Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions regarding the 2024–2025 Commencement ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Please check back as this list will be updated on a regular basis. If you have any additional questions, please email commencement@iit.edu.
Ahead of Commencement
December (fall) 2024 graduates and students who will have enough credits to graduate in summer 2025 are eligible to attend the Commencement ceremony on May 17, 2025. Please complete the Commencement Ceremony Response Form to reserve your space and guest tickets.
No—Commencement is held once annually for students who graduate in the fall, spring, or summer of that academic year.
No—Commencement participation is only open to students who graduate in the fall, spring, or summer of that academic year.
Students graduating from Chicago-Kent College of Law may attend the Saturday, May 17 Commencement ceremony. The Chicago-Kent College of Law unit ceremony is Sunday, May 18, 2025. For more information on the unit ceremony, please follow this link: Chicago-Kent College of Law Commencement ceremony.
Students that successfully complete the online Commencement Ceremony Response Form (coming soon) and attend Graduate Salute on April 29, 2025, will receive their digital ticket to Commencement via email after Graduate Salute.
Please refer to the linked PDF document, which details instructions on how to access the registration form.
If you have trouble completing the online Commencement Ceremony Response Form, please try the following: 1) delete all cookies and refresh your browser; and 2) sign in by using all lowercase letters. If you continue having problems, please contact commencement@iit.edu for assistance.
You may still complete a late submission of the Commencement Ceremony Response Form until April 15, by 11 p.m. (CDT). If you complete your late Commencement Ceremony Response Form by April 15, you may still attend Commencement. However, because guest tickets are limited, you may not receive tickets for your guests to attend the ceremony. In the event that you complete your Commencement Ceremony Response Form past the deadline date of April 15, please contact your college ceremony planner to be put on a waiting list for tickets. If tickets become available, they will be distributed in the order of the waitlist. You are not guaranteed guest tickets unless you have completed the Commencement Ceremony Response Form on time. Space is limited and allocation of additional guest tickets is at the discretion of the college ceremony planner.
Each student must order their own academic attire for the Commencement ceremony through Herff Jones. To order your academic attire, please click this link and fill out the necessary information. After you place an order, Herff Jones will ship your attire to the address you provide. All graduates are required to have a cap, gown, and tassel to participate in the Commencement ceremony. There will be no opportunity to order and pick up regalia on the day of Commencement. Ordering through the Herff Jones link will be the only way to receive your academic attire for the May Commencement ceremony. All regalia orders must be placed by 11 p.m. (CDT) on April 15 (no exceptions). Each student will need to provide their student ID number and will only be able to order one regalia packet. Additional orders will be automatically canceled. For assistance, please refer to the linked PDF document, with detailed instructions on how to order your regalia.
The number of guest tickets allowed per graduate will be determined in April 2025 after the RSVP deadline. The graduate will receive an email of instructions on how to claim the tickets.
Students that complete the online Commencement Ceremony Response Form by April 15, at 11 p.m. (CDT) may be eligible for additional guest tickets if tickets are available. The earliest additional tickets can become available will be after Graduate Salute. If additional tickets do become available, you are only eligible for additional tickets if you have completed the Commencement Ceremony Response Form.
If you have any questions, or want to know more information about Graduate Salute, please refer to our Graduate Salute Information page (coming soon).
Eligible graduates will first receive an email prompting them to accept their diploma, which will then trigger their diploma shipping request. Diplomas will be issued shortly after the conferral date by mail, which usually takes four to six weeks after the diploma shipping request form has been received by the Office of the Registrar. If you have questions regarding your diploma, please contact the Office of the Registrar at registrar@iit.edu, or visit their website.
Once you attend Graduate Salute, digital guest tickets will be made available to you a few days later via email. Further communication will be sent regarding the quantity of tickets per student can receive.
Full names appear in the program, just as they do on the diploma. To change your name as it appears in the student information system, please update your personal information online.
If you are an undergraduate student who is graduating with honors, you will receive an honor cord the day of Commencement. View the university’s Academic Policies and Procedures webpage to learn more about the requirements for undergraduate graduation with honors.
For guests who are wheelchair users or have impairment, such as a visual or hearing impairment, and require an accommodation, please contact the Center for Disability Resources at www.iit.edu/cdr or 312.567.5744 as soon as possible to arrange for an accommodation.
Invitation letters issued by Illinois Tech are not required by the United States Embassy or Consulate to issue a B-2 tourist visa. If you have family or friends that would like to visit you in the U.S., you may provide them with your own invitation letter. The letter should include your name, identify the person you are inviting, their relationship to you, and state the duration and purpose of the trip. For more information, please visit the Letter Requests page or contact the Office of Global Services (global@iit.edu).
- Graduate and undergraduate student application process: aa@iit.edu
- Coursera questions: coursera@iit.edu
- Diploma questions: registrar@iit.edu
- Disability services questions: disabilities@iit.edu
- International student questions: global@iit.edu
- Commencement ceremony questions: commencement@iit.edu