SEPTEMBER 26-27, 2025
Commencement Weekend
in Chicago
Alumni Celebration*
Friday, September 26
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center
1551 Thoreau Dr N
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Commencement*
Saturday, September 27
Leavitt School of Health & School of Education
Graduate Check-in: 8:30 am
Ceremony Time: 9:30 am
School of Business & School of Technology
Graduate Check-in: 12:30 pm
Ceremony Start: 1:30 pm
NOW Arena
533 Prairie Stone Prkwy,
Hoffman Estates, IL 02114
*Details Subject to Change
RSVP Information
To RSVP, you must have either your Graduation Application submitted to the Student Records department or be enrolled in and only have their final course left, such as capstone or final certification, with the exception of direct hours for field experience or student 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.
Additional Information
Chicago Deadlines:
- RSVP
Deadline: August 27, 2025 - Graduate Speaker Application
Deadline: August 1, 2025 - Anthem Singer Audition
Deadline: August 8, 2025
Chicago Details:
- Commencement Guidebook - coming soon!
- Ceremony Program- coming soon!
Learn More About Commencement Day
Watch this video to see what a typical in-person commencement day looks like for a graduate.
Parking
Details Coming Soon
Regalia Update
As of 2025, WGU's regalia colors have changed. All gowns will be navy blue with multi-colored green, navy, and silver tassels and navy and silver hoods
Bag Policy
Details Coming Soon
Alumni Celebration in Chicago
Kick off your commencement weekend with this exclusive alumni celebration in honor of our graduates!
All graduates attending the 2025 WGU Commencement in Chicago are invited to join us for the Alumni Celebration at the Renaissance Schaumberg Convention Center.
This family-friendly, come-and-go event is free to attend, and we encourage graduates and guests to dress in business attire.
At the celebration, you can:
Free professional portraits (graduates only): Elevate your LinkedIn profile with free professional portraits- courtesy of WGU!
Meet with local employers for career opportunities
Reconnect with Alumni in your area
Visit our affiliated partnership booths to receive career advice, purchase WGU swag, pick up your WGU Philanthropy Cord, and more.
Take photos in our social photo booth and share using #WGUgrad
Meet Sage the Night Owl
Enjoy light appetizers, refreshments, and self-pay bars
Hit the dance floor or play family-friendly games with a fun WGU twist
Come for the networking, stay for the fun.
*Please note: 2025 Chicago graduates are allowed to bring up to six (6) total guests, and invited special alumni guests are allowed to bring up to three (3) total guests.
Date: September 26, 2025
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Location:
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center
1551 Thoreau Dr N
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Contact Information
WGU Alumni Celebration: alumnievents@wgu.edu
WGU Alumni Celebration accessibility: alumnievents@wgu.edu
WGU Commencement: commencement@wgu.edu
Parking Information
TBA
Frequently Asked Questions
- Commencement Ceremony FAQs
- Ceremony Participation and RSVP FAQs
- Regalia FAQs
- WGU Philanthropy Cord FAQs
- Letter of Invitation for Abroad & Commencement Announcements FAQs
- Graduation Application and Diploma FAQs
Commencement Ceremony FAQs
A commencement guidebook with check-in details, parking, maps, and more will be loaded onto the commencement app and emailed to each graduate two weeks prior to the ceremony.
Due to varying space limitations, Alumni Celebration and Commencement guest count policies are different.
Alumni Celebration: Each graduate is invited to bring up to six guests to the Alumni Celebration they choose to attend. Local alumni that are invited to attend the alumni celebration are invited to bring up to three guests. This measure is designed to accommodate as many graduates as possible while allowing everyone to enjoy the festivities with their loved ones.
Commencement: Guests are recommended to bring up to 8 guests to ensure our event doesn’t reach venue capacity; however, please feel free to bring additional guests. Tickets are not required to enter the commencement ceremony*. Graduates do not need to update their initial guest count with the Commencement Office if there are any changes.
*Tickets will be required for the commencement ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia at Gas South Arena and in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena.
No, tickets are not required for WGU commencement ceremony. *
*Tickets will be required during the commencement ceremonies in Atlanta, Georgia at Gas South Arena. and in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena.
The names of graduates who physically attend an in-person commencement will be read as they cross the stage. All Virtual Commencement participants’ names will be read during the Virtual ceremony.
No. Graduates are called to the stage by schools and not in alphabetical order.
Please arrive dressed in your cap and gown for the commencement ceremony. Due to the number of graduates and precise schedule, it is not practical to change into regalia at the venue.
You can watch the commencement ceremony on the WGU YouTube channel at any point after the start of the ceremony.
The commencement photos will be available approximately 2-3 weeks after the ceremony. 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 and 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.
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 student eligibility to attend commencement. If you have additional questions, you can contact the Commencement Office at commencement@wgu.edu.
Graduates who wish to participate in an in-person or virtual commencement ceremony must meet eligibility requirements and register for their desired event.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Students must have submitted their Graduation Application for the completion of their degree program OR
- Students must have only their final course remaining, such as capstone or final certification, with the exception of direct hours for field experience or demonstration teaching.
- Students who meet the above final course requirements may submit an email to commencement@wgu.edu with "Final Course" in the subject line along with desired commencement ceremony.
- Once eligibility has been confirmed the student or graduate MUST submit an RSVP via the commencement website.
If you don’t currently meet either of these requirements, wait to RSVP until one of the requirements is met.
No, the graduation application process is separate from submitting a RSVP to a Commencement Weekend. If the Commencement Office has granted a final course exemption and you have RSVP’d to your desired ceremony 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 information on a Grad Pass for the announcer.
After a graduate submits the ceremony RSVP form, a confirmation email is automatically 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.
No. As of January 2022, a graduate may participate in one ceremony per degree, either a virtual or in-person ceremony.
A Grad Pass is a digital QR code issued to each graduate registered for an in-person ceremony the week of commencement. It contains the information that will be displayed on the screen as your name is read and you cross the stage. To access their Grad Pass at the ceremony, graduates will need their phone with them at graduate check-in and as they cross the stage.
Your GradPass will be emailed to you on Monday and Wednesday the week of the Commencement Weekend. If you do not receive it, please contact the Commencement Office at commencement@wgu.edu with the subject line, “GradPass Not Received”.
We will send commencement updates to the email address you entered on your RSVP form.
Regalia FAQs
WGU works with Balfour as our official regalia vendor (caps, gowns, tassels, hoods, stoles). Please visit the Balfour regalia website for ordering.
Please note: As of 2025, WGU’s regalia colors have changed. All gowns will be navy blue with green tassels and navy and silver hoods.
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 from our regalia vendor.
Education - Blue
Business (all MBAs) - Drab
Technology - Gold
Nursing – Apricot
Integrated Healthcare Management - Salmon
Master of Health Leadership - Sage green
WGU works with Balfour as our official commencement goods vendor. Please visit the Balfour website for ordering.
Prior to the conferral of degrees, bachelor's degree graduates wear their 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 our commencement vendor’s website. Please note that the academic attire for a master's graduate includes a cap, tassel, master's gown, and hood.
Yes, WGU graduates affiliated with an honor society may wear society pins or honor cords/sashes/stoles to represent their academic achievements, affiliations, or identity 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.
Graduates who are members of The National Society of Leadership and Sucess may wear honor cords indicating this affiliation.
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 the Alumni Celebration or at Commencement during graduate check-in. On your RSVP form, please mark that you are a veteran or active duty.
Graduates are permitted to decorate their graduation caps. Take into consideration the following if decorating your cap 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.
WGU Philanthropy Cord FAQs
The WGU Philanthropy Cord is a blue and gold cord for graduates to wear with their cap and gown at Commencement. The Philanthropy Cord is not only a physical symbol of a graduate’s commitment to WGU, but also more importantly supports a philanthropic legacy that will last for future generations of 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 WGU Philanthropy Cord donations support WGU’s Fellow Night Owl Scholarship, a fund established to help current WGU students facing financial hardship cross the finish line to graduation.
For in-person commencements, you may choose to have your Philanthropy Cord mailed to you or picked up at Commencement by visiting the WGU Advancement table at the Alumni Celebration or during graduate check-in the morning of Commencement.
For virtual commencements, Philanthropy Cords will be mailed prior to the ceremony date.
WGU Advancement is the official fundraising arm at WGU dedicated to attracting, allocating, and putting dollars to work so more students have access to an affordable, quality education. WGU Advancement’s operation is the next step in WGU’s ever-growing obsession with students’ success, and a way for the increasing number of WGU graduates, donors, and partners to pay it forward.
Thank you for your generous support! You can donate to the Fellow Night Owl Scholarship by texting “WGUGrad” to 41-444 or by visiting this link.
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.
WGU works with an official announcements and commencement goods vendor. Ordering will open at the end of 2024 for all 2025 ceremonies.
Graduation Application and 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.
No, please leave your diploma at home. You will receive a complimentary diploma cover at the end of the commencement ceremony.
