Convocation details

Paid underground parking is available at FirstOntario Concert Hall, accessible by Summers Lane or King Street. The City of Hamilton operates this lot and sets parking rates. Please see the Hamilton Municipal Parking System Office for rates.

The hall is well serviced by numerous public parking lots within the immediate area.

Please see below for general directions. Click the Map section to find directions from your location.

From Toronto

• Take the QEW to Highway 403 west
• Take the Main St. East Exit and follow directional signs to FirstOntario Concert Hall

From Guelph

• Take Highway 6 South to Highway 403 west Hamilton
• Take the Main St. East Exit and follow directional signs to FirstOntario Concert Hall

From Cambridge

• Take Highway 8 East to Hamilton, Highway 8 becomes Main Street in Dundas
• Follow Main St. East to Summers Lane

From Brantford

• From Highway 403, take the Main St. East Exit
• Follow Main St. East to Summers Lane

From Niagara / Buffalo (Approximately 86 km to Hamilton)

• Take the QEW Hamilton to Highway 403 West Hamilton
• Take the Main St. East Exit and follow directional signs to FirstOntario Concert Hall

By Transit

The MacNab Street Transit Terminal is located immediately east of FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place). The following HSR bus lines stop within one block of FirstOntario Concert Hall:

• 1 King
• 2 Barton
• 3 Cannon
• 4 Bayfront

• 5 Delaware
• 6 Aberdeen
• 7 Locke
• 10 B-Line
• 21 Upper Kenilworth

• 22 Upper Ottawa
• 23 Upper Gage
• 24 Upper Sherman
• 25 Upper Wentworth
• 26 Upper Wellington

• 27 Upper James
• 33 Sanatorium
• 34 Upper Paradise
• 35 College
• 51 University

• 52 Dundas.

The following Burlington Transit bus lines stop within one block of FirstOntario Concert Hall:

• Route 1 Plains
• Route 101 Plains Express.

Guests of GO Transit buses can request to stop directly outside of FirstOntario Concert Hall at the Summers Lane stop. Guests of GO Transit trains are let off 500m away from FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place) at the GO Station.

If you miss the deadline to complete the convocation tile, please see ‘How to request your diploma after convocation’.

• Fall 2023 diplomas will be available for pick-up starting December 4, 2023 at the Student Services (Gilmour Hall 108) during office hours (Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.)
• Diplomas are destroyed after one full calendar year. After one year, a replacement can be requested (see Diploma Duplicates and Replacements).
• If you would like to authorize someone to pick up your diploma on your behalf, you must submit a Service Request in Mosaic, and in the comments indicate the full name and date of birth of the authorized person. They will be required to present valid, government photo ID.

For a required fee, you can request a duplicate or replacement degree parchment, diploma or certificate. A second copy of the degree parchment, diploma or certificate will be reissued (noting the date of reissue) when the original document has been lost, damaged or destroyed.

The words duplicate or reissued (will also indicate the print date) will be affixed to all degree parchments, diplomas or certificates requested in this manner. These will bear the signatures of the current Chancellor, President and Vice-Chancellor and Registrar.

Please consult the Senate Policy on Duplicate and Replacement Parchments, Diplomas and Certificates Procedures (PDF document).

Diploma delivery following convocation:

Please submit a Service Request in Mosaic to request the delivery of your diploma following convocation. Complete the Diploma Delivery Request Form and attach it to the Service Request.  You will be contacted by phone for your payment.  Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing.

In extenuating circumstances, there may be times when you need your degree conferred ahead of your scheduled ceremony. There is a process where you may request an early release of your diploma.

What steps do I need to take to seek approval for early conferral?

Please note: this process is currently only for undergraduate students. Graduate students must reach out directly to Grad Studies.

1. Review the Issuing Diplomas in Advance of Convocation policy.
2. Confirm that you are eligible to graduate with an Academic Advisor.
3. Make sure you are not currently enrolled in courses and that all of your grades are posted on Mosaic.
4. Gather all the required documentation to support your request. Outline the specific reasons why the diploma is required in advance.
5. Complete the Early Conferral Request form.
6. Submit a Service Request in Mosaic and attach your Early Conferral form as well as all supporting documentation.
7. Return to ‘My Service Requests’ to view the status of your request.

When can I apply for an early conferral?

You can only apply for an early conferral in a term you are not enrolled in. For example, if you finished your last courses required for your degree in December, you can apply for an early conferral as early as January.

If you finish your final courses in April, you can only receive an early conferral if you have an opportunity that outlines in writing that your diploma is required before your Spring convocation ceremony. Your final grades must be posted to Mosaic before you can be considered.

If you have completed your classes in April and need documentation showing you have completed your degree requirements for employment, graduate school applications, etc., you will need to download an “approved to graduate” letter from your Mosaic Student Centre when it becomes available in late May. Please be aware this letter will only become available once your faculty has finished its review of all students. This process begins in early May and is completed by late May.

How early can I receive my diploma?

The earliest you can pick up your diploma is at your convocation ceremony.

Application deadline

Applications are accepted throughout the year. The only deadlines are prior to the Spring convocation ceremony.

Deadline for students attending a May convocation ceremony: May 5

Deadline for students attending a June convocation ceremony: May 31

The Approved to Graduate/Post-Graduate Work Permit letter is available if you have a graduation status of ‘Approved to Graduate’ in Mosaic. Official transcripts stating your degree awarded and conferral date will be available the day after convocation. Please only request a letter or transcript if necessary for reasons such as immigration, employment, admission etc.

Follow these steps to make sure your credential is available as soon as possible:

1. Complete the convocation forms tile in Mosaic.
2. Before submitting a request, check your graduation status in Mosaic.
3. Once your Mosaic Student Centre is updated to ‘approved to graduate’ by your Faculty Office you can request a verification letter.
4. Download your letter or submit a Service Request to order your credential.
5. Visit our Transcript Request Page in Mosaic after convocation to order your official transcript stating your degree awarded.

Reviewing is completed by your Faculty. Thank you for your patience as the Faculty Office completes reviewing and your request is processed. Requests made too early will be cancelled. Please remember to follow the steps for timely processing.

Have follow up questions? You can connect with Student Services via our online chat.

Please submit an order via Parchment to request the re-issue of your diploma for pick-up or courier.

Accessible seating

Please let event staff know of your seating accommodation needs once you arrive at the venue.

FirstOntario Concert Hall has several wheelchairs that can be loaned to guests during the ceremony at no charge. Ask your guests to inquire at the information desk in the main lobby.

Accessible parking

Accessible parking options are available at FirstOntario Concert Hall, as well as additional lots close to the venue.

Live captions

All spoken parts of the ceremonies include live captions (communication access real-time translation), except during the reading of graduate names. The captioned text will appear on the large video screen facing the audience.

FirstOntario Concert Hall also has infra-red hearing devices for guests with a hearing impairment. These are available for loan at no charge and may be obtained at the information desk in the main lobby.

If you are unable to attend your convocation ceremony due to extenuating circumstances, you may request to defer your attendance to the next appropriately affiliated ceremony in the next Convocation cycle. Please review the Senate Policy here. To submit a request, complete the following steps:

1. Complete the Request to Defer Attendance at Convocation form
2. Gather your supporting documentation. This must show evidence of the circumstances beyond your control impacting your attendance (e.g. employment letter, medical documentation).
3. Upload your completed form and documents as a Service Request in your Mosaic Student Centre.

Please monitor your service request and McMaster email for any updates. A decision should be available within 3-5 business days.

The deadlines to request a deferral for fall 2023 Convocation ceremonies is November 14, 2023.

Students first must:

1. Complete the convocation tile
2. Pay the RSVP fee
3. Be “Approved to graduate” in Mosaic

Only after all three steps are complete, students may receive an email from Marching Order within a week of completion.

Please note you may need to wait for your faculty to complete the graduate approval process. Approved grads are updated in Marching Order on a weekly basis.

All graduands are entitled to four guest tickets.

Guest tickets expire 45 minutes before the scheduled ceremony start time (i.e. tickets for the 9:30 a.m. ceremony expire at 8:45 a.m. and so on). After this time, guests are admitted on a first come first served basis at the door.

As such, if you have more guests who would like to attend your ceremony, they are welcome to wait at the door until first come first served seating begins (45 minutes before the scheduled ceremony start time). Non-ticketed guests will only be admitted based on guest capacity at that time and are not guaranteed admission.

Children, typically under two, who will be sitting on a lap do not require a ticket. Children who will be sitting in a seat require a ticket.

If your guests require a visitor’s visa to travel to Canada for the ceremony, please write a Letter of Invitation using our template and follow the instructions.

How to request a Letter of Invitation

1. Once you have an eligible or approved graduation status in Mosaic, order a Current Educational Verification letter in Parchment to have the letter delivered electronically. Select ‘Letter of invitation to convocation’ from the ‘What type of letter is required?’ drop-down menu.
2. Write your letter of invitation using the template provided.
3. Submit both your letter of invitation and the McMaster educational verification letter to IRCC.

This letter is not a ticket or RSVP to the convocation ceremony.

Questions? Please connect with a Student Services Professional via our online chat.

Once your graduation status is updated to ‘Approved to Graduate’ by your faculty in Mosaic, you can request a verification letter. Learn more about this process.

If your name does not appear in the program, it does not mean you are not graduating. You may have:

• Not consented to have your name published in the program when completing the Convocation Forms tile in Mosaic.
• Submitted changes to your Convocation Forms tile after October 24, 2023
• Received “Approved to graduate” status after October 24, 2023

Graduands can refer to their “Approved to graduate” status in Mosaic to confirm their graduation status.

Still have questions?

Undergraduate students: Make an appointment to speak with an academic advisor.

Graduate students: Contact your Graduate Administrator.

Regalia

At convocation, all McMaster graduands (undergraduate, Master’s and PhD) will be provided with the appropriate regalia (gowns, hoods, graduate caps). These are to be returned after the ceremony.

If you would like to purchase your own regalia to keep, please visit the Campus Store website.

McMaster is committed to promoting an environment of respect and collegiality that honours the rich diversity of our campus community. We fully support and encourage the inclusion and addition of culturally specific apparel during celebrations.

What to wear with your regalia

Many students choose to dress up for the special occasion. Dress like your best self, but most importantly, be comfortable as ceremonies are approximately two hours.

There is a staffed coat check for graduands. It is at your discretion to keep your valuables with you, with your guests or with our coat check.

Only Master’s and PhD’s graduate with a cap.

These are to be returned after the ceremony.

If you would like to purchase your own regalia to keep, please visit the Campus Store website.

The Lifetouch Graduation Photo studio is located in MUSC. Book your appointment online through their website. 

1. Click McMaster University Grad sitting 
2. Click McMaster University for the site 
3. Click McMaster – all Faculties for the faculty 
4. Choose a day and time that is best for you 

Questions? Reach out directly through mcmasteruniversity@lifetouch.ca or 905-525-9140 ext: 26222. 

When you attend convocation, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. When you register to attend, you consent to such recording media and its release, publication, exhibition or reproduction.

Some of the photos of the overall event taken at convocation will be available on McMaster’s Flickr account a few weeks following your ceremony.

For your specific portrait taken after you crossed the stage, GradImages sends an email within two weeks of your graduation date. If you didn’t receive this email, please visit the Grad Images website.

Your OSAP loans may begin collecting interest once you are no longer enrolled in full-time or part-time studies.

You will receive a notice from the government to start repaying your loans 6 months after your last day of full-time studies.

Learn more about repaying your OSAP.

Don’t know what to give your graduate? We’ve got you covered. 

The Campus Store will be on-site with frames and other memorabilia. Remember to check out the Campus Store’s Grad page for diploma frames, unofficial memorabilia regalia and more! You can arrange to have your diploma framed ahead of time to pick up at convocation.

Flowers can be pre-ordered or purchased on-site.

If you plan to join the Academic or Chancellor’s Procession for fall convocations, please register by:

• TBA

Learn more about the Academic and Chancellor’s Processions.

We invite all McMaster staff interested in volunteering at the convocation ceremonies to participate.

Please sign-up by:

• TBA

Register to join

If you plan to join the Academic or Chancellor’s Procession for fall convocation, please register by Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

Hooding of graduands

The hooding of Doctoral and Masters graduands by their supervisors and advisors is an established practice at convocation. This practice affirms the unique character of graduate education: the close association of mentor and student. Hooding by supervisors is a fairly simple exercise and one our students tell us that they appreciate.

Please review our Hooding at Convocation policy.

You must be part of the Academic or Chancellor’s Procession to hood a graduand. If your student(s) have requested you to hood them, please provide their name and degree being conferred when you register to join the Procession.

A diagram is available illustrating a graduand’s path across stage, and the location where they are hooded.

Academic dress

Academic dress must be worn by members of the Academic Procession or Chancellor’s Procession. Those who are unable to provide their own academic dress may borrow a black gown, hood and cap.

Borrowing regalia (hoods, gowns, caps)
If you plan to borrow a gown and/or cap please arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the assembly time for each ceremony. You do not need to rent regalia or arrange this in advance; gowns, hoods and caps will be available for all ceremonies.

Where to pick up borrowed regalia:

• Academic Procession: The Studio (see Academic Procession)
• Chancellor’s Procession: Meeting Room 2 (see Chancellor’s Procession)

Academic Procession

We invite all eligible members of the McMaster community to join the Academic Procession. Members must register in advance and also declare their intention to hood a graduate.

The Academic Procession will process into the Great Hall directly following the graduand procession. They are seated behind the Chancellor’s Procession. For marshalling and organization purposes, please report to ROOM TBA approximately 45 minutes before the start of the ceremony.

Borrowed hoods and gowns may be picked up from the Studio upon arrival.

The following people are eligible to participate in the Academic Procession:

• McMaster University Faculty (including Chairs of Departments and Schools)
• Mohawk College Faculty (including Chairs of Departments and Schools)
• Conestoga College Faculty (including Chairs of Departments and Schools)
• McMaster University Officers
• Members of McMaster University Senate
• Members of McMaster University Board of Governors
• McMaster University Professors Emeriti
• Trustees of McMaster University Divinity College
• Academic Visitors

Chancellor’s Procession

The Chancellor’s Procession is the last group to process into the Great Hall. They are seated on stage, in front of the Academic Procession. For marshalling and organization purposes, please report to Meeting Room 2 approximately 45 minutes before the start of the ceremony.

Borrowed hoods and gowns will be available in Meeting Room 2 upon arrival.

Faculty may leave their personal belongings with the staffed coat check in Wentworth Room A.

The following people are eligible to participate in the Chancellor’s Procession:

• McMaster University Chancellor
• McMaster University Bedel
• McMaster University President & Vice-Chancellor
• McMaster University Honorary Degree Recipients
• McMaster University Honorary Doctors
• Members of McMaster University Alumni Association Executive
• Representatives from McMaster University Student Governments Executive
• McMaster University Faculty Award Winners
• McMaster University Provost, Vice-Presidents, Associate Vice-Presidents and Assistant Vice-Presidents
• McMaster University Deans, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans and Directors of Faculties and Schools
• McMaster University Chancellors and Presidents Emeriti
• McMaster University Alumni Association President
• McMaster University Board of Governors Chair
• McMaster University Secretary
• McMaster University Graduate Registrar
• McMaster University Registrar
• Mohawk College President, Vice-Presidents, Associate Vice-Presidents, Deans, Associate Deans, Directors, and Board of Governors Chair
• Conestoga College President,  Vice-Presidents, Associate Vice-Presidents, Deans, Associate Deans, Directors, and Board of Governors Chair
• Civic Officials