Northwestern University in Qatar

GRADUATION TICKETS

• Each student will receive six tickets for their guests.
• Each guest MUST present an original ticket to enter the Event Hall.
• Tickets, the invitation, and student regalia 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 provide the person collecting the regalia on your behalf with your NU-Q ID. 

REHEARSAL

• Rehearsal will take place on May 4, 2025, at QNCC.
• Please wear your regalia as the class photo will be taken then. Please also bring the shoes you plan to wear during the ceremony to practice with the stairs and stage.

REGALIA

• Regalia, 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 provide the person collecting the regalia on your behalf with your NU-Q ID. 
• The regalia will consist of a cap, tassel, gown, and sash to keep. The cords will be included in the regalia packet for those students eligible to receive honor cords.
• 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 that is comfortable, breathable, and recyclable. These regalia are made of an eco-friendly fabric - it is not advised to dry-clean these, but only to steam them lightly. 
• 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 graduation day, 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 adjacent to the Event Hall.
• Please arrive no later than 30 minutes before graduation so we can ensure you are robed and lined up for the procession.
• Graduates will be lined alphabetically 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. 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 to store the official diploma once it arrives.

PHOTOGRAPHY

• Photography – The graduation ceremony will be photographed and recorded and may be published on Northwestern platforms.
• 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.

Northwestern graduation weekend 2025

• Date and Time: Friday, June 13 - Monday, June 16, 2025
• Click here for more information and review the presentation below