Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony

• Graduates and guests may park in the Bryan Center Garage/PGIV (125 Science Drive) or the Science Drive Garage (3100 Cameron Blvd). The Bryan Center Garage is a four-minute walk from the Chapel, while the Science Drive Garage is a 15-minute walk away.

• Faculty and staff participating in the Ph.D. Hooding Ceremony may park in the Upper or Lower Allen lots, located on West Campus behind the Allen Building.

• Attendees may also park at any other convenient locations on campus. On-campus parking during commencement weekend will be free of charge.

• ADA parking is available in the parking lot immediately in front of the Bryan Center garage. If you have requested specific accommodations, Sondra Ponzi will be in touch with you directly by Tuesday, May 3.

• General parking on campus is on a first-come basis, so please allow plenty of time for parking throughout commencement weekend. Carpooling is highly recommended.

• The circle in front of Duke Chapel, on Chapel Drive, will not be accessible on May 7. If you need to drop off guests with mobility impairments, please use the circle off of Science Drive.

• Visit maps.duke.edu for an interactive campus map.

See all event locations on a Google Map

• A ticket confirmation email was sent April 20 to graduates who RSVP'ed and indicated they plan to attend the ceremony. That email included the number of tickets allocated to each graduate. If you have not already, please confirm the information, and notify Sondra Ponzi (sondra.ponzi@duke.edu) ASAP if any of your guest tickets are not going to be used. 

• All waitlist tickets have been allocated and the recipients have been notified.

• Tickets for your guests must be picked up prior to the ceremony on the Chapel lawn (directly in front of Duke Chapel) on Saturday, May 7 from Guest Assistance. Ticket distribution will begin at 8:30 a.m. for the 9:00 a.m. ceremony, and at 1:00 p.m. for the 2:00 p.m. ceremony.

• Graduates' guests should show their ticket when entering Duke Chapel, and hold on to their ticket to turn in for a to-go snack box, which will be distributed on Abele quad following the ceremony.

• Participating Ph.D. graduates and hooding faculty members do not need tickets.

See all event locations on a Google Map

• Graduates and guests are expected to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine prior to arrival and comply with all Duke public-health policies while on campus.
• Masks are strongly recommended, and we ask them to be worn while inside the Chapel.
• Do not come to campus if you have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or
  • you have been tested for COVID-19 in the last 48 hours and not yet received the results;
  • you have been exposed to anyone in the last 48 hours who has tested positive for COVID-19; or
  • you do not feel well.
• Public health conditions can change on short notice. See the university's coronavirus response page for the latest guidance updates.

• No food or drinks are permitted in Duke Chapel.
• Masks should be worn inside at all times.
• The accessible entrance to the Chapel is located on the north side of the Chapel facing the Divinity School (map).
• There are no restrooms in Duke Chapel. The closest (ADA) restrooms are in the Divinity School, which will be clearly marked with directional signs (map).

Apparel Pickup

Bryan Center (Brown Art Gallery) (map)

• Monday, April 25–Saturday, April 30, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, May 1, CLOSED
• Monday, May 2–Saturday, May 7, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Hooding How-To

See our "Recipe for the Perfect PhD Hooding" video for quick tips and common mishaps to avoid.

• Event flow and seating areas for graduates, faculty, and guests (PDF)
• Seating chart for 9:00 a.m. ceremony
• Seating chart for 2:00 p.m. ceremony

Procedure for Hooding

1. Graduates: When the row proctor asks graduates to line up, they should stand and exit their row and head to the right. They will walk all the way around the last row of pews (guest seating) and go to the opposite side of the Chapel. Graduates should line up along the wall there and meet their hooding faculty near the faculty section.

   Faculty: Join the line next to the first graduate your are hooding.

   Graduates should stand on the left and faculty on the right.
    

2. Graduates should clearly pronounce their names to the Graduate School staff member standing by the front steps so that they can be relayed to the senior associate dean announcing the graduates.
    
3. When their name is called, each graduate should go up the steps with their hooding faculty (watch out for the air vent grates on the floor).

   The hooding faculty will stand at the top of the steps and the graduate will stand on the next step. There will be a piece of tape on the steps to mark where they should stand.

   Once a graduate has received their hood, Dean McClain will greet them with a congratulatory fist bump.
    

4. Graduates should then return to their seats. Faculty who have finished hooding all their graduates should sit in the North Transept pews (on the opposite side of where they sat at the start of the ceremony).

The hooding ceremonies will be livestreamed for family, friends, and faculty who cannot attend in person:

• 9:00 a.m. ceremony
• 2:00 p.m. ceremony

• ADA parking is available in the parking lot immediately in front of the Bryan Center garage. If you have requested specific accommodations, Sondra Ponzi will be in touch with you directly by Tuesday, May 3.

• If you need to drop off guests with mobility impairments, please use the circle off of Science Drive.

• The accessible entrance to the Chapel is located on the north side of the Chapel facing the Divinity School (map).

• The closest restrooms (in the Divinity School) are ADA-compliant.

• There will be assistive listening devices available at the sound board in the back left of the nave in the Chapel.