Currently, masks are recommended, but optional, for attendees while visiting the Arie Crown Theater. Continue to monitor your email and the Commencement webpage for updates.
Here you'll find answers to common questions related to commencement. For more information please contact commencement@colum.edu.
Currently, masks are recommended, but optional, for attendees while visiting the Arie Crown Theater. Continue to monitor your email and the Commencement webpage for updates.
Students who complete a graduation application and indicate that they intend to participate in their Commencement ceremony should monitor their Columbia email accounts regularly for announcements and updates about Commencement-related events, procedures, and deadlines. For additional information, please visit the Commencement website or email commencement@colum.edu.
Grad Expo
When: Wednesday, March 15th, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 16th 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: Student Center, 754 S. Wabash
Grad Expo will take place on March 15th 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and March 16th 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Student Center. Graduation tickets will be available for distribution starting with this event. Graduates will be able to speak with Academic Advisors, Columbia Central, order caps and gowns, take graduation and professional photos, sign up for Alumni membership, and more!
‘That’s a Wrap! - Final Grad Expo
When: Tuesday and Wednesday, May 9th and 10th, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Where: The Student Center, 754 S. Wabash
This event is for all graduates and a second opportunity for those who were unable to attend Grad Expo. You will be able to sit for formal graduation photographs or head shots, sign up for Alumni Association membership, and get your Name Card that will be read as you cross the stage at your ceremony. Don’t forget to decorate your cap in the Makerspace!
Beginning with the fall 2022 semester, a graduation fee is no longer being charged to students who apply for graduation or reach senior status. Students who applied for graduation or reached senior status prior to the fall 2022 semester may have been billed separately for graduation.
Undergraduate students: update your graduation application on the MyAcademics tab of your MyColumbia portal. Graduate students: email registrar@colum.edu with any changes as soon as possible.
You may order your cap and gown from Herff Jones on the Commencement webpage beginning February 6th. Columbia College Chicago will cover the cost of your cap and gown and, for master’s graduates, your hood. Please note any purchases made through Herff Jones beyond cap, gown, or hood will be charged to you personally. Regalia ordered online will be shipped directly to you, so it is important that you order early. The last day to order online will be Friday, April 14, 2023.
Students who submit graduation applications after April 14 can pick up regalia at the ‘That’s A Wrap’ Grad Expo. Please note that gown availability in your size cannot be guaranteed for late applicants. Graduation caps are one size fits all.
Undergraduate gowns are black with flowing sleeves and come with a black mortar board and tassel. Master’s degree student regalia is silver with long tails on the sleeves. It comes with a silver mortarboard and a hood featuring colors that correspond with the degree earned.
Yes. Each graduate will receive up to 6 guest tickets. Available seating capacity will be carefully monitored so that we remain in compliance with State of Illinois and City of Chicago guidelines for large indoor entertainment venues. Guests ages 2 years old and up require a ticket.
No, graduates do not need a ticket for themselves.
The first opportunity to pick up guest tickets will take place at the Grad Expo on March 15th 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and March 16th 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Student Center. After Grad Expo, tickets can be picked up from the Student Life Office, Student Center, 3rd floor. Days and times for ticket pickup from the office will be announced and posted.
MONDAY, March 20 – THURSDAY, MAY 4
754 S. Wabash – Student Life Office, 3rd floor
Monday – Wednesday: 10 am – 4 pm
Thursday: 12 pm – 6 pm
After May 4, ticket distribution hours are subject to change. Please continue to monitor your email for ticket pick-up information during commencement week.
You will need to bring your Columbia College Chicago student I.D. Tickets cannot be mailed, and there is no Will Call at the Theater.
You may send a representative to pick up your tickets at Grad Expo and Ticket Distribution. Please refer to the Proxy Pick-Up form on our website. Have your representative print and bring the form along with a copy of your student ID to Ticket Distribution.
If you or any of your guests require special assistance at the Commencement ceremony, we will be happy to accommodate you. Please direct your inquiries to Jeanne Kelly (jkelly@colum.edu; 312.369.8134).
Graduates should arrive at the Arie Crown Theater (2301 S. Jean Baptiste DuSable/Lake Shore Drive) no later than one hour before their ceremony. Be sure to include time for parking and navigating McCormick Place. It’s very large! Park in Lot C then walk up the ramp and enter through Gate 31. Lot C has access to the 2nd floor lobby. Graduates should go down to the 1st floor for staging and guests should stay in the lobby until Theater doors open one hour before each ceremony.
The Commencement Concert will begin 45 minutes before each ceremony. Plan to arrive early so your guests can enjoy a lively performance featuring Columbia’s talented student music ensembles!
Please follow these directions to plan your route to the Arie Crown Theater.
If you are using public transportation, click here.
Be prepared to pay at least $25 for parking. Here is more information about Lot C.
Each ceremony will last approximately two hours.
You will receive your diploma cover when you cross the stage at Commencement. Your diploma will be mailed separately once degree requirements are met and degrees are posted. A limited supply of diploma covers will be available at Columbia Central (600 S. Michigan, third floor) one week before and after Commencement on a first come, first served basis. Diploma covers will not be mailed. If you aren’t attending the ceremony and would like to pick up a cover, please visit Columbia Central during regular business hours.
Diplomas will be mailed approximately two weeks after the posting of your degree. (Degrees are posted in January for fall graduates, June for spring graduates, and September for summer graduates.) You must settle your outstanding financial obligations to the college and complete any required exit counseling before your diploma will be mailed. For more information about these requirements, click here.
Your diploma will be mailed to your permanent address on file. If you have an alternate address for your diploma, please use our diploma mailing request form to indicate that address. You will receive an email to your colum.edu account when your diploma has been shipped. Feel free to call Columbia Central at 312.369.7140 with any questions.
Columbia College Chicago is pleased to offer our new graduates certified electronic diplomas. Our new graduates will have the opportunity to purchase a digital diploma for $15.95. (Please note that this is an added-on, optional feature and is not covered by tuition or fees.) Once purchased, the digital credential features unlimited sharing and is validated by the Registrar. Share your digitally secure document on LinkedIn and with future employers.
Fall 2022, Spring 2023, or Summer 2023 graduates who submit their graduation application by Friday, April 14, 2023, are assured of getting their name in the printed Commencement program. We cannot guarantee the inclusion of your name in the program if we do not receive your graduation application by April 14.
There will be opportunities during the spring semester for you to sit for formal portraits or head shots at the Grad Expo and 'That's a Wrap' Expo with GradImages, our official Commencement photographers. GradImages will also be at the Arie Crown Theater taking your photo as you cross the stage. After the ceremony, you can visit the GradImages' website and purchase your photo package.
You can order personalized printed announcements, class rings, diploma frames, and other Commencement memorabilia through Herff Jones. Links for the above can also be found on the Commencement website.
If you would like to pick up a cover, please visit Columbia Central at 600 S. Michigan, third floor during regular business hours.
Graduation with honors is based on a student’s cumulative GPA as a Columbia College Chicago undergraduate. Graduates with a 3.75-3.79 GPA graduate cum laude (“with honors”); students with a 3.80-3.89 GPA graduate magna cum laude (“with high honors”); and students with a 3.90-4.00 GPA graduate summa cum laude (“with highest honors”). These students wear a gold tassel on their mortarboards at Commencement. If you are graduating with honors, you will receive your gold tassel at the ‘That’s a Wrap’ Expo.
Columbia College Chicago’s Honors Program is a separate academic distinction. Students of Honors courses who maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will receive the designation “Honors Program Graduate” on their final transcripts. Honors Program graduates wear a gold stole with the Honors Program seal at Commencement. If you have met the Honors Program requirements, you can pick up your Honors Program stole with your cap and gown at the ‘That’s a Wrap’ Expo. Contact your Academic Advisor or honors@colum.edu if you have questions about the Honors Program.
Undergraduates: if you decide not to participate in the Commencement ceremony after having indicated that you would, please update your application in the MyColumbia portal to indicate that you will not attend. Graduate students should contact registrar@colum.edu to modify their graduation application on file.
Visit the Manifest website; manifest.colum.edu/ in the spring semester for information on how to participate.
Fall 2022, Spring 2023, and Summer 2023 graduates will retain access to college systems, including email, Canvas, and the MyColumbia portal, until Friday, August 12, 2023. After that, graduates will lose access to college systems. Prepare now by downloading anything you want to save and redirecting important communications to your personal email account.
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Facebook: Columbia College Chicago Alumni Projects
Information contained in these FAQ’s are subject to change. Please stay up to date by visiting the Commencement website colum.edu/commencement and by monitoring your Columbia email.