Fall Commencement

Aurora University Fall Commencement Ceremonies

Saturday, December 19, 2026
Thornton Gymnasium

Specific ceremony times will be provided in the future.

These ceremonies are for fall 2026 graduation candidates who have completed courses on the main campus of Aurora University, at the University Center at McHenry County College, or online. Doctoral students must successfully defend and submit their final dissertation by November 1 in order to participate in the December ceremony. Those who defend at a later date, will be invited to participate in the May ceremony.

Graduation Application

All fall 2026 graduation candidates, regardless of participation in a ceremony, must complete the Graduation Application by the October 16 deadline.

Cap and Gown Ordering

Graduation candidates who plan to participate in a commencement ceremony must order their cap and gown from the Herff Jones website by the October 16 deadline. The cap and gown package can be picked up during Cap and Gown Day on Tuesday, November 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in University Banquet Hall. There will be a shipping option for those who are unable to attend Cap and Gown Day.

Electronic Tickets

Each participating graduation candidate will receive an email from commencement@aurora.edu on Friday, November 13, with instructions on how to access their electronic guest tickets. Each participating graduate will receive six guest tickets.

• Guests can bring tickets in paper or electronic form.
• Due to limited seating, there are no additional tickets available.

Your Legacy Survey

A survey link will be sent to your AU email account in early November. All graduation candidates are required to complete this brief survey. This information will help AU better serve students and alumni in their career-planning activities and is an important step in completing your graduation requirements.

Please refer to the tabs on the left for more information.