orders through Herff Jones will be available for pick up at the La Salle Outpost beginning at the Grad Fair on April 9 up until the day of Commencement.

Regalia Home Ship (until April 9)
Order your regalia through the Herff Jones website and have it shipped directly to your home for a fee. All gowns arrive 2-3 weeks (or sooner) after order date.

In-store Purchase (on or after April 10)
Regalia that was not pre-ordered can still be purchased in-person at the La Salle Outpost up until the day of Commencement. Doctoral regalia must be ordered in-person at the La Salle Outpost at least two weeks prior to the Graduate Commencement Ceremony since it is a rental and can be picked up at the Outpost up until the morning of the ceremony. All rentals must be returned immediately following the ceremony.

Prices are:

• Associate’s cap, gown, and tassel: $85.00 + tax
• Bachelor’s cap, gown, tassel, and hood: $91.00 + tax
• Master’s cap, gown, tassel, and hood: $104.00 + tax
• Doctoral cap, gown, tassel, and hood: $134.00 + tax (Rental ONLY)

Payment must be made at the time of purchase by cash, check, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, or Discover. Sizing charts and order forms are available through the La Salle Outpost.

Graduation Cap Guidelines

Students are permitted to decorate their graduation cap (mortar board) and stole to positively represent their La Salle University experience. All decorated content must represent the values and core principles of La Salle University. Mortar boards, stoles, pins and other regalia items are prohibited from including any images, symbols or words that represent/show the following: 

• Profanity, nudity, sexual innuendos, or rude comments 
• Alcohol and/or drug related references 
• Political references 
• Content that advocates drug use, violence, or disruptive behavior that is detrimental to the safety and welfare of other students. 

Academic Honors and Program Cords

Students who have achieved academic honors distinction (summa, magna, or cum laude as determined by the University) do not receive individual cords, but are recognized as such in the Commencement program.  Individual academic honor societies, program or organization cords and stoles are typically ordered directly through the academic department, program, or organization sponsoring them.  Please contact those areas directly for information related to the specific requirements needed to receive cords and/or additional ordering information.

La Salle University Regalia Hood Colors

A Brief History of Academic Dress

Academic dress dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were taking form. The ordinary dress of the scholar, whether student or teacher, was the dress of a cleric. With few exceptions, the medieval scholar had taken at least minor orders, made certain vows, and perhaps been tonsured. Long gowns were worn, and may have been necessary for warmth in unheated buildings. Hoods seem to have served to cover the tonsured head until superseded for that purpose by the skull cap.

A statute of the University of Coimbra in 1321 required that all “doctors, licentiates, and bachelors” wear gowns. In England, in the second half of the 14th century, the statutes of certain colleges forbade “excess in apparel” and prescribed the wearing of a long gown. In the days of Henry VIII of England, Oxford and Cambridge first began prescribing definite academic dress, and made it a matter of university control.

The assignment of colors to signify certain faculties was to be a much later development, and one which was to be standardized only in the United States in the late 19th century.

To learn when and where to arrive, as well as details on seating, parking, and more, see the instructions below.

What happens once I arrive?

• All graduates are to arrive to Hayman Hall no later than 1 hour prior to their ceremony start time.
• Graduates are to be dressed in their regalia and academic hood upon arrival.
  • Doctoral candidates will carry their doctoral hoods into the ceremony and will be hooded on stage.
• All graduates will check-in with a representative from the Registrar’s Office and receive their name card.
  • Doctoral candidates will receive their dissertation title card as well.
• If you have chosen not to have your name announced, you will still receive a card designating your request not to have your name announced.
• It is imperative to follow the above directions to ensure that all candidates are in procession order no later than 30 minutes prior to their ceremony start time.

When will guest seating open?

• Guest seating will open 1 hour prior to the ceremony start time.

Where do my family and guests go?

• All family members and guests enter McCarthy Stadium through the 20th Street Main Campus Entrance or South Campus Parking Lots.
• A handicap drop-off area will be designated for individuals needing assistance at the 20th Street Main Campus Entrance. NOTE: 20th Street will be closed to all other vehicular traffic.

What happens during the ceremony?

• The ceremony will begin promptly with a procession of graduates, faculty, and the stage party.
• Graduate Commencement Ceremony
  • Doctoral candidates will process to their designated seating section and will carry their hoods over their left arm. (It is advised that the candidate and program director practice hooding prior to the ceremony. Candidates may choose not to wear their cap onto the stage to assist with the hooding process.)
  • Master’s candidates will wear their hoods and process to their designated seating section.
  • As each academic school is announced, candidates will be led to the stage by a marshal.
  • Once the doctoral candidates reach the stairs, volunteers will collect their name and dissertation title cards prior to ascending the stage. A representative will then read each candidates name and their dissertation title. Candidates will then be congratulated by the dean of their school, followed by the president, and hooded by their program director. They will also have their photo taken before descending from the stage.
  • Once the master’s candidates reach the stairs, volunteers will collect their name cards prior to ascending the stage. A representative will read each graduates name. The graduate will then be congratulated on stage by the dean of their academic school, followed by the president, and have their photo taken.
• Graduates who have chosen not to have their name announced will still be congratulated on the stage by the President and have their photo taken.
• It is important to move swiftly to ensure graduates are on stage when their name is announced. Please do not take time to have a conversation with those on stage and keep moving.
• IMPORTANT NOTE: All candidates should refrain from bringing bags, backpacks, or purses with them to the ceremony as you might not return to the same seat after descending from the stage.

Does everyone wear regalia?

• This is an academic ceremony and, as such, academic regalia is required to participate in the procession.
• Only those students in full academic regalia (cap, gown, and hood) will be permitted to process in the ceremony. The only exceptions will be for those in military uniform.

Where should I park?

• Several La Salle University parking lots will be open beginning at 8:00 a.m. and will be free for graduates and their guests.  Visit the FAQs page for additional details.
• Since the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will be ending at 12 p.m., we anticipate there will be significant traffic coming to and from campus prior to the Graduate Commencement Ceremony.  Ample parking should be available in our designated lots, however. Please plan accordingly.

What accommodations have been made for individuals with disabilities?

• Please visit the FAQs page for more information.

Anything else?

• Determine a meeting location with your guests before they take their seats.
• Alcoholic beverages and items that can interfere with the ceremony (helium balloons, beach balls, bullhorns, etc.) are NOT permitted and will be confiscated.
• All graduating students should be in Hayman Hall no later than 1 hour prior to their ceremony start time for the procession. There will be thousands of people entering and walking throughout McCarthy Stadium. Latecomers will not be permitted to walk with their school during the processional, and they will be seated in the back of their school section.
• Prohibited items:
  • Large bags or backpacks 
  • Containers of any kind (including coolers, thermoses, cups, bottles, or cans) 
  • Weapons of any kind 
  • Flags or banners 
  • Signs larger than 2’x2′
  • Signs or apparel displaying profane or abusive language 
  • Outside food and/or beverage (Concessions are available during the ceremonies outside the La Salle Union ) 
  • Alcohol 
  • Illegal substances 
  • Artificial noisemakers or other irritants 
  • Sticks or flag poles 
  • Non-service animals 
  • Strollers (A stroller drop-off location has been designated near the Accessible Seating entrance) 
  • Balloons – Helium or air-filled 
• We encourage you and your family to take photographs after the ceremony at any of our designated photo locations on campus.

While we always hope that our Commencement Weekend activities can be held as scheduled, please understand that inclement weather may call for an adjustment in the interest of the safety and experience for graduates, their families, and University guests.

Every attempt will be made to keep the ceremonies outdoors as scheduled, even with the possibility of light rain.  

Any changes to the schedule will be communicated to graduates via email, listed on the Commencement website, sent as a text alert, and shared on social media.

The following inclement weather scenarios have been established: 

Scenario 1 – Rain Delay (delayed but all ceremonies outdoors)

• Morning Inclement Weather: The start of the undergraduate ceremony at McCarthy Stadium can be delayed up until 12 p.m. for all schools. The graduate ceremony will begin as scheduled at 4 p.m.  
• Afternoon Inclement Weather: The start of the undergraduate ceremony at McCarthy Stadium will remain as scheduled at 10 a.m. for all schools. The start of the graduate ceremony can be delayed up until 5 p.m.

Scenario 2 – All ceremonies moved to Sunday, May 10

• In the event of a full day of inclement weather on Saturday, May 9, both the undergraduate ceremony and the graduate ceremony will be moved to Sunday, May 10 at their regularly scheduled start times (10 a.m. and 4 p.m.).

As always, a simulcast location will be available in the Dan Rodden Theatre on any of the event days for any guests who do not wish to attend the ceremonies outdoors. 

Congratulations, Graduate!

Your diploma will be shipped directly to your home address from Paradigm, our diploma distributor, and you will receive it approximately 4-6 weeks from the date of graduation.

When your diploma is shipped, you will receive an email in your lasalle.edu account with shipping information.

Please make sure that your mailing address is updated by following the steps below:

• Log in to myLaSalle
• Search for “My Profile”
• Click Personal Information to update your address

You must provide a physical mailing address as diplomas cannot be delivered to P.O. Boxes.

Note: Outstanding financial obligations to the University may prohibit the release of your diploma.

Questions? Please contact the Registrar’s Office at 215-951-1020 or regacct@lasalle.edu.

The graduation fee is a one-time fee charged to each degree applicant’s student account and is payable prior to graduation. The fee is nonrefundable. This fee covers the cost of degree audits and evaluations, and the diploma; it is not related to regalia, ceremony costs or attendance. 

The Annual Multicultural Recognition Ceremony honors graduates from multicultural and international backgrounds as well as those who are BUSCA associate degree students. Please fill out this form by March 13 to let us know if you’ll be a part of this year’s ceremony that will take place on Thursday, May 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Union Ballroom.