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September 22-23

Commencement Weekend in Chicago

Alumni Celebration 
Friday, September 22

Details Coming Soon
 



 

Commencement
Saturday, September 23

NOW Arena
5333 Prairie Stone Pkwy
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192

Master's Check-in Time: 8:30 am
Master's Ceremony Start Time: 9:30 am

Bachelor's Check-in Time: 12:30 pm
Bachelor's Ceremony Start Time: 1:30 pm

RSVP Information

To RSVP, you must have either your Graduation Application submitted to the Student Records department or be enrolled in and only have your final course remaining, such as capstone, final certification, or demonstration teaching. If you don’t currently meet this requirement, wait to RSVP until the requirement is met.

Students who are enrolled in their final course may submit an email to commencement@wgu.edu with “Final Course” in subject line along with desired commencement ceremony.

For more information, review the Commencement Ceremony Participation Guidelines.

If you have any questions, please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu or by phone 385.428.2085.

Attention iOS users (iPhone/iPad): please use Chrome or Firefox browser to submit your ceremony RSVP form. If you use Safari (default iOS browser) to complete your RSVP form, you will receive a false application rejection message. If uncertain, please complete the ceremony RSVP form on a computer rather than your iOS device.

Chicago Commencement Deadlines:

Chicago Commencement Details:

  • Commencement Guidebook Coming Soon
       
  • Bachelor's Ceremony Program Coming Soon

  • Master's Ceremony Program Coming Soon

Parking & Bag Policies

Information Coming Soon!



 

Hotel Discounts

Information Coming Soon!

 

Alumni Celebration in Chicago

Friday, September 22

Information Coming Soon!

Keynote Speaker

Information Coming Soon!

Bachelor's Ceremony Graduate Speakers

Information Coming Soon!

Master's Ceremony Graduate Speakers

Information Coming Soon!

National Anthem Singers

Information Coming Soon!

Frequently Asked Questions

Ceremony FAQs

A commencement guidebook will be loaded onto the commencement app and emailed to each graduate with check-in details, parking, maps, and much more. 

Graduates are recommended to bring up to 8 guests, but tickets are not required to enter the commencement ceremony. Please feel free to bring your extra guests. Graduates do not need to update their initial guest count with the Commencement Office.  

Tickets are not required for WGU commencement weekend events.  

Only the names of graduates who physically attend an in-person commencement or submit a video to a virtual commencement will have their names read.

Policies vary by location and venue. Please consult the commencement app for further details three weeks prior to the ceremony date.  

Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Due to the number of graduates and schedule, it is not practical to change into regalia at the venue.

You can watch the commencement ceremony at the WGU YouTube channel at any point after the start of the ceremony.

The commencement photos are usually available 2-3 weeks after commencement. Those photos will be available for viewing at https://thegradteam.com/events/wgu/

Did you know that WGU Alumni have access to hundreds of discounts? Log in to BenefitHub to search for deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more.

Ceremony Participation & RSVP FAQs

There is not a time limit on when a graduate may walk in a commencement. Graduates may only participate in one commencement ceremony per degree program completed.

Tickets are not required for commencement weekend events.  

Generally, the commencement ceremony lasts 2 hours.

Yes, it is possible for a commencement ceremony to reach capacity. We suggest that you submit an RSVP to your desired ceremony as soon as you are eligible.

Please review the commencement participation guidelines located in the student handbook, which outlines the eligibility for commencements.

Graduates who wish to participate in an in-person or virtual commencement ceremony must complete two steps. 

  1. Submit either your Graduation Application or be enrolled in and only have your final course remaining, such as capstone, final certification, or demonstration teaching.  

  1. Submit an RSVP via the commencement web site (available at wgu.edu/commencement).  

To RSVP, you must have either your Graduation Application submitted to the Student Records department or be enrolled in your final course, such as capstone, final certification, or demonstration teaching. If you don’t currently meet this requirement, wait to RSVP until the requirement is met. 

Students who are enrolled in their final course may submit an email to commencement@wgu.edu with "Final Course" in subject line along with desired commencement ceremony.

No, the graduation application process is separate from commencement. If the Commencement Office has granted a final course exemption, you do not have to have your graduation application submitted to walk at commencement. 

Yes, the ceremony RSVP form is a separate process from the graduation application. The completion of the ceremony RSVP form reserves your seat at commencement and generates your name card for the announcer. 

After a graduate submits the ceremony RSVP form, a confirmation email is sent to the email address listed on the completed RSVP form. Please check your junk inbox. If you do not see a confirmation email for your ceremony RSVP. Please contact us at commencement@wgu.edu with additional questions.

No. Once registration has closed, no late additions, including day of (walk-up) will be permitted.

Graduates may walk in one commencement ceremony per degree. As of January 2022, a graduate may participate in one ceremony per degree, either a virtual or in-person ceremony.

Photos from each commencement ceremony will be available for purchase through our photography partner The Grad Team in the week following each commencement. All photos can be viewed on their website here.

Regalia FAQs

Oak Hall Cap and Gown is the official regalia vendor (caps, gowns, and hoods) for WGU. You can place your order via the website or call 1-800-456-7623 and ask for the Web Department. The official regalia color for graduates is navy.  For visual reference, please see our bachelor’s regalia video and our master’s regalia video. 

For bachelor’s degree, post-baccalaureate teacher programs, or endorsement preparation program (English Language Learning), you should order a cap, bachelor's gown, and tassel. For those earning a master's degree or endorsement preparation program (Educational Leadership), you should order a cap, master's gown, tassel, and a master's hood.

The following master’s hoods are available for purchase at the WGU-Oak Hall Cap and Gown website:

Education - blue 
Business (all MBAs) - drab 
Information Technology - gold 
Nursing – apricot 
Integrated Healthcare Management - salmon 
Master of Health Leadership - sage green

You can order a tassel at the WGU-Oak Hall Cap and Gown website, or by calling 1-800-456-7623 and ask for the Web Department.

Yes, WGU graduates affiliated with an honor society may wear society pins or honor cords/sashes on their gowns. Teacher graduates affiliated with the WGU chapter of the international honor society of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) may order honor cords at http://www.kdp.org.    

Prior to the conferral of degrees, bachelor's degree graduates wear the tassel on the right while master's degree graduates wear their tassel on the left for the entire commencement ceremony.

A graduate should wear academic attire appropriate to the awarded degree. The master's gown differs from a bachelor's gown. If you already have a cap and tassel, you can order a master's gown as an individual item on the WGU-Oak Hall Cap and Gown website. Please note that the academic attire for a master's graduate includes a cap, tassel, master's gown, and hood.

WGU graduates who are veterans or active-duty military will be provided with a military honor cord. For virtual commencements, cords will be shipped to the address provided on their RSVP. For in-person commencements, cords will be picked up at graduate check-in. On your RSVP form, please mark that you are a veteran or on active duty.

Graduates are permitted to decorate their caps and wear sashes with their regalia. Take into consideration the following if decorating your cap or wearing a sash for commencement: 

WGU does not allow content on caps or sashes that is considered, in WGU’s sole discretion, obscene, vulgar, defamatory, hateful, inappropriate, profane or that might disregard another’s copyright or third-party rights. All decorations must lie flat on the cap. 

Philanthropy Cords FAQs

The Philanthropy Cord is a blue and gold cord that WGU graduates often wear with their cap and gown at commencement. The Philanthropy cord is not only a symbol of their commitment to WGU, but also an opportunity for them to “pay it forward” and help current and future WGU students.

Graduates can receive a Philanthropy Cord by making a gift of $25 or more to WGU’s Fellow Night Owl Scholarship, a fund established to help current WGU students facing financial hardship cross the finish line to graduation. To donate, graduates can text “WGUCord” to 41-444 or visit this link.

All proceeds from the Philanthropy Cord sales support our Fellow Night Owl Scholarship Fund, which helps current students experiencing financial hardships with need-based scholarships. Your donation is put to immediate use and provides help when it is needed the most. To learn more, click here.

For in-person commencements: If a donation is made more than four weeks prior to commencement weekend, the Philanthropy Cord will be mailed to the graduate. The cord may also be picked up by visiting the WGU Advancement table at the Alumni Celebration or during graduate check-in before commencement.

For virtual commencements: Philanthropy Cords will be mailed to the graduate prior to the ceremony date.

WGU Advancement, founded in 2018, is the official fundraising arm of Western Governors University (WGU). We are committed to supporting our students, faculty, and staff through our fundraising program to advance the mission of WGU. Your gifts help us to attract and retain talented students, provide student scholarships, and help our students “cross the finish line” to graduation!

No problem. You can donate to the Fellow Night Owl Scholarship Fund by clicking on this link or texting “WGUGrad” to 41-444. Every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Thank you in advance for your support.

Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs

Yes, students may send an email to records@wgu.edu with the family member's full name, relationship to the student, and foreign address. Once provided, the Records Department will prepare documents containing information about the commencement and student's earned degree. These prepared letters will then be sent to the student to forward them to the correct parties. It may take 5-10 business days for the letters to be mailed to the student.

Jostens is the current provider for commencement announcements.

Graduation Application & Diploma FAQs

Visit the graduation application page in the student handbook for the most current information on how to apply for graduation.

Visit the graduation application page in the student handbook for the most current information on how to receive your diploma.