Doctoral Hooding Ceremony

Doctoral Graduates are invited to a special reception on Friday, January 30, 2026, on the main campus of Bellevue University. A Hooding Ceremony may be celebrated on Friday, January 30 (prior to the reception) OR Saturday, January 31 (during the commencement ceremony at the Mid-America Center), depending on the number of graduates participating.

Final details will be communicated closer to the event date.

Participation Requirements

Doctoral candidates must have all requirements for conferral completed before participating in the hooding ceremony. Doctoral candidates will receive their diplomas at the hooding ceremony on the Friday before the graduate and undergraduate ceremony.

  • Meet all admission requirements
  • Complete all curriculum requirements listed in the assigned University catalog
  • Pass all degree-required doctoral courses with a grade of “C” or better + a maximum of six credits with a grade below a “B-” and no grade below a “C”
  • Attain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in the doctoral degree program
  • Have at least 49 credit hours in residence courses at Bellevue University (online courses are in residence)
  • Have ALL requirements completed satisfactorily, including defense of your dissertation, at least 30 days prior to the ceremony in which you will participate

Doctoral candidates will receive their diplomas at the hooding ceremony.

Ceremony Registration and Deadline

To register for the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony, complete this form: applying for graduation. From the drop-down menu, choose "Friday, January 30, 2026 (Doctoral Only)."

Doctoral graduates who register for the hooding Ceremony will receive communications via email regarding additional information and specifics pertaining to their ceremony. Graduates should monitor their Bellevue University email and the email submitted on their ceremony registration form. Contact commencement@bellevue.edu for additional assistance, if needed.

Ceremony Information

Doctoral Graduates are invited to a special reception on Friday, January 30, 2026, on the main campus of Bellevue University.

A Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will be held on either Friday, January 30, prior to the reception, OR on Saturday, January 31, during the commencement ceremony at the Mid-America Center. The date will depend on the number of graduates participating.

Final details will be communicated closer to the event date.

Biographies

Doctorate candidates will be asked to submit a short biography. Submissions will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Friday, January 9, 2026.

Guidelines for Your Biography:

  • Write in third person (e.g., “Jane Doe is…” instead of “I am…”).
  • Include basic information such as:
    • Who you are
    • Why you chose to pursue your Doctoral or Ph.D. at Bellevue University
    • Your future goals and plans

An email with full instructions and submission details will be sent to each doctoral candidate.

Nominate a Student Speaker

Doctoral graduates may nominate themselves to be considered as the Student Speaker for the Saturday, January 31, 2026, commencement ceremony. Review the qualifications and expectations of nominees, available on the Student Speaker Nomination Form.

Cap and Gown Pick Up

When a hooding ceremony occurs before the Doctorate Reception, only Doctoral regalia not picked up by 6:30 p.m. Thursday, January 29, 2026, will be available at the John B. Muller Administrative Services Building when you arrive for the ceremony on Friday, January 30, 2026.

If the hooding ceremony occurs during the Saturday, January 31, 2026 Commencement Ceremony, Doctoral regalia will be available for pick-up on Friday, January 30, 2026, from 4-7 pm during Open House/ Final Friday.

Bellevue University Main Campus: Hitchcock Humanities Center

  • Tuesday, January 27, 2026
    4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, January 28, 2026
    11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, January 29, 2026
    11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.*
  • Friday, January 30, 2026
    4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. during Open House

Graduation Announcements

While Bellevue University does not supply announcements for your graduation, we welcome our graduates to order announcements and/or class rings if they wish. We are proud to partner with Balfour for all of your graduation announcement and keepsake needs. Order online at https://www.cbgrad.com/school/BELLE.

Graduation Photography

Bellevue University partners with Ceremony Photos to ensure professional photographs of each graduate are taken and made available for purchase. Portraits will be taken immediately after exiting the stage. Photos will be available 2 - 3 weeks after the ceremony. Please visit www.ceremonyphotos.com/events-proofs to view the photos. There is no obligation to purchase. If you have questions, please email Todd@ceremonyPhotos.com or call 1.402.917.6518.

Shout Outs and Social Media

You will have the opportunity to record and send in a video or text “Shout Out.” We will play the video “Shout Outs” on the big screens at commencement before the ceremony beginning at 8 a.m. Shout Outs submitted by Doctoral graduates will be shown prior to the Hooding Ceremony. They will also be posted online for viewing two weeks after commencement.

“Shout Outs” are a brief video clip or text message of graduating students sending out messages to family and friends, thanking them for their love and support. An example of a Shout Out: “Hi, Mom and Dad. Thanks so much for your love and support during my time at Bellevue University. It has been a great experience and I could never have made it without you.

  • Video Formats: Apple ProRes, AVI, M4V, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MPE, MPG, WMV
  • 1920x1080 or 1280x720, if possible
  • Shoot with camera/phone horizontally
  • Place camera/phone on table or tripod
  • Solid color background/wall behind you
  • Not handheld, if possible
  • Good lighting (light yourself from the front)
  • No windows or bright light source behind you
  • Say or spell your name before giving your Shout Out
  • Rename video file with student ID number
  • Upload your video to your Bellevue University OneDrive or similar service
  • Text shout outs have a limit of 255 Characters
  • Text shout outs must not contain nudity, profanity, hate speech, or adult content
  • Text shout outs can include one photo
  • Photos must not exceed 30 MB
  • Photos should be in focus, contain only your face (no group photos) and not contain nudity, profanity, hate speech, or adult content
  • Photo Formats: JPG or JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PSD, PDF, RAW, HEIF, and GIF
  • Please submit your video shout outs by emailing av@bellevue.edu

  • Text shout outs have a limit of 255 Characters
  • Text shout outs must not contain nudity, profanity, hate speech, or adult content
  • Text shout outs can include one photo
  • Photos must not exceed 30 MB
  • Photos should be in focus, contain only your face (no group photos) and not contain nudity, profanity, hate speech, or adult content
  • Photo Formats: JPG or JPEG, PNG, TIFF, PSD, PDF, RAW, HEIF, and GIF

Video or Text Shout Outs can be submitted between Monday, December 1, 2025, and Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:59 PM CT. Questions? Contact av@bellevue.edu.

Bellevue University reserves the right to edit or decline submissions at its sole discretion.

Join the party on social media!

Ceremony Recordings

The Commencement ceremony will be recorded and available for viewing 2 weeks after the ceremony date at Bellevue University's official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/bellevueuniversity

Travel Information

The following hotels are located close to Bellevue University's main campus:

  • Candlewood Suites Bellevue
  • 10902 S. 15th St
  • Bellevue, Nebraska 68123
  • 1.402.932.8144
  • Courtyard Omaha Bellevue at Beardmore Event Center
  • 3730 Raynor Pkwy
  • Bellevue, Nebraska 68123
  • 1.402.408.5300
  • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bellevue
  • 10804 S 15th St
  • Bellevue, Nebraska 68123
  • 1.402.293.1600
  • Hampton Inn Bellevue
  • 3404 Samson Way
  • Bellevue, Nebraska 68005
  • 1.402.292.1607

The following metro-area hotels are located close to the Mid-America Center, where the commencement ceremony is held, and within 20 minutes of the University.

  • Springhill Suites:
  • 3216 Plaza View Drive
  • Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
  • 1.712.256.6500
  • Country Inn & Suites:
  • 17 Arena Way
  • Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
  • 1.712.322.8282
  • Hilton Garden Inn:
  • 2702 Mid America Drive
  • Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
  • 1.712.309.9000
  • Holiday Inn Express:
  • 2211 South 32nd St
  • Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501
  • 1.712.352.1300

Ceremony Recordings

Both the Doctoral Hooding ceremony and the Commencement ceremony will be recorded and available for viewing 2 weeks after the ceremony dates at Bellevue University’s official YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/c/bellevueuniversity

Related links

Online Degrees Military-Friendly University Before the Ceremony Graduation Day of the Ceremony After the Ceremony