Ceremony Instructions

The following instructions will help the commencement ceremony move smoothly and in an orderly fashion.

RSVP Deadlines

Psychology Graduates:

Education Graduates:

RSVP and create your graduate profile in MarchingOrder. (A link to MarchingOrder will be emailed to eligible grads starting March 17, 2026.)
Rent or purchase your regalia from Herff Jones by the deadline.
Purchase your honor cord, if eligible.
Attend one of four commencement informational webinars on December 3, 2025, January 22, February 11, or March 17, 2026.

Provide your full, preferred name. This is the name that will be read aloud at graduation. Please carefully proofread your name to check for any typos or accidental autocorrections.
Provide a phonetic spelling of your name.
If you wish, you may also provide a voice recording of you saying your name to better help the voice actor with the pronunciation.

Bring your regalia with you to commencement.
Head to student check-in near the pond on Alumni Park. At check-in, you’ll receive your name card and honor cord, if purchased. You must have a name card to cross the stage.
Visit the robing tent to receive assistance in putting on your regalia.
Graduates, please do not bring purses, backpacks, bags, and other non-essential items to the graduation ceremony, as there will be no place to securely store them.
Find a seat in the staging area. Grads must sit in their academic program section, but do not have to be in alphabetical order. Doctoral candidates will be seated in the front rows, followed by master's degree programs.
The line of march will be organized by academic program. Please remain in order as you are ushered to the graduation area. No one may enter the line of march after it leaves the staging area. Watch staff ushers for cues during your march into the graduation area.
The graduation area may be warm, and there is no shade, so be sure to wear sunscreen.

The Dean will ask the respective doctoral candidates, and later in the ceremony, master’s candidates to rise.
Remain standing until the President has conferred your degree, then sit in your chair.
When instructed by the staff ushers, stand in your row, then march forward to the stage to receive your diploma. Take your name card with you to the stage.
Enter the stage on the right, present your name card to the name reader, shake hands with the president, exit to the left, and return to your seat. Be aware of the photographers who will take your picture upon receipt of your diploma cover and when you exit the stage.

Following the benediction, the platform party will exit, followed by the graduates and then the faculty.

Before you leave campus, please deposit your rental gown at the Herff Jones table in Alumni Park. The cap and tassel are yours to keep, as well as the honor cord or sash if you purchased them in advance.
On the lawn in Alumni Park, graduates may take this time to introduce their family and friends to the faculty and administration.

To efficiently welcome guests onto our Malibu campus, each guest must possess and display their individual ticket to attend the ceremony. Ten tickets will be emailed to graduates to disseminate to their guests. Additional tickets will be offered via a waiting list, starting April 17 for Psychology grads and April 28 for Education grads.
In the event of inclement weather, graduates will be notified and instructed on guest information.

Please email gsepgrad@pepperdine.edu with any additional questions.