Master's Ceremony

The School of Graduate Studies 2024 Commencement and Hooding Ceremony will take place on May 21, at 6 pm, in the Haft Theater on FIT′s campus. 

Student Checklist

To attend the ceremony, graduating students need to do the following:

If you haven't already, please be sure to apply for graduation ASAP. Students completing their course requirements must apply for graduation by March 31 to be able to attend the ceremony and to ensure your name is listed in the printed program.

Students should order regalia online directly from Herff Jones by March 31 to be mailed to you or to the FIT Campus Store for pickup.  

Academic regalia is required attire for all students participating in commencement exercises.

2024 master’s degree regalia prices: 
Cap, gown, hood, and tassel purchase is $95.70, plus shipping and handling. 
The standard domestic shipping charge for each order is $7.95; international shipping is $29.95.

All academic attire is made from sustainable materials, supporting the continued efforts of FIT in environmental sustainability. 

The 2024 Commencement and Hooding Ceremony Ticket Reservation Form opens March 1 and closes March 31. 

RESERVE YOUR TICKET(S)

Each graduate may request up to four (4) guest tickets in addition to their own ticket. All guests age 2 and up require a ticket for admission. All graduates and guests attending commencement must have a ticket to enter the venue.

NOTE: After submitting your request, you will receive an email from Eventbrite confirming your tickets. If there is an error in your information or ticket reservation, please contact [email protected] immediately.

Transfer of tickets is not allowed.

Statement on Sale and Misuse of Commencement Tickets

FIT prohibits the sale or purchase of commencement tickets and the posting of advertisements offering tickets for sale or requesting tickets for purchase. FIT also prohibits the duplication of tickets as well as the production and use of counterfeit tickets. Any student who the college has reason to believe is selling tickets, has purchased tickets, has posted an advertisement offering to buy or sell tickets, or who is found to have produced or attempted to use a duplicated or counterfeit ticket will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct. Penalties may include denial of permission to participate in commencement. Any guest found to be using such tickets will be refused admission to the ceremony. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

You may schedule a commencement portrait session online with Thornton Studios or by calling (212) 647-1966. Please use code: studio.

Thornton Studios will also be on campus taking portraits on the following dates: 

Click on the links above to schedule an appointment. 

Check out this list of hotels near FIT's campus that offer preferred rates if overnight accommodations are needed for friends or family who plan to celebrate your graduation with you. 

Commencement and Hooding Ceremony

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 • 6 pm 
Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Theater 

To help ensure a pleasant experience for all attendees, FIT is pleased to provide information regarding access, logistics, and general instructions for the 2024 Commencement and Hooding Ceremony at the Haft Theater at FIT.

The ceremony will be streamed live on this website, fitnyc.edu/commencement, and on Vimeo, and can be viewed from any location with internet access.  

All graduating students are required to wear academic regalia.

Order your regalia from Herff Jones

FIT is monitored by Public Safety officers throughout campus. However, there is no storage for personal belongings at the Haft Theater. We recommend that graduates bring only their caps, gowns, hoods, and essential personal items or a small handbag that they can keep with them during the ceremony.

Graduates are expected to arrive at 5 pm fully robed in their regalia (cap and gown) to be seated with their degree program. Students should use the marked Haft Theater entrance on West 27th Street. Please make sure all guests in your party have tickets; no one can be admitted without one.

Guests should use the Haft Theater entrance on West 27th Street. Look for balloons marking the entrance.

Doors open at 5:15 pm for guests. All guests need an electronic ticket to enter; tickets will be scanned at the door. 

Seating is first come, first seated, and seats may not be reserved. If all members of your party have not yet arrived, please delay entering the venue until your party is together to ensure you will all be seated together. The ceremony will begin promptly at 6 pm.

Graduates will go onto the stage with their degree progam.  When their names are announced the graduates will walk towards the left side of the stage for hooding, with their hood on their right arm. The dean for the School of Graduate Studies will announce each student’s name and the department chair will place the hood on each graduate. (As they sit in the chair and face the audience, the hood is placed over the graduate’s head.)

After hooding, graduates will continue across the stage to receive a diploma cover and shake hands with the FIT president and the vice president of Academic Affairs. Before returning to their seats, graduates will have an official photo taken, a copy of which will be emailed the week after commencement.

The program will run approximately one hour long from the start of the procession.

Immediately following the ceremony, graduates will be guided to Room C205 for group photos of each degree program before joining their guests for the celebration in the Breezeway.  

There will also be a step-and-repeat in the Breezeway at the post-ceremony celebration for graduates to take their own photos with their guests.

A celebration reception will follow the ceremony on the Breezeway.

Alumni Relations will join the reception and will share information about future events and exciting networking opportunities.

Among the vendors that will also be present are FIT's Campus Store with FIT merchandise and The Commencement Group, a local floral provider, with flowers and other items available for purchase before and after the ceremony. To browse the selection and preorder, please visit thecommencementgroup.com/fit.

The Haft Theater is an accessible venue. Accommodation requests for graduates and their guests may be directed to the Office of Disability Support Services (FIT-ABLE). Attendees with special needs (wheelchair assistance, FM systems, etc.) may submit their request via the Request for Accommodations at Commencement form. Closed captioning of the ceremony can be accessed by selecting the captioning option on the commencement livestream, which will be available at fitnyc.edu/commencement and on Vimeo.

Graduates, please remember at this event you will be held to the same expectations and standards outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Any individuals who violate these policies will be asked to leave the ceremony.

Also note that the ceremony is a smoke-free event covered under FIT's Tobacco-Free Campus policy

Venue: Haft Theater at FIT

The School of Graduate Studies Commencement and Hooding Ceremony will be held in the Morris W. and Fannie B. Haft Theater, on FIT's campus at 227 West 27th Street in Manhattan. 

The Haft Theater is located mid-block on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues, just to the right of the Feldman Center entrance. 

Mobility concerns: Outdoors, the Haft Theater is accessible by a ramp to the west of the Feldman Center and indoors by using elevators within Feldman. 

Visit our Getting to FIT page for information on how to reach the campus by car, air, or mass transit, and for local hotels. 

Getting to FIT 


Commencement 2024 Communications Archive—(School of Graduate Studies)

Need Help?

Head over to our Frequently Asked Questions page. There's a chance we've answered your query there.

If you have questions about commencement, please contact [email protected].

Further details will be posted when available. This page last updated: March 6, 2024.