Degree Recipients (August or December 2008)
Any graduate degree recipient (Doctoral, Master's or Education Specialist) whose degree was conferred in August or December 2008 is eligible to participate in the May Commencement Exercises.

Degree Candidates (May 2009)

To be eligible to participate in Main Commencement:

Master's candidates need “Application for Degree” cards on file by Thursday, February 12, 2009.
Doctoral candidates need “Application for Degree” cards on file by Thursday, February 12, 2009 AND a “Notification of Intent to Schedule a Final Exam” form on file by February 26, 2009.

Students who fall into these categories will have their names (and dissertation titles if applicable) printed in the Commencement booklet.

Regardless of expected graduation date, any master's and doctoral candidates who want to participate in the Commencement ceremony may do so. However, only students in the above categories will have their names printed in the Commencement booklet.

Doctoral candidates who wish to participate but who don't have “Application for Degree” cards and/or a “Notification of Intent to Schedule a Final Exam” form on file should email Pat Whitlow in order to have their names added to the line-up.

Doctoral Students who wish to participate in the Main Commencement exercises, click here and submit the required information via email. Please note, the Main Commencement exercises and Doctoral Hooding are two separate events. If you ARE participating in the Doctoral Hooding, please complete the online registration form as indicated in the Doctoral Hooding section.

Master's students who wish to participate in the Main Commencement exercises, please report to Rupp Arena at the loading dock area in front of doors 8 and 9 on the "Cox Street Parking Lot" at 1:30 p.m; no R.S.V.P. required. For more information please visit the UK Commencement Procedures site.

NOTE: If you submitted December 2008 degree applications, those will be rolled forward to May 2009. New degree cards are not needed. For more information, contact Cleo Price or (859) 257-2411.

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DEADLINES FOR SPRING 2009 GRADUATION:

Feb. 12 Last day to submit Application for Degree cards to receive a Spring 2009 degree.
Feb. 26 Last day to submit a Notification of Intent to receive a Spring 2009 degree*.
April 9 Last day to submit Final Examination form and Dissertation/Thesis Approval form.
April 23 Last day to sit for a Final Examination to receive a Spring 2009 degree.
May 8 Last day for candidates to submit the final copies/thesis of the dissertation to receive a Spring 2009 degree.

For more information, see Commencement Reminders (PDF format).

*PhD Candidates ONLY.

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The Graduate School will hood doctoral candidates from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 9th in the Bluegrass Ballroom of the Lexington Center (click here for map of the Lexington Center). At the completion of the activity, doctoral candidates will be escorted to the line-up for the main commencement ceremony at 2:00 p.m. Please be advised that your college may offer their own Hooding Activity which will take precedence over the Graduate School's activity. Please contact your college dean’s office prior to sending your R.S.V.P. for the Graduate School's event.

If you wish to participate in the Graduate School Hooding, you must have completed your degree requirements in August 2008, December 2008 or May 2009. The doctoral candidate shall be hooded by either their committee chair or another faculty member at the ceremony when their name is called.

Doctoral Candidates must be wearing the appropriate doctoral regalia and must provide the hood that will be used in the hooding activity. Doctoral regalia may be rented or purchased from the UK Bookstore. Regalia orders should be submitted as early as possible to ensure that regalia will be available for commencement. See Academic Regalia section for pricing and order information.

To participate in the Hooding Activity, click here to complete the online form. If you also intend to participate in the University's Main Commencement Ceremony, click here and submit the required information via email.

Family and friends are welcome to attend the hooding as well as the commencement ceremony that follows. Doctoral candidates have their names called and walk across the stage at the main commencement ceremony.

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Due to limited student participation and budgetary restrictions, the Graduate School will not be hosting the Master's Student Reception, previously slated for May 5, 2009.

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Students must wear full academic regalia in order to participate in Commencement.

A full price list of academic regalia offered by UK Bookstore is listed below. All regalia can be ordered online via the Josten's website. Please direct all questions regarding regalia, the ordering process, etc., to the Bookstore’s General Manager, Melissa Brooks at:

UK Bookstore
(859) 257-7853 (direct line)
(859) 323-9745 (main line)
106 Student Center Annex
melissa.krug@uky.edu. 

Bachelor Cap, Gown & Tassel (Custom Regalia; Degree Colored Tassel) ($33.00)
Master Cap, Gown & Tassel (Custom Regalia; Black Tassel) ($35.00)
Master Hood ($29.00)
Doctoral Cap, Gown & Tassel (Degree Colored Tassel) ($47.00) (Professional Programs ONLY. For PhD Regalia, please contact the Bookstore)
Doctor Hood ($43.00)
*PhD Custom Regalia ($735.00)
*PhD Nursing Custom Regalia (DNP) ($778.00)
*PhD Custom Regalia (Rental, with tam purchase) ($190.00)
*PhD Custom Regalia (Rental, with mortar board purchase) ($120.00)
Nursing Cords (Apricot & White) ($10.00)
Cords ($10.00)
Stole of Gratitude ($20.00)
Blue & White Souvenir Tassel ($4.99)
Shipping & Handling (if not being picked up at UK Bookstore) ($7.00)

List of Hood Colors, click here.

*Please Note: PhD Custom Regalia is available ONLY through contacting the UK Bookstore. To order PhD Regalia, please contact Melissa Brooks.

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If you completed all degree requirements by May 9, 2009, your diploma will be mailed to the address you listed on your Application for Degree.  Diplomas usually arrive in mid- to late July and are mailed out by the Office of the Registrar as soon after that as possible.  If you need to make a change to your address, please contact Courtney Andrews at: candr2@email.uky.edu.  If you have questions regarding your degree, please contact the Graduate School.

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The parking areas in the immediate vicinity of the Lexington Civic Center (the High Street lot and the Cox Street lot) will be open (no charge) for all Commencement events. Commercial parking lots in the vicinity of the Lexington Center will be available at a cost. With the University's Commencement activities and the activities of churches in the downtown area, graduates and their families are encouraged to allow time for traffic and parking.

See parking diagram (PDF format) for areas near the Lexington Center where parking will be available.

For the commencement events occurring on campus, all campus parking will be open and free. See the Campus Parking pages for more information.

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General Commencement Questions: (859) 257-3261 or grad.commencement@uky.edu
Diploma Questions: Courtney Andrews – (859) 257-9536
Commencement Eligibility: Cleo Price
Participation in Commencement Exercises: Pat Whitlow
Invitation Letter for Travel Visas: Cleo Price

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