2026 MD/PhD Convocation Ceremony

When and where will the MD/PhD Convocation Ceremony take place?

• The BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s MD & PhD Convocation Ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at the Track & Tennis Center (100 Ashford St., Boston, MA 02215). The Ceremony will be held 3pm-5pm, with a reception immediately to follow that all graduates and guests are welcome to attend.
• Student arrival will be at 1:30pm. Guest entry will begin at 2pm, no early guest entry will be permitted.

How many guests is each graduate allowed?

• There are no tickets for the event, and no formal limit as to how many guests can attend per person. While we are fortunate to have a large enough venue to not restrict guests, we do ask that graduates consider keeping their guest count around maximum of 12.

Will graduation be livestreamed?

• Yes. The livestream of the MD/PhD Convocation Ceremony will be hosted on this page on the day of graduation. It will stay up for 1 week following the ceremony. A recording will not be available for distribution or viewing.

What will transportation be like on the day of the event?

• All graduates and guests are highly recommended to take public transportation or chose a ride-share service (i.e. Uber, Lyft) if able to do so. If taking the BU Bus, the closest stop is C8, which is approximately a 10-minute walk to the Track & Tennis Center. If driving, free parking is available in the Agganis Arena lot at 925 Commonwealth Ave, about a 5-minute walk to the TTC.
• There is a small parking lot next to the Track & Tennis Center for those with handicapped parking stickers. The space in this lot is limited and will only be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If this lot is filled, drivers can drop off guests near the building entrance and park in the Agganis lot.

Are there other events aside from the MD/PhD Convocation Ceremony that week?

• SCOMSA (the student government) will plan and host several social gatherings in the week leading up to graduation, all of which will be shared directly with the graduates when information is available.
• There is an Awards Ceremony on May 11 for all graduates receiving school or departmental awards. Awardees will be notified in early spring and are encouraged to attend the ceremony. This event is not open to guests.
• The Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society will host their Induction Ceremony on May 13. AOA inductees will be notified directly about this event and guest guidelines as information is available.

More information about the 2026 MD/PhD Convocation Ceremony will be forthcoming, and this website will be updated as more information is available. For general questions about Boston University’s Commencement Weekend and the All-University Ceremony on May 17, see the BU Commencement 2026 Website.

RSVP Required by: MARCH 9

GRADUATES RSVP HERE

You will tell us…

• Whether or not you will attend Convocation (please complete the form either way)
• How many guests you plan to bring
  • While there is no formal guest limit, students are asked to consider keeping their guest count to 12 or fewer
• Who you plan to have hood you, if you have a preference
  • You should confirm the person you want to hood you is willing and able to do so before completing the RSVP form
  • All hooders must hold a terminal degree in order to be eligible
• Indicate your preferences for the sharing of your residency information in the graduation program and on our match list site

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Regalia Rental Deadlines:

• For on-campus (BU Campus Store) pick-up: March 23
• For home delivery: April 1

• “Order Your Cap and Gown”
• “RENTAL Doctor Gowns”
• Education Track: “Medicine Students”
• Select either Delivery Type (if selecting pick up option, order must be placed before March 24)
• Select “Graduation Regalia“
  • Complete the questions as prompted
• “Add to Cart”
• Total should be $0 unless extra items are added (unless you have added any additional items)
  • If you are an MD-PhD graduate, or graduating with any second degree, you must ADD and pay for the additional hood to the order or go physically to the BU Bookstore to purchase your additional hood in-person after May 5.
• Complete Checkout

If you plan to march in the GMS Master’s Convocation Ceremony, the MD & PhD Convocation Ceremony, or both, you must fill out this form in order to RSVP. If you are marching in both ceremonies, you only need to fill out the form once. Your RSVP to march is required by FEBRUARY 24.

New for this year! Faculty will need to reserve their own regalia. If you do not own your own robes, you may order rental robes (at no cost to you) through the University’s cap and gown vendor, Herff Jones. Please complete the order form by March 2 to ensure delivery to your school/college. 

Please contact Claire Grimble with any faculty-related questions or concerns related to either ceremony.

Please contact Kimberly Arena with questions or concerns related to the GMS Master’s Ceremony. Please contact Nichole Ciccarelli with any questions or concerns regarding the MD & PhD Ceremony.

If you are a guest hooder (unaffiliated with BU or BMC), your graduate will list you as their hooder on their graduation registration form.

All ceremony participants MUST wear doctoral regalia. If you own regalia of your own (robe, tam (hat), and doctoral hood), you may wear that regalia and do not need to rent a set. If you do not own your own full set of regalia, you must rent regalia for the ceremony. Those details are below.

Renting regalia for guest hooders:

Regalia Rental Site: Deadline April 17

• 1:30 p.m. Graduates arrive: report to White Tent on Malvern Field (across from T&TC)
• 1:30 p.m. Faculty and Hooders arrive: Main Entrance, Track & Tennis Center. Report to faculty robing room.
• 2- 2:45 p.m. Guests Arrive: Main Entrance, Track & Tennis Center
  • Guests should not arrive earlier than 2pm, you will not be able to enter the TTC until 2pm.
• 3:00 p.m. Ceremony (anticipated run-time, 2 hours)
• 5:00 P.M. Reception: White Tent on Malvern Field (across from T&TC)

Arrival: 1:30 p.m. to the Tent on Malvern Field (89 Ashford St, Boston, MA 02134)

Please do NOT bring any personal items or valuables that you cannot fit in a pocket under your regalia. There will not be any place to leave purses, bags, or regalia packaging.

All graduates participating in the Convocation Ceremony are required to wear regalia.

• • PhD regalia rental will include: Red Gown with Black chevrons on the sleeves, a Dark Blue PhD hood, a black cap, and one gold tassel.
  • MD regalia rental will include: Red Gown with Green chevrons on the sleeves, a Kelly-Green MD hood, a black cap, and one gold tassel.
  • MD/PhD regalia rental will include: Red Gown with Black chevrons on the sleeves, a Dark Blue PhD hood, a Kelly-Green MD hood, a black cap, and one gold tassel.

Faculty & Staff

Faculty and staff are highly recommended to either take the dedicated shuttle to and from the MED campus/Track & Tennis Center or use public transportation. If driving, parking is available in the Agganis Arena lot at 925 Commonwealth Ave.

Bus 1: Departs 710 Albany Street at 8 a.m.; Departs TTC at 12:30 p.m.

Bus 2: Departs 710 Albany Street at 1 p.m.; Departs TTC at 5:30 p.m.

Students

Students are highly recommended to take public transportation or choose a ride-share service (i.e. Uber, Lyft) if able to do so. If taking the BU Bus, the closest stop is C8, which is approximately a 10-minute walk to the Track & Tennis Center. If driving, there is no parking available on site for students. If Disability & Access Services are needed for parking, please request through the Accommodations Request Form (see Access & Accommodations section).

Guests

Guests are highly recommended to take public transportation or chose a ride-share service (i.e. Uber, Lyft) if able to do so. If taking the BU Bus, the closest stop is C8, which is approximately a 10-minute walk to the Track & Tennis Center. If driving, parking is available in the Agganis Arena lot at 925 Commonwealth Ave. If Disability & Access Services are needed for parking, please request through the Accommodations Request Form (see Access & Accommodations).

If a graduate and/or their guests require disability and access services, please complete the Accommodations Request Form that will open in April. For additional information on accessible seating, individual accommodations (i.e. sign language, open caption (speech to text), accessible parking and wheelchair availability please visit the Individual School/College Convocations section on the BU  Commencement – Disability & Access Services webpage. Information on Service and Emotional Support Animals policies and procedures can be found here.

*The Accommodations Request Form will be open closer to the event and will be announced to graduates

CART Services (Speech to Text)

CART services will be available and can be accessed using a personal phone or tablet. The URL to access CART services during the ceremony is go.bu.edu/ttc

Miss the deadline?

While every effort will be made to provide accommodations requested after May 10, they cannot be guaranteed. If you need additional assistance, contact Disability & Access Services directly at 617-353-3658.

Arrival: 1:30 p.m. to the main TTC Entrance (100 Ashford St)

Please do NOT arrive at the TTC dressed in regalia. Security will be screening personal items. A staff member will remain in the robing area to guard belongings.

All faculty must RSVP and complete the Faculty RSVP & Regalia Form (link pending), regardless of whether they own their own regalia. If you do not own your own regalia, you will need to rent your regalia prior to the ceremony. Information about this process is sent to faculty directly.

Arrival: 1:30 p.m. to the main TTC Entrance (100 Ashford St)

Please do NOT arrive at the TTC dressed in regalia. Security will be screening personal items. A staff member will remain in the robing area to guard belongings.

If you have been invited by a graduating student to hood them at the ceremony, and are not on the BU Medical School faculty, you will need to rent doctoral regalia if you do not own your own. Hooders are required to wear regalia to participate – cap, gown & hood, and must hold a terminal degree in their field.

Hooder Regalia Order (form pending)– Deadline DATE PENDING

View the MD & PHD CONVOCATION 2026: INFORMATION SHEET for comprehensive information and FAQs for our ceremony. It will be available closer to the ceremony.