Graduation is a major milestone before exploring the next step in your professional health career.
December University Commencement
Event Details
Undergraduate and graduate students that graduated in June, August and expected graduates for December 2025 will be invited to the University December Commencement on Sunday, December 14, 2025 at 3 p.m. at the John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center.
Students will receive an invitation to their Pitt email from the Office of Special Events (commencement@pitt.edu) on October 13. The deadline to RSVP will be November 20. Graduates should review the Commencement Checklist.
Guests
Currently each student is to receive four (4) tickets, an opportunity for additional tickets will not be determined until the number of students attending has been confirmed. For Family & Friends, we welcome you to check out the new Family & Friends Portal. It is your source of information to enjoy the Pitt Commencement experience fully.
Please note: SHRS has no input on the number of tickets a student receives or any influence on additional tickets.
Regalia and Honor Cords
Be sure to review how you receive your regalia and (undergraduate) honor cords at this link: Attire & Honors Cords | Commencement.
- Graduation Central Spook-tackular kickoff will be held at the University Store on Fifth October 28-31.
- Regalia can be ordered online for in-store pickup beginning October 28 through December 7. All orders after December 7 must be placed in person at the University Store on Fifth. Link to order regalia will be added soon to this site.
Hooding for graduate students receiving a doctoral degree:
All doctoral students will be hooded on stage at this event and will be allowed to select their hooder, as long as they are Pitt faculty or staff. If you have someone in mind to hood you, please confirm with them they are attending before designating them in your RSVP. The Office of Special Events will be reaching out to any hooder that has been designated to confirm attendance and provide instruction.
View more information on the University Commencement at https://www.commencement.pitt.edu/graduate-portal
Please note: SHRS does not hold a school graduation ceremony in December. Please check with your individual department for any recognition events.
SHRS Spring Graduation Ceremonies
Thank you for joining us for the SHRS 2026 Spring Graduation Ceremonies held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall.
Below are the live stream links, available for rewatching the morning and afternoon ceremonies.
- Morning: https://vimeo.com/event/5891958/7d608bdcd1
- Afternoon: https://vimeo.com/event/5891970/fe7dcb50c9
Ceremony Information
Morning Ceremony
- This ceremony will be livestreamed on Vimeo.
- This ceremony will include undergraduate, graduate and PhD students from these departments:
- Communication Science and Disorders
- Health Informatics
- Sports Medicine and Nutrition (includes Athletic Training and Sports Science)
Afternoon Ceremony
- This ceremony will be livestreamed on Vimeo.
- This ceremony will include students from these programs:
- Undergraduate programs
- Emergency Medicine
- Rehabilitation Science
- Graduate programs
- Counseling
- Occupational Therapy
- PA Studies
- Physical Therapy
- Prosthetics and Orthotics,
- Rehabilitation Science PhDs – from graduate programs in the afternoon ceremony.
- Rehabilitation Technology
- Undergraduate programs
Regalia
All participating students are required to purchase and wear regalia for the SHRS ceremony and the Undergraduate Commencement.
Regalia Details
You can order your regalia from the University Store before or during Graduation Central. More information can be found here.
- You will be able to pre-order your regalia starting on March 2. If you want to be able to pick up your regalia at Graduation Central, you will need to place your pre-order by Friday, April 3.
- April 7 will be the first day you can come to the University Bookstore to pick up your pre-orders or purchase.
- You can also purchase your regalia at Graduation Central.
Ordering Regalia
- Customer information needed: you will be asked for your height, weight and degree selection once you add your item to your cart.
- Shipping: If you choose to have your regalia shipped, you will pay an additional shipping cost of $17.95.
- The regalia sets include cap, gown, hood and tassel
- Bachelor Regalia Set – All Bachelor of Arts and Science degrees, choose For Degree Specialization – Health and Rehabilitation Science – Science Yellow
- Masters Regalia Set – Degree specialization choose Master of Arts –White (Speech Language Degree Only) or Master of Science – Science
Yellow - Doctoral Regalia Set
- For Clinical Doctorate in OT and Doctor of Medical Science – choose For Degree Specialization Clinical Science – Science Yellow
- For Doctor of Audiology, choose for Degree Specialization – Spruce (Dark Green)
- For Doctor of OT & PT, choose for Degree Specialization – Teal
- For PhD choose for Degree Specialization – Philosophy (PhD – All Areas Royal blue)
- Note: when ordering a 6-sided Tam is not required for cap.
Honor Cords for Undergraduates
To qualify for Honors, one must have completed 60 letter graded credits of coursework from Pitt and have a 3.250 Cumulative GPA.
- 2026 graduates, this will be based on your December 2025 cumulative GPA, as your grades are not final for spring term until after the ceremony.
- Pitt honor cords are blue and gold and are the same for all honor designations. Final honor designations for the following are determined after your degree is certified.
- Cum Laude 3.250-3.499
- Magna Cum 3.500-3.749
- Summa Cum Laude 3.750-4.000
- Picking up your Honor Cords
- Dates: April 7 – April 21
- Location: New SHRS Building at 3396 Fifth Avenue – Fifth and Halket Floor 8, Administrative Suite
- Available: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- If a student cannot pick up their honors cords in person, they will have to send an email to SHRS Advising: advising@shrs.pitt.edu and indicate which student will pick up their honors cords on their
behalf.
- If a student cannot pick up their honors cords in person, they will have to send an email to SHRS Advising: advising@shrs.pitt.edu and indicate which student will pick up their honors cords on their
- All cords not picked up by April 21 will be given out to students, by the student lineup marshal at your SHRS Graduation ceremony.
Hooding for Graduate Students
Students should carry the hood on their left arm as they approach the stage for hooding.
- Doctoral degrees in PT, OT, Audiology, Doctor of Medical Science and Chiropractic will be hooded on stage by their department.
- PhD recipients will be hooded on stage by their committee chair and the title of their dissertation will be read.
Other Regalia Information
- ONLY doctoral students (including PhDs) will be hooded on stage.
- All students should wear their tassels on the right side of their mortarboard.
- We will not have extra regalia or components of regalia for you at the ceremony. Please come prepared!
- Please wear sensible shoes as you must go up and down steps to the stage.
More information regarding regalia (including pricing, recycling, and a video on how to properly wear your regalia) can be found at this link for the University Store: Grad Central & Graduation Information.
Click on this link to place your order: Shop Regalia | The University Store on Fifth.
If you have any questions regarding regalia, please visit or contact the University Store.
Keynote Speakers
Morning Ceremony | Keynote Speaker
Kanwal ‘Ken’ Nischal, MD, FAAP, FRCOphth
- Division Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus and Adult Motility
- Medical Director Digital Health, UPMC Children’s Hospital
- Associate Medical Director, UPMC International
- Executive Vice Chair, UPMC Vision Institute
- Co-founded Charity World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (WSPOS) (reg’d.1144806 London UK)
Keynote Address: Hail to Humanity
Read More
Dr. Kanwal “Ken” Nischal, a globally recognized pediatric ophthalmologist whose career has been devoted to saving and improving children’s sight.
Dr. Nischal is a professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and serves as division chief of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Over more than two decades, Dr. Nischal has specialized in pediatric cornea, cataract and glaucoma surgery, as well as rare genetic eye diseases and ocular genetics, tackling some of the most challenging childhood vision disorders.
He started his career at King’s College Hospital School of Medicine in London, training at Oxford and finally SickKids, Toronto, before being named clinical director at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (the Peter Pan Hospital) in London.
In 2011 he was recruited to Pittsburgh. He co-founded the World Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, a Charitable NGO with members in 123 countries. Its aim is to cure childhood blindness.
Dr. Nischal’s innovative approach has integrated advanced genetic testing and state-of-the-art imaging into clinical care, allowing earlier diagnosis and groundbreaking treatments. He has restored sight to infants and children who might otherwise face lifelong blindness—performing delicate newborn cataract surgeries and pioneering new techniques in corneal transplantation. By intervening early, Dr. Nischal not only prevents blindness but also preserves each child’s crucial early visual development, giving young patients the chance to learn, play and thrive with the gift of sight.
Families from across the country and around the world seek Dr. Nischal’s expertise, and under his leadership, Pittsburgh has become a beacon for advanced pediatric eye care. In sum, Dr. Nischal’s life’s work has brightened the lives of countless children by combining clinical excellence, scientific innovation and compassionate dedication.
Afternoon Ceremony | Keynote Speaker
Paul Rockar Jr., PT, DPT, MS (’81), FAPTA
- Past president and board member of the American Physical Therapy Association of Pennsylvania (APTA)
- Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA
- Legacy Laureate and 225th Anniversary Awardee of the University of Pittsburgh
- Recently completed his term as a trustee and president of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research
Keynote Address: Time For Reflection
Read More
Paul Rockar is a physical therapist and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He has a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Temple University. He is the past CEO of UPMC Centers for Rehab Services (now the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute), a large network of community-based comprehensive rehabilitation services in Western Pennsylvania.
Dr. Rockar is past president and board member of the American Physical Therapy Association of Pennsylvania and a past president and board member of the American Physical Therapy Association. He is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association and a Legacy Laureate and 225th Anniversary Awardee of the University of Pittsburgh. He recently completed his term as a trustee and president of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research.
He and his wife, Judy, live in Murrysville and have two adult daughters. They are also blessed with five grandchildren. Paul and Judy are long time parishioners of Mother of Sorrows Church in Murrysville.
GradImages - Ceremony Photography
During each SHRS ceremony, GradImages will be taking photos of you as you walk across the stage to receive your diploma. After each ceremony, we will provide GradImages with your Pitt Email, so that they can send you photo proofs to view and purchase.
You can preregister now until the day of the ceremony to receive a coupon code for 20% off an order of $50 or more.
Please direct any questions to their Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online at www.gradimages.com, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. They have a large team of customer care representatives ready to help graduates and family members with anything they may need.
University Commencement
For Undergraduates Only
Spring Commencement was held at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.
This venue change ensured every eligible graduate could participate and receive an appropriate number of tickets for their family and friends.
Keep up with the latest by visiting Pitt’s commencement website and following @PittCommencement on Instagram.
Celebration Graphics
Celebrate the University of Pittsburgh graduates with signs for your yard and windows, designs for the tops of cookies, cakes and cupcakes, social media assets, selfie signs, regional campus signage, pennants, stickers and Zoom/Teams digital backgrounds. Congratulations, Pitt grads!
International Students and Families
The Office of International Services (OIS) offers a Fact Sheet about inviting friends and relatives to the U.S.
If you have any additional questions, please contact OIS:
Office of International Services
Email: OIS@pitt.edu
Phone: +1-412-624-7120
Friends and Family Attending an SHRS Ceremony
Pre-order gifts for your SHRS graduates!
All online orders will be available for pickup on-site the day of graduation. To retrieve your order, please stop by our booth located conveniently at the entrance to graduation before the ceremony begins.
Please take a look at the selection of gifts through the link below!