Fuqua Commencement on Saturday
Tickets are not required for the ceremony in Cameron Indoor Stadium or the celebration at Fuqua. There is ample seating in the stadium. Cameron Indoor doors will open at 12:00pm for guests to begin seating. Doors will close at 12:45pm, so all guests must be inside and seated at this time for final venue preparation.
For guests who are unable to join us in person, the graduation ceremony can be livestreamed via our YouTube channel. Streaming will start 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony. A recording will be available on the YouTube channel after the ceremony concludes.
Caps and Gowns
Full graduation apparel (master's gown, hood, and cap with tassel) is required to participate in both the Fuqua graduation ceremony and the Duke-wide commencement ceremony. Information on purchasing your cap and gown is available on the Student To Do List.
Note: The Class of 2024 must purchase their graduation apparel directly from Duke Stores; rentals are NOT available due to the new navy robes and caps.
Your hood should be worn draped around your neck with the largest portion of the hood hanging down your back. The velvet border, which indicates your specific field of study (Drab for MBA), should be showing on the front. The velvet should fold under on the lower back to allow the Duke blue and white colors to show like a collar on your back, the bottom of the hood showing just black. Additional information about how to wear your graduation apparel can be found here.
Here are a few things to keep in mind for graduation apparel:
- If possible, wear a shirt that buttons in the front. This will allow you to hook a string from the hood to the button, keeping the hood from sliding.
- You may want to bring hair pins to help secure the cap and safety pins to secure the hood if you do not have a shirt with a button.
- Business casual or business formal should be worn under your gown. If you are wearing a suit, you are encouraged to leave your jacket with friends or family during the ceremony to avoid overheating.
- The tassel of the academic cap is typically worn on the left front side; however, for photography purposes we ask that you wear your tassel on the right side during the ceremony.
- Leave all personal items with family members so you don't have to carry them while processing in and out of the Graduation ceremony.
Parking
More details on parking for students and guests, including walking directions from the parking deck to Cameron Indoor, are available on the Parking + Directions page.
Children at the Ceremony
Children are welcome to attend the ceremony. Please make sure you have someone available to supervise children while you participate in the graduation ceremony. There will be areas on the lower and upper levels of Cameron where you can leave strollers for the duration of the ceremony if needed.
Photographer
Professional photographers will take pictures during the ceremony and celebration. You will have the opportunity to pose for two photos during the ceremony after your name is individually announced. One will be on the stage with Dean Boulding and the other will be just off the stage with a Fuqua logo backdrop.
We will send an email to all students after graduation with instructions for downloading pictures. Given the volume of photos, it may take up to two weeks for the graduation photos to be available and ready to share.
During the ceremony, guests are encouraged to take pictures, but we ask that they not interfere with the procession of students and avoid blocking the view of other guests.
Ceremony Instructions
Procession
Please be at the South plaza of Cameron (the end by Wallace Wade Stadium) no later than 12:15 pm. You should come with your complete set of apparel. Staff will be present to help you arrange it correctly, if needed. You will need to pick up your name card from the boards placed in the South Plaza prior to entering the lobby for line up. Please keep this card with you so that you can give it to the program representative who will use it to announce your name as you walk across the stage. Procession line-up will take place at approximately 12:30 pm inside the South Lobby. Staff will be on-hand to provide instructions and assistance. You will line up in general alphabetical order.
After you have lined up, a quintet will start playing and the staff ushers will lead you into Cameron Indoor Stadium. Please remain standing until the processional music has ended. Procession into Cameron begins at 1:00 pm. Your guests must be seated by 12:45 pm as doors will be closed for final venue preparation.
Ceremony
There will be a program at your seat that you may use to follow the ceremony. When it is time for you to be individually recognized on the stage, you will be given instructions by the ushers. Please be alert to their instructions, particularly if you are seated at the end of a row. Once your name is called, walk across the stage to receive your diploma cover from Dean Boulding. At this time, a photographer will take your picture on stage. Then, immediately leaving the stage, you will have another photo opportunity in front of a Fuqua logo backdrop holding your diploma cover. After this, you will return to your seat and be seated. The diploma cover you receive at graduation will be empty but is yours to keep. Your official diploma will be mailed to your address in DukeHub following graduation.
Process Out
At the end of the ceremony, the faculty and staff on stage will process off the stage, past the graduates. After the group on stage processes out, an usher will direct the first row of graduates to follow. Graduates process out row by row. Please continue all the way outside of Cameron Indoor Stadium, allowing all graduates to leave the stadium in a timely fashion. Following the ceremony, students are welcome to take pictures in and around Cameron Indoor Stadium with their guests and classmates. However, please note that set up for another graduation ceremony will begin taking place at the conclusion of the Daytime MBA graduation ceremony and we ask that you be courteous and not interfere with their setups.
Celebration
Immediately following the graduation ceremony, there will be a celebration at the Fuqua School of Business for you and your guests. All graduates and their guests are invited. This celebration will be casual and you can come and go as fits your preference but will wrap up around 5:30 pm. A North Carolina barbecue syle dinner and drinks will be served, and there will be multiple photo booths around the building for you to capture memories with your loved ones and classmates. Graduates may also pick up their graduation gift at this time in Geneen as well donate your apparel. The library and public spaces (classrooms, etc) will be open so you can show your guests all your favorite Fuqua spots if you like.
Duke Commencement on Sunday
Students planning to attend the Duke University commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 12 should follow the instructions found on the Duke Commencement Website. If you plan to attend the Duke University commencement ceremony, do not donate your apparel on Saturday. You will wear the same apparel (cap, gown, & hood) that you wore during the Fuqua ceremony. Please plan accordingly. You can donate your apparel in bins at Fuqua until May 17.