Worldwide Daytona Beach Ceremony

Admission to the ICI Fieldhouse seating area is on a first come, first served basis. No tickets are required.   

Available at the ICI Fieldhouse (Building 601 on the campus map).  You will receive your cap and gown, which is yours to keep as our gift to you, for attending the ceremony. Caps and gowns are not available at the Daytona Beach Campus Bookstore. Pickup times are:

Friday, May 4, 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 5, 7:15 - 8:30 a.m.

We encourage graduates to take advantage of the Friday cap/gown pickup hours to make ceremony preparation on Saturday morning more relaxed. 

If you pick up your cap and gown on Friday afternoon, please plan to arrive to the Commencement Ceremony at 8:00 a.m.

Students who have earned honors will find their honor cords or a distinction medallion packaged with their regalia. If you are not degree complete at the time of the ceremony, you will not receive honor cords or a distinction medallion for the ceremony. You will have the option to purchase these items after your degree has posted.

There will be campus tours of the Daytona Beach Campus available for participants and their guests at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 4. These times are subject to change. Tours will depart from the Main Entrance of the John Paul Riddle Student Center (Building 598 on the campus map). This is a walking tour of the campus. We would ask that Hooding Ceremony participants try to take the 11:00 a.m. tour to allow yourself enough time to line up for the Hooding Ceremony at 2:00 p.m.

There will be a separate Hooding Ceremony for Masters students on Friday, May 4, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. in the ICI Fieldhouse (Building 601 on the campus map).  This is an optional ceremony, in addition to and not replacing, the Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 5, 2018. Participants are required to line up for the ceremony at 2:00 p.m.  Doors will close to all guests and participants at 2:50 p.m. The ceremony will start promptly at 3:00 p.m. The duration of this ceremony is approximately 1.5 hours.

Please make prior arrangements to secure your personal belongings with family and guests. There is no secure area available to leave personal items in the staging area. 

All participants and their guests are invited to attend the Worldwide Lift Off on Friday, May 4 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.  Food and beverages will be served.  The reception will be held at the John Paul Riddle Student Center (Building 598 on the campus map. There will be a class photo at 5:30 p.m. To RSVP for this event, please visit the Worldwide Lift Off website for more information.  

Are you ready for your next career move?  Worldwide Career Services will be available on Friday, May 4 between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the lobby of the ICI Fieldhouse (Building 601 on the campus map). Learn about the career resources available to ERAU graduates and alumni, including valuable resume, job search and networking tips! To learn more about Career Services, email them at wwcarser@erau.edu or visit their website.

Participants will be directed to a designated side entrance (not the main entrance at the front of the ICI Fieldhouse) beginning at 7:15 a.m. All participants must check-in at the staging area in the ICI Fieldhouse starting at 7:15 a.m., but no later than 8:30 a.m. Those participants who picked up their cap and gown on Friday afternoon may arrive beginning at 8:00 a.m. 

Please make prior arrangements to secure your personal belongings with family and guests. There is no secure area available to leave personal items in the staging area.

You will receive a numbered card that corresponds with your position in line for the graduation ceremony. This card will have your name, degree, honors, and contact information on it. You will be asked to verify that the information on the card is correct. Once you have verified your card and are dressed in your cap and gown, please line up numerically according to the number of the card you were given. Ceremony Marshals will be available to assist you in lining up in the staging area.

The processional will begin promptly at 8:50 a.m. You must keep your card with you at all times. It will be collected by the announcer and scanned as you prepare to cross the stage. If you do not have your card, your name may not display on the monitors when crossing the stage.

Family and guests should arrive at 8:00 a.m. and enter through the front entrance for seating. They will not be permitted in the candidate staging area. Guests should be in their seats before 8:45 a.m.  We ask that guests not block the lobby area during the processional that will begin at 8:50 a.m.

Due to limited space in the ICI Fieldhouse, we ask that any strollers be parked in the lobby. The duration of the ceremony may be over 2 hours. There will be no food or drinks available for purchase during the ceremony, so please plan accordingly for your family’s needs.

The following is the suggested dress code:

Men:  White shirt (with collar), dark tie, dark pants, dark shoes, and socks.

Women: White blouse/dark skirt and dark shoes. You may need hair pins or clips to secure your cap. Women who are receiving Master's Degrees may want to wear a blouse with buttons in front so that you can attach the loop of the hood to it.

Military uniforms may be worn under the provided cap and gown.

Please email us if you or any of your guests will be requiring special accommodations to participate in the Ceremony or for guest seating.

We ask that participants and guests follow basic rules of etiquette for graduation. Please arrive on time and silence cell phones. Please make sure that all children are under supervision and show consideration to others. The duration of the ceremony may be over two hours, so please plan accordingly.

When you cross the stage at the ceremony, you will be receiving an empty diploma cover (our gift to participants in the Commencement Ceremony). Diplomas are not available at the ceremony.  

Personalized announcements may be ordered from Herff Jones. Click the Order Announcements button and select WW Daytona Beach, FL – 05/05/18 from the drop down menu.  Choose your degree level and click Continue. In the green menu bar, click Announcements.  Select your package and fill in the information as requested.  Prices vary depending on the announcement package you choose.  Worldwide graduation announcements are not available for purchase at the bookstore.

Class rings can be ordered from Herff Jones. Click the “Order A Ring” button. The website will allow you to customize your ring. A representative from Herff Jones will be available on site for your convenience.

GradImages® will be present at both the Hooding and Commencement Ceremonies, taking photographs before, during and after the ceremonies. They are offering students a 20% discount if you preregister your email address before the day of the event. You can pre-register at www.gradimages.com.

Select the Pre-Event Registration button from across the top of the page. Please type Embry-Riddle into the search box. You may select either the Hooding Ceremony listed as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical-Worldwide Spring Hooding – 5/4/2018 or the Commencement Ceremony listed as Embry-Riddle Aeronautical-Worldwide – 5/5/2018.

If you are attending both ceremonies, you need to pre-register for both ceremonies in order to take advantage of the discount being offered by the photographer.  You will be making separate orders for each ceremony.

If you have any questions, please call GradImages® at 800-261-2576. Photo proofs will be provided to you as soon as they are available after the ceremony.

The University bookstore (Building 249 on the campus map) will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 4 and from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the day of the graduation ceremony. Caps, gowns, and announcements ARE NOT available for purchase at the Daytona Beach Campus bookstore. Embry Riddle Worldwide Alumni merchandise is available online at the Official Online Store.

A dessert reception for all graduates and their guests will be held immediately after the ceremony at the John Paul Riddle Student Center (Building 598 on the campus map).

Below is more information about the Daytona Beach Campus and the surrounding area.

Please visit the Worldwide Graduation Concierge page for any available bookstore, hotel, rental car and restaurant discounts.

See the Daytona Campus Visitor Information page, including directions to the campus and a list of local accommodations.  Many hotels have a special rate with Embry-Riddle.

Check out information from the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.