Doctoral Hooding
What is the doctoral hooding ceremony?
The doctoral hooding ceremony takes place at commencement during which doctoral candidates are recognized and hooded, symbolizing the completion of their doctoral program.
All doctoral candidates participating in commencement must choose a hooder to hood them during the ceremony.
Who Can I Ask to Hood Me?
Your dissertation/project advisor is your default hooder. However, graduates have opted to designate a second hooder or a different hooder. This person could be a family member, a staff member, friend, or another person in your support system. Doctoral hooders must hold a doctorate or other terminal degree and they must wear regalia to commencement. Be sure to ask someone to hood you by commencement day!
Directions for Doctoral Candidates
Arrival & Lineup
- You and your hooder(s) will line up in the lineup location indicated by the Office of the Registrar Commencement Webpage. This webpage will also include information on directions and parking.
- Doctoral candidates and their hooders line up behind the doctoral candidates banner and not behind the banner of their academic college.
- Candidates and hooders are pre-seated before start time; it is important that doctoral candidates and hooders arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the ceremony start time.
During Commencement
1. When doctoral candidates are called up, you and your hooder will proceed in line with all doctoral candidates and hooders to receive your diploma case and take pictures prior to crossing the stage. Your hood should be slung over your arm with the velvet trim facing out.
2. You will hand your name card to a staff member to scan so that your name, program, and hooder name are streamed on screen.
3. When you hear your name called, you and your hooder will step onto the stage. You will then hand your hood to your hooder, who will then place it over your head.
4. You did it! After receiving your congratulations from the Vice Provost of Graduate Affairs, you and your hooder will walk forward and down the stage to head back to your seats and will remain seated for the remainder of the commencement ceremony.
Directions for Doctoral Hooders
Arrival & Lineup
- You and your student will line up in the lineup location indicated by the Office of the Registrar Commencement Webpage. This webpage will also include information on directions and parking.
- Doctoral candidates and their hooders line up behind the doctoral candidates banner and not behind the banner of their academic college.
- Candidates and hooders are pre-seated before start time; it is important that doctoral candidates and hooders arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the ceremony start time.
During Commencement
1. When doctoral candidates are called up, you will proceed to line up with all doctoral candidates and hooders. You will follow your student in line as they get their photo taken and receive their diploma case.
2. When you hear your student's name called, you and your student will step onto the stage. Your student will hand their hood to you and you will step behind them (if there is a platform, you will step onto this) to place the hood over their shoulders.
4. You did it! After receiving congratulations from the Vice Provost of Graduate Affairs, you and your student will walk forward and down the stage to head back to your seats and will remain seated for the remainder of the commencement ceremony.
Tips to Help You Prepare for Commencement
Make a plan with your hooder
Share location of lineup and arrival time with your hooder(s). Be sure to plan to arrive 45 minutes before commencement start time!
If you will not be arriving with your hooder(s), we recommend bringing your phone along should you need to give directions or check in with them.
Watch our Doctoral Hooding Tutorial Video
We have a new video on how to perform a doctoral hooding!
We advise watching this video and sharing it with your hooder prior to commencement.
Watch Previous Doctoral Hooding Ceremonies
One of the best ways to prepare for commencement is to view previous doctoral hooding ceremonies! UToledo uploads videos of past commencements on YouTube.
Here's a video of the afternoon Fall 2024 Commencement ceremony! The doctoral hooding ceremony begins at 33:51.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need to Bring My Own Hood to Commencement?
Yes! Be sure to bring a doctoral hood with you to commencement. Click here to learn how you can obtain regalia.
Does My Hooder Need a Ticket for Commencement?
Nope! Neither you nor your hooder will require a guest ticket to gain entry into commencement.
What if I can't Find a Hooder?
Let us know! We're happy to help you locate a hooder.
I need to Make Changes to my hooder information in my RSVP! What do I do?
Unfortunately once you submit a Tassel (formerly called MarchingOrder) RSVP, you are unable to make changes.
You can request what we call a "red card" at commencement which is a card where you can fill out information to be read aloud by a volunteer (your name, program, and hooder name would not be displayed as you cross the stage if you choose this option). Alternatively, you can keep your information as is, have your original information appear on screen, and still invite your new hooder/additional hooder/etc. to the stage to hood you.
Questions?
Let us know at gradsuccess@utoledo.edu! We're happy to help as you prepare for commencement day.