Commencement

Graduate School Commencement Ceremony

Event Details: Fall 2025

Congratulations, graduates!

Fall 2025 grads: you made it!

The Graduate Student Council co-presidents send their congratulations in a video made just for you!

Doctoral Hooding

The Doctoral Candidate Hooding is a unique recognition of the achievement of students who have earned a doctoral degree.  

Tradition at Colorado State calls for doctoral students to be hooded by their advisors at the commencement ceremonies. In some cases, this may be a member of the student’s committee or someone else who has been significant to the student during their graduate career.  

Hood color varies by degree; the regalia provider has the full information, including eligible students and their degrees, and will ensure you receive the correct regalia. Each candidate will bring an appropriate hood to the ceremony as provided with the regalia purchase

Faculty members planning to attend commencement are asked to assemble in the hallway leading to the east junction by 9:15 a.m. Signs will direct you to the proper location, and marshals will give instructions regarding the formation of the processional. 

Hooding ceremony instructions for faculty members can be found here.

First Destination Survey

Please tell us about your post-graduation plans. Did you find a full-time job, enroll in another graduate program, or are you exploring other opportunities? We ask all graduating students to complete this survey before moving on. The survey takes less than ten minutes to complete, and all results are reported in aggregate to protect your confidentiality.

University-wide Commencement: Spring 2026

Please visit the commencement website for full details about spring commencement ceremonies, including: 

How to apply to graduate

All graduate students must fill out the GS25 application form to begin the multi-step Graduate School process toward degree completion. Review the Graduate School’s deadlines for completing degree requirements to ensure you’re checking every box for commencement.