Determining your eligibility for graduation (.pdf)

Apply for Graduation
Complete the American College of Education Graduation Form and submit it by May 19th at 11:59 p.m. Email questions to graduation@ace.edu.

Commencement Ceremony
The Commencement Ceremony will be held on June 23, 2010, 6:00 p.m.– 8:00 p.m., at the Grand Ballroom, Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois.
View the "Save the Date" pdf.

Academic Attire
Candidates participating in the Commencement Ceremony are required to wear appropriate academic attire. Academic attire consists of a cap, a gown, a hood and a tassel and may be ordered by May 19, 2010 online at Herff Jones. Candidates will not be charged for the cost of the attire, but will be charged a shipping fee for the cost of mailing required garb directly to their specified mailing address. Online orders must be placed by 11:59 p.m. on May 19, 2010.

Arrival Time and Assembly Point
The ceremony starts at 6:00 p.m. Candidates are asked to arrive no later than 5:00 p.m. to assemble at the upper-level lobby of the Grand Ballroom. Candidates will assemble and take their place in the procession order. At that time, final instructions for the procession will be given. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for guests, who will be seated in the Grand Ballroom.

Beginning with the academic procession at 6:00 p.m. and concluding at approximately 8:00 p.m., the ceremony will feature the conferral of degrees, greetings by College officials, and remarks by the Commencement speaker. Directional signage will be placed throughout Navy Pier.

Name Cards
Candidates will pick up their name cards before lining up in the procession. These will be used to read their names on stage.

Guests/Tickets
There is a limit of eight guests per candidate. Tickets will be mailed to candidates the week before commencement.

Announcements
Personalized announcements may be purchased at Herff Jones.

Diplomas
Diplomas will be mailed to candidates 6-10 weeks after degree completion date.

Photographer
A photographer will be present to take photos of each candidate receiving a diploma. Candidate and family portraits will also be available starting at 4:00 p.m. Portrait stations will be located on the upper-level lobby of the Grand Ballroom.

American College of Education Memorabilia
Order customized merchandise at American College of Education's CafePress store. Choose from a variety of t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps and mugs.

Directions to Navy Pier
From the Southwest: 1-55 (Stevenson Expressway) to Lake Shore Drive North. Exit at Grand Avenue/Illinois Street.
From the South: 1-57 N to I-90/94 (Dan Ryan Expressway) to Lake Shore Drive North. Exit Grand Avenue/Illinois Street.
From the Southeast: I-90/94 E (Dan Ryan Expressway) to I-55 N (Stevenson Expressway) to Lake Shore Drive North. Exit Grand Avenue/Illinois Street.
From the North: I-90/94 E (Kennedy Expressway) to Ohio Street exit. Turn right on Fairbanks/Columbus Drive and then left on Illinois to Navy Pier.
From the West: I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) to Lake Shore Drive North. Exit Grand Avenue/Illinois Street.
Public Transportation: There are CTA bus routes that service Navy Pier. They include: #2 Hyde Park Express, #65 Grand, #29 State, #66 Chicago, #120 Northwestern/Wacker Express, #121 Union/Wacker Express, #124-Navy Pier.
Parking
Go to the East Lot, which is the closest to The Grand Ballroom. Pay/validate the parking ticket before you go into the ceremony. This is a flat fee and you can avoid the long lines at the payment machine after the ceremony. Standard parking rates on weekdays is $20.

Special Needs
There are handicapped spaces in the parking garage. Persons can be dropped off at Entrance 2 - Lobby 3 if needed. Inside the building, you will be directed to the reserved seating areas. Sign language interpretation will be provided on stage at the ceremony; therefore, hearing-impaired candidates and guests should sit as close to the stage as possible.