SUNY Empire
Commencement
2025
Ceremony Information
Empire State University is pleased to host four commencement ceremonies in May 2025. Check back often for updates.
We will also be holding a formal hooding ceremony for the first class of Ed.D. students on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 3 p.m., at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, NY. Livestream of the hooding ceremony will be available on SUNY Empire Live. The livestream feed will begin approximately five minutes prior to the start of the ceremony and will end when the ceremony has concluded.
Registration for all ceremonies is now closed.
Questions? Visit Commencement FAQ.
Spring 2025 Commencement
Locations
Albany, NY
Friday, May 9, 2025, at 6 p.m., at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center
Manhattan, NY
Two ceremony dates are available in Manhattan. Students are assigned a ceremony based on their school.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 6 p.m., at the New York City Center
Registration for the Manhattan ceremony is closed.
- Schools included: Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School for Labor Studies, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing and Allied Health, School for Graduate Studies
Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 6 p.m., at the New York City Center
Registration for the Manhattan ceremony is closed.
- Schools included: School of Arts and Humanities, School of Business, School of Human Services, and School of Science, Mathematics, and Technology
Rochester, NY
Thursday, May 29, 2025, at 6 p.m., at the Kodak Center
Registration for the Rochester ceremony is closed.
Additional Communications
Information about registering to attend a ceremony and regalia will be sent via email to commencement-eligible students. If you have any questions, please email commencement@sunyempire.edu for assistance.
Streaming and Captioning
All ceremonies will be available to view via livestream at SUNY Empire Live. The livestream feed will begin approximately five minutes prior to the start of the ceremony and will end when the ceremony has concluded.
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captions can be accessed during all ceremonies on your mobile device. For best results when viewing CART captions, switch the view of your device to landscape mode and select "Hide Chat" and "Hide Header."
A video recording of the ceremony will be posted to the Commencement Photography and Videos webpage in the weeks following the ceremony.
Get Involved:
We know our students have amazing, determined, unique and real stories about how they got to this truly awe inspiring moment. Please share your stories with us. We take such pride in the accomplishment our students have made.
Share your Commencement story!
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Notice of Photographic & Media Recording
When you attend an Empire State University commencement ceremony, you enter an area where photography, audio, and video recording may occur. By entering the event premises, you consent to such photography, audio, and video recording and its release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction to be used for Empire State University’s promotional and marketing purposes now and in the future.