Graduation 2025
2025 Winter University Commencement
Thursday, December 18 | 9:30 am | EagleBank Arena
President Gregory Washington will preside at the University Commencement ceremony in EagleBank Arena, which will feature student, faculty, and guest speakers. Guests also will enjoy live music during the event. Doctoral candidates will be individually recognized and hooded; bachelor and master graduates will be recognized as a group at their seats.
Doors will open one hour prior to the start of the ceremony and seating is open and available on a general admission basis to anyone with a ticket. It is advisable to arrive at that time.
As a reminder, tickets will be required for any guests of George Mason graduates to enter EagleBank Arena for Commencement. Please visit The University's graduation site for more information.
Information about security, signage, and acceptable bags can be found on the graduation website.
College of Public Health Degree Celebration
December 17 | 4 pm | EagleBank Arena
- Bachelors and Masters graduates are individually recognized and photographed on stage.
- Celebrations include select speakers and performances.
- Caps and gowns are worn.
- Graduates must bring their Mason ID.
Main doors open for guests one hour before the ceremony and tickets are required.
Reserve your tickets at gmu.edu/graduation. Bachelors and Masters students can reserve tickets for their Degree Celebration. Graduates can click the link available through the George Mason email link for no charge/no service fee tickets. They need to use their G# as their one-time use password, add tickets to their cart, and then finish their purchase to claim their tickets. Once tickets have been claimed, they can log into their Ticketmaster account and transfer tickets to family/friends. Note: Graduates must bring their George Mason ID.
Help us celebrate by sharing your photos!
Students, let's celebrate together!
We encourage Mason graduates to share their individuality and diversity through a creatively decorated cap.
Share your photos and well wishes for the graduates on social media with the hashtag #MasonPublicHealth2025! Tag us @MasonPublicHealth and you might see your photos shared on our account!
Additional Information
Accessible Parking and Seating
For accessible parking and drop-off, please use the Roanoke River Road or Nottoway River Lane entrances off Braddock road to access Lot A. ADA parking is located in Lot A.
Seating in all sections of EagleBank Arena, Rows E, F, and G, are marked reserved for special needs. These rows are on the concourse level and are easy access seating without requiring the use of stairs. Ushers are stationed at each portal to assist with seating. Guests requiring special assistance may be seated with one other guest from their party in these easy-access rows. No advanced notice is necessary to use this seating option and, again, these seats are not ticketed or individually reservable.
- Wheelchair accessible seating is available in the four corner portals 4, 8, 13, and 17.
- Ushers are stationed at each portal to help with seating.
All graduation candidates should enter the EagleBank Arena through the lower level loading dock entrance. Doors will open one hour prior to each ceremony. Faculty marshals will be on hand to guide graduates to their major field of study seating area.
What to Expect
What to expect at the College of Public Health Degree Celebration
We will have brief remarks from Dean Perry and the Department Chairs, and there will be special recognition for our doctoral graduates. During the College of Public Health Celebration of Graduates, all graduates will have the opportunity to cross the stage and have their names called individually. Family and friends are free to attend in-person or virtually.
Share Your Creativity and Celebrate Your Achievement with a Decorated Cap
We encourage Mason graduates to share their individuality and diversity through a creatively decorated cap.
Questions?
Email cph@gmu.edu
Graduation Process
Graduation is not automatic, and students must initiate the process. Please refer to the Registrar’s Office graduation webpages for complete instructions on how to apply to graduate, tips for a smooth degree conferral process, and critical deadlines. If you miss the deadline to file the online graduation application through Patriot Web, you must use the paper Late Graduation Application form. We cannot guarantee your name will be in program if the online graduation application deadline has passed.
All students participating in the ceremonies must wear a cap and gown. You can order your cap and gown, announcements, diploma frame, and other graduation items through the University bookstore.
Questions?
Email cph@gmu.edu
Faculty and Staff Information
Commencement
December 18, 2025
FACULTY are strongly encouraged to participate in the Graduation events. If you are planning on participating, you are asked to wear regalia if possible. Please reach out to OSA if you are interested in helping.
Timeline
8:00 am: Doctoral candidates and their advisors meet for continental breakfast and robing at the EagleBank Arena upper floor East Concourse.
8:20 am: Faculty marshals are asked to be in position on the arena floor
Please note: Only the Platform Party will meet in the Hospitality Room, lower level. All other faculty, please report to the arena floor to assist with student seating.
10:00 am: The Commencement ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and the ceremony usually lasts about two hours.
Faculty Advisors
Faculty advisors are invited to accompany their doctoral students to the stage and hood them during the Commencement ceremony.
Doctoral candidates are hooded only at Commencement.
To participate and hood your doctoral candidate on Thursday, December 18, please consider the following details:
- Please RSVP for the event, and be sure to include your name and the name of your candidate.
- If you do not own regalia, please contact the University Bookstore to order regalia by emailing sm366@bncollege.com no later than November 14. (Please see the note below regarding regalia rental.)
- On December 18, plan to arrive at EagleBank Arena no later than 8 a.m. Enter at the loading dock doors. Join your doctoral candidate at a continental breakfast on the upper floor East Concourse before the processional lineup begins.
- The University Marshals and staff will direct you and your doctoral candidate for the lineup.
- You will process in and be seated next to your doctoral candidate. At the appropriate time, the marshals will bring you and your student up to the stage. You will hood your student, cross the stage, and then proceed back to the seating area.
Prior to the day of Commencement, please view the brief video on hooding instructions below.
Additional Instructions for faculty advisors hooding Doctoral Candidates at CPH Degree Celebration:
Just before the ceremony begins (around 9:15 am), the University Marshals will direct you and your doctoral candidate to the processional lineup. Doctoral students should have their hoods on with their regalia, as formal hooding will have taken place at the university commencement on December 18.
Advisors will process in and be seated with the doctoral student. At the appropriate time, marshals will direct you and your student up to the stage. After your student’s name is called, you will walk to the center of the stage (designated space will be marked), place the CPH medal on your student, and then return to the seating area.
The Presentation of Degrees
College staff will cue students to the stage at the appropriate time. When your students are cued to the stage, marshals should stand in the aisle to facilitate students returning to their rows. Graduates should be discouraged from leaving before the ceremony has ended out of respect for their fellow graduates. Students who need to use a restroom should be directed to the college staff in the back of the arena who will direct them to a restroom.
Recessional
At the end of the Degree Celebration, the platform party leaves first, followed by the faculty, the doctoral students, and the bachelor’s and master’s students. Please assist by having students ready to exit row-by-row to their right (when facing stage), beginning front row to back row. All will exit through the loading dock doors in the rear of the arena. There is a reception at Peterson Hall for students, friends, and families following the ceremony.
Questions
Contact cph@gmu.edu.