Commencement

All students and guests, including children ages 2 and older, are required to have a digital ticket to enter the venue. Tickets are free and general admission. Each student is guaranteed 2 guest tickets. Students walking in the Commencement ceremony MUST arrive in cap and gown and with a student graduation ticket to enter Radio City Music Hall.

If you did not request your guest tickets by the deadline, please email commence@pratt.edu.

Arrival At Radio City Music Hall:

• Graduating students must arrive at Radio City Music Hall in cap and gown at the designated times below. 
• Designated Arrival Times:
  • 8:00am: Undergraduate Students
  • 8:30am: Graduate Students
  • 9:00am: Friends and Family 
• Each student (and each guest) must show their own digital ticket for entry to Radio City Music Hall.

Student Name Cards:

• After entering Radio City Music Hall, in the lobby, students will check in and pick up their individual name card. 
• Students can skip the line in the lobby by picking up their name card in advance at the Brooklyn Campus Student Union front desk on May 10, May 13, or May 14 from 9:00am – 5:00pm!
• Each student must show their name card in order to get into the auditorium at Radio City.
• During the ceremony, the name card will be collected for the name readers just before each student walks on stage. 

Please Remember:

• No handbags, flowers, backpacks, bags, coats, sweaters, wrapped gifts, or other items will be allowed at Radio City Music Hall.
• Leave all personal belongings with your guests!

All guests, including children ages 2 and older, require a digital ticket for entry.

The ceremony will begin promptly at 10 AM and is expected to last two and a half hours.

Academic regalia (cap and gown) is mandatory for participation in the Commencement ceremony. Participants must wear academic regalia and present a student graduate ticket to enter Radio City Music Hall. All regalia can be purchased online from our vendor, Herff Jones.

The deadline to order regalia has passed. Regalia can be purchased at the Graduation Fair for those that did not purchase ahead of time.

Questions may be addressed to our local Herff Jones representative, Paul Reilly, at pjreilly@herffjones.com.

Students being recognized for academic achievement may walk across the stage wearing honors cords of varying colors and significance. Silver honors cords are awarded to undergraduate students with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.500 and graduate students with a cumulative GPA of 3.850. Students meeting these requirements will receive their silver cords at the Graduation Fair.

Gold, red, and green honors cords are awarded at the Awards Convocation ceremony the day before Commencement. 

A note on cumulative GPA: Honors recognized at the May 2024 Commencement are designated based on work completed through the Fall 2023 semester. Final honors designations will be indicated on the official diploma and academic record, reflecting all grades included in the degree.

The Graduation Fair provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and other Commencement ceremony participants to prepare for the Commencement ceremony in one place and on the same day.

Brooklyn Graduation Fair:

Student Union, Brooklyn Campus

April 26, 2024 from 10am-6pm

April 27, 2024 from 10am-3pm

Manhattan Graduation Fair:

Pratt Manhattan Campus, 7th Floor

April 29, 2024 from 11:30am-6pm

Students attending the Graduation Fair will be able to:

• Get answers to questions about Awards Convocation, Commencement, GPA, tickets, and more.
• Pick up their caps and gowns. Regalia sets and individual pieces (caps, tassels, hoods) will be available for purchase.
• Purchase a class ring and other 2024 accessories.
• Pick up their honors cords.
• Meet with the Registrar’s Office and Financial Services for questions regarding your status.
• Attend a graduation portrait appointment. Appointments can be scheduled through the Island Photography website.
  • Brooklyn Campus: https://appointments.islandphoto.com/start/1742
  • Manhattan Campus: https://appointments.islandphoto.com/start/1743

No diplomas are given at the Commencement ceremony. Students will receive a physical diploma in the mail and will have the option to download an eDiploma through our trusted partner, CeCredentialTrust. Diploma printing is done offsite and in batches following each semester. Please allow up to a month for diploma ordering, production, and delivery. 

Sometimes, there are issues that prevent a diploma from reaching the recipient (missing or invalid address, academic records hold, a change in honors status in the last semester, printer error, etc.), so please contact our office if you are a recent graduate with a question about the status of your diploma. Pratt will not be held responsible for any mailed diplomas that do not reach the graduate.

Contact graduation@pratt.edu to change the delivery address for your diploma. For more information on when you will receive your diploma, please see Important Dates.

Island Photography is the official photographer for Pratt Commencement. Graduating students may schedule a graduation portrait appointment through the Island Photography website. Portrait appointments will be held at the Graduation Fair. 

Island Photography will take two types of photographs at the ceremony—first, a candid picture of the graduate shaking hands with President Francis Bronet, and second, a portrait of the graduate on stage. Radio City Music Hall only allows guests to take pictures from their seats. 

If you or one of your invited guests requires special seating during the Commencement ceremony, please contact the Learning/Access Center (located in the ISC building, first floor) at 718.802.3123 or lac@pratt.edu. Seating will be reserved for the individual and for one person serving as their assistant while your other guests will be seated in the general seating areas.

We have prepared guidance to help students, faculty, and staff gather safely and responsibly for public events, such as demonstrations, protests, and vigils.  The guidelines are available on OnePratt with your OneKey username and password.

For information concerning Code of Conduct at Radio City Music Hall, please refer to Radio City Music Halls FAQ page.

Use #PrattGrad24 to share your celebrations on social media and see yourself on the big screen at Radio City Music Hall!

Please make sure to open any graduation and commencement-related emails and continue to check this page for updates. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact commence@pratt.edu.