University-wide Commencement and School of Music Convocation Ceremonies
School of Music Convocation, Sunday, May 17, 2026, 1 p.m. start time
The School of Music hosts a schoolwide ceremony in May to recognize students earning a bachelor’s, master’s, artist diploma, and doctoral degrees. Please note that to participate in our ceremony, all participating students MUST wear a cap and gown.
If you would like to participate in the School of Music Convocation ceremony, please complete our registration form, which is separate from the Commencement registration form.
Undergraduate Students—Convocation Participation Form
Convocation Ceremony Instructions:
Please arrive at Smith Memorial Hall dressed in your regalia (cap and gown). The tassel should be placed on the left front quadrant of your mortarboard. Please leave all personal items with your family or friends attending the ceremony, as there will be no place to store them.
Please check in with Thereza Lituma outside of Room 201 in Smith Hall at 12:40 p.m. You will be given an index card with your name on it, where you may add pronunciation notes if needed. Please hold on to this card, as you will present it to Dr. EJ, and your name will be announced as you walk across the stage. Please do not leave the hallway, as you will be lined up there by degree for the ceremony.
Please watch this video on how to wear your regalia properly: https://go.illinois.edu/wearingregalia.
Please be on time!
Graduate Students—Convocation Participation Form
Convocation Ceremony Instructions:
Please arrive at Smith Memorial Hall dressed in your regalia (cap, gown, and hood—master’s and artist diploma students only). The tassel should be on the left front quadrant of your mortarboard. Please leave all personal items with your family or friends attending the ceremony; there will be no place to store them. Please check in with Heidi Bidner outside of Room 200 of Smith Memorial Hall, starting at 12:40 p.m. You will be given an index card with your name on it, where you may add pronunciation notes if needed. Please hold on to this card, as you will present it to Dr. Tharp, and your name will be announced as you walk across the stage. Please do not leave the hallway, as you will be lined up there by degree for the ceremony.
Doctoral students only: Your hood should not be attached; please drape it over your left arm. You will give the designated faculty your hood for the hooding ceremony when you approach the stage.
Please watch this video on how to wear your regalia properly: https://go.illinois.edu/wearingregalia.
Please be on time!
Required Cap and Gown Rental—Herff Jones Order Form
The deadline to order your cap and gown is April 13 at 10:59 p.m.
All students must rent a cap and gown from Herff Jones in order to participate in the ceremony.
When completing the order form, please select your degree as follows:
Undergraduate students
College: Fine & Applied Arts
Area of Study: FAA – Music
AD & Master’s students* (AD students should use the master’s order form)
College: Fine & Applied Arts
Area of Study: FAA – Music
DMA & PhD students
College: Fine & Applied Arts
Area of Study: DMA—Doctor of Musical Arts or PhD—All Disciplines
Parking
Street parking will be available in all campus lots, on streets, and in parking garages. Please plan to arrive early on campus, as many ceremonies will take place that day, and you should expect traffic.
Tickets
Tickets are not required for this event; however, seating is limited. We ask that each graduate bring no more than four guests. Guest seating will begin at 12:00 p.m.
Recording
A recording will be posted to our website within 1–2 days after the ceremony.
Pictures
Memory Lane Photography will photograph the ceremony. You can pre-register for your graduation pictures here: https://regis.viewyour.photos/direct/9494/27310230.
University-wide Commencement Ceremony
Registration is required for the university-wide Commencement Ceremony, which is a separate event from the School of Music Convocation Ceremony.
Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. at Memorial Stadium
For more information about the university-wide ceremony and ticket information, visit https://commencement.illinois.edu/.
For questions related to undergraduate eligibility, contact FAA Undergraduate Academic Affairs: contact faa-uaa@illinois.edu
For questions about graduate student eligibility and convocation, contact Jenny Phillips, SoM Academic Affairs.