2026 Commencement Ceremony

All students must apply to graduate. Spring 2026 graduates must apply by March 6, 2026. Graduates are recognized at Commencement. 

Apply through the Office of the Registrar or the Graduate School. 

WSU College of Medicine Commencement Ceremony 

Friday, May 8, 2026 
3:00 p.m. PDT 
Cheney, WA 

Register by April 10, 2026, to participate in the College of Medicine Commencement Ceremony at Eastern Washington University. Graduates who do not plan to participate in the ceremony must also complete the form, as they will be recognized during the ceremony and included in the program. 

WSU Pullman Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 9, 2026 
Noon PDT 
Pullman, WA 

College of Medicine graduates have the option to attend a separate WSU Pullman Commencement Ceremony held on May 9, 2025. The college has limited participation in WSU Pullman ceremonies, which are open to all WSU students. 

Traditional caps and gowns are recommended at all in-person WSU Commencement ceremonies. 

Essential Information and Important Deadlines

• Order online through Herff Jones. Regalia orders will open on January 15, 2026. 
• Receive $10 off your regalia order if placed before February 13, 2026. 
• Regular-priced orders must be placed by March 27, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. PDT. 
• Express orders will be accepted through April 17, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. PDT. 
• Rented regalia must be returned by May 15, 2026. 

How to Order Student Regalia 

1. Go to Herff Jones website 
2. Find your school: Enter “Washington State University” 
3. Choose your school: Select “Spokane/Yakima Campus – Homeship Only” 
4. Select “College of Medicine” 
5. Select your Degree Type (the degree you are receiving at Commencement) 
6. Navigate to the Cap and Gown tab 
7. Select Graduation Regalia 
8. Select your Area of Study and fill out the required information to complete your order. 

For graduate and professional students, hooding is a special moment during the commencement ceremony that marks your transition from student to colleague, celebrating the culmination of years of hard work. Review the following instructions to ensure your hooding in front of a large audience goes smoothly.

Hooding How-To 

Instructions 

• You will have your hood with you. The hood has significance, so carry it folded in half lengthwise over your right forearm for uniformity. 
• While seated during the ceremony before being hooded, keep the hood folded over your lap. 
• You will approach the stage when given the direction to do so. At this point, you will again carry your hood draped over your right forearm with the velvet toward your elbow. 
• Once the name reader pronounces your name, proceed up the stairs to the stage to the hooding area. Your personal hooder or the program’s designated hooder will meet you there. Offer your right arm with the hood still draped to your hooder who will take the hood from you. 
• Turn and stand in front of the hooder, facing the audience. If you are taller than your hooder, bend your knees in a small squat. 
• The hooder will open the hood behind you. Then, they will lift the hood over your head and place it at your collar, draping the length of the hood down your back with the satin lining showing. Once it is over your head, you can stand straight. Pause to give them time to position your hood. Smile and enjoy the moment as a photographer takes your picture. 
• After being hooded, turn to face the hooder to shake hands as they extend their congratulations. Personal hooders will return to their seats. Designated faculty hooders will remain on stage. 
• Then, you will proceed across the stage to the dean, who will hand you your diploma cover. 
• When receiving your diploma cover, make sure to pause to shake hands with the dean and smile at a waiting photographer. After, proceed down the stairs to the opposite side from which you approached. 
• Return to your original seat. 

Some Don’ts of Hooding 

• Don’t spin around. You will make fairly subtle movements during the process, turning from the hooder to face the audience for the hood placement, and then turning to shake hands. Allow the hooder to guide your movements. 
• Don’t remove your tam (cap). 
• Do not bend forward at the waist, as this makes it more difficult for the hooder to reach over your head. 
• If you want to remove your hair from under the hood, be careful not to knock your tam (cap) off. 

Essential Information and Important Deadlines

• Order online through Herff Jones. Regalia orders will begin on January 15, 2026.
• All faculty will receive regalia this year at no charge if ordered before March 13, 2026, at 8:59 p.m. PDT.
• Any regalia purchased after March 13, 2026, will be at the expense of the faculty member.
• Rented regalia must be returned by May 15, 2026.

How to Order WSU Faculty Regalia

1. Go to Herff Jones website
2. Find your school: Enter “Washington State University”
3. Choose your school: Select “Spokane Faculty”
4. Select your Degree Type
5. Navigate to the Cap and Gown tab: Select Graduation Regalia
6. Fill out the required information to complete your order.

WSU College of Medicine faculty have the option to participate in the college commencement ceremony through the faculty processional. Learn more about procession procedures and roles. 

Procession Order 

1. Mace bearer 
2. Platform party 
3. College faculty 
4. Degree candidates 

Processional Procedure 

Macebearer 

The macebearer will lead the procession and will be released from the backstage corridor. 

Platform Party 

The platform party will be released in a single line, following the macebearer, from the backstage corridor. They will enter stage right and proceed to the arranged seating on the center of the stage. 

Individual names will be placed on the corresponding stage seats. Scripts and programs will be placed on all the chairs for the platform party to reference.  

Macebearer 

After the dean is on stage, the macebearer places the mace on the diploma table before proceeding to the assigned seat. 

Faculty Processional 

After the platform party proceeds to their seating on the stage, the faculty processional will begin. The faculty will process from the north lobby area, through the Aisle 1 gallery doors, and down the Aisle 1 stage. 

Recessional Procedure 

After the graduates are released, the mace bearer returns to collect the mace from the stand. 

The macebearer then leads the platform party back through the stage exit (the same direction from which they entered). 

General faculty will be dismissed with the guests.