Northwestern University in Qatar

GRADUATION program

• 4:00 p.m. - Recommended arrival time and robing 
• 4:00 p.m. - Doors open to guests
• 4:50 p.m. - Doors to Event Hall close 
• 4:50 p.m. - Processional line-up
• 5:00 p.m. - Graduation Ceremony
• 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Reception

GRADUATION tickets

• Each student will receive six tickets for their guests
• Each guest MUST present an original ticket to enter the Event Hall
• Tickets, along with the invitation and student regalia, will be available for pick-up at the NU-Q bookstore the week before graduation. For the week of Sunday, April 28 to Thursday, May 2, the NU-Q bookstore will operate from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. to allow ease of collection for our graduating students. Please ensure you bring your valid NU-Q ID. If you cannot pick up the regalia yourself, please ensure the person collecting the regalia on your behalf brings your NU-Q ID. 

reheArsal

• Rehearsal will take place on Sunday, May 5, 2024, at QNCC from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
• You do not need to bring your regalia, but please bring or wear the shoes that you plan to wear during the ceremony so that you may practice with the stairs and stage.

REGALIA

• Regalia, along with invitations and guest tickets, will be available for pick-up at the NU-Q bookstore the week before graduation. NU-Q Bookstore hours are Sunday - Thursday, 10:30 - 2:00 p.m. Please ensure to bring your valid NU-Q ID. If you cannot pick up the regalia yourself, please ensure the person collecting the regalia on your behalf brings your NU-Q ID. 
• The regalia will consist of a cap, tassel, gown, and sash to keep. For those students eligible to receive honor cords, the cords will be included in the regalia packet.
• Only official Northwestern academic regalia is permitted to be worn at the graduation ceremony.
• The regalia is made entirely from post-consumer plastic bottles making it an eco-friendly fabric which is comfortable, breathable, and recyclable. As these regalia are made of an eco-friendly fabric - it is not advised to dry-clean these but only to lightly steam the regalia. 
• NU-Q students planning to participate in Northwestern University Commencement in Evanston should keep and use their NU-Q regalia for the NU ceremony.

ROBING

• On the day of graduation, it is expected to bring and wear the regalia.
• Graduates should bring their graduate ticket to enter the robing room.
• A robing room will be available in a space adjacent to the Event Hall.
• Please be sure to arrive no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of graduation, so we can ensure you are robed and lined up for procession.
• Graduates will be lined in alphabetical order and walk on stage in the same order.

PROCESSION, RECESSIONAL, and commencement exercises 

• A line-up of the graduates will take place in the hallway outside the robing area.
• The processional will take place through the Event Hall’s main doors. Graduates will be seated in the graduate section of the hall.
• After the platform party, faculty, and graduating students have arrived and the music has stopped, the national anthems of the US and Qatar will be played. Everyone should remain standing.
• Each graduate, upon hearing their name called, will walk across the stage and receive a diploma cover and commemorative photo with the dean.  Actual diplomas will be available upon final degree conferral (see Diplomas section of this information).   
• After the platform party and faculty have filed off the platform, users will signal graduates to file out. 
• The recessional will take place through the Event Hall’s main doors where you will pause for guests to exit the hall and then you will be re-routed to the Event Hall for the class photo. The ushers will assist you during this process.

DIPLOMAS  

Official diplomas are issued after degrees are conferred in Evanston, and NU-Q students will be notified by Student Records when their diplomas are available to be picked up. For questions about official diplomas, please contact studentrecords@qatar.northwestern.edu

Students who participate in the NU-Q graduation ceremony will receive a diploma cover at the ceremony with a congratulatory message inside. Students should keep their diploma covers, which can be used to store the official diploma once it arrives.

Photography

• Photography – The graduation ceremony will be photographed, recorded and may be published on Northwestern platforms.
• Class Photo – The class photo will take place immediately after the recessional is completed. Any student not wishing to be part of the class photograph, can opt out.
• Photo Booth – A photo booth including props, a photo backdrop, and lightboxes will be provided for photo opportunities immediately after the graduation ceremony. 

Parking/entry to QNCC and the event hall 

• All graduates and guests should use the main entrance to QNCC. 
• Parking is available in the QNCC parking garage.
• Drop-off (ONLY) will take place at the main entrance to QNCC.
• Staff will be checking guest tickets at the entrance of the Event Hall, which is located just to the left of the main entrance of QNCC.
• QNCC is accessible via the Metro Green Line service. Exit at the Qatar National Library Metro Station and proceed to walk for (0.75km) approximately 11 minutes to the main QNCC building. A single journey ticket costs QAR 2 for Standard card holders (including Family Class), while a day pass costs QAR 6. Tickets can be purchased across all Qatar Metro stations.

guest information

• Arrival Time: Doors to the Event Hall will open at 4:00 p.m. for guests. Doors to the Event Hall will close 10 minutes before the start of the ceremony. Latecomers may be asked to wait for a suitable break in the proceedings to enter the venue. Guest will need to present their original ticket at the door for entry. Only one guest per ticket.
• Seating: Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please follow the ushers' guidance for seating arrangements to ensure everyone can enjoy a clear view of the stage.
• Personal Items: We kindly request that guests refrain from bringing flowers, flags, banners, noisemakers, or other personal items to the ceremony. There will be a coat-check area available to check in personal items outside of the Event Hall.
• Photography and Recording: Guests are welcome to take photographs and record videos using personal mobile devices during the ceremony and while remaining seated. However, we ask that you do so discreetly and without causing disruption to the proceedings. No outside photographers will be permitted inside the ceremony.
• Accessibility: The venue is accessible to guests with mobility challenges. If you require any special accommodations, please notify Fred Silva, Director of the Student Experience, in advance.
• Reception: After the ceremony concludes, guests are invited to join the graduates for a reception in the room/hall adjacent to the ceremony venue. Please follow the directions of event staff and ushers for the post-ceremony arrangements, as graduates will take a commemorative class photo together before joining their guests at the reception.