Welcome to the Mount Aloysius College Commencement page. You will find everything you need to know about Commencement here. Congratulations on your graduation!
Check out the program
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Check out the live stream
The stream will begin 10 minutes before the ceremony is scheduled to start.
Upcoming Commencement Events
Frequently Asked Questions
The Film Center in Altoona is our partner for Commencement photos.
How To Order
- Visit https://yourdigitalexperts.com/events
- Choose your event from the list and order
Questions? Contact them at 814-946-3648 or email services@thefilmcenter.net
The commencement ceremony as we know it had its beginnings in the Middle Ages as rites of initiation into the close brotherhood of guild membership. Guilds were groups of artisans, tradesmen, and merchants who banded together to regulate their industry and standardize the training of potential new members. Our modern academic degrees of bachelor, master, and doctor correspond loosely to the titles of apprentice, journeyman, and master that indicated the ancient guildman’s level of knowledge and skill. Like the initiation rituals of the medieval guild, our commencement ceremony symbolizes both a new beginning and acceptance into the ranks of those who have attained an important and substantial body of knowledge.
An important part of the pomp and circumstance of the traditional commencement ceremony, the mace is a symbol of the authority of the university. It evolved from the weapons carried by the elite bodyguards who protected the king and other high officials at important events. It is carried in the processional by the grand marshal, a faculty member chosen for the occasion. In the early centuries of the university system, faculty members who were appointed to be marshals were charged with the task of ensuring that scholars complied with the curfew. Today, the mace has a purely symbolic purpose–to represent the authority of the university as a degree-granting institution.
The origins of academic dress date back to the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were taking form. The ordinary dress of the scholar, whether student or teacher, was the dress of a cleric. With few exceptions, the medieval scholar had taken at least minor orders, made certain vows, and perhaps been tonsured. Long gowns were worn and may have been necessary for warmth in unheated buildings. Hoods seem to have served to cover the tonsured head until superseded for that purpose by the skull cap.
The assignment of colors to signify certain faculties was to be a much later development, and one which was to be standardized only in the United States in the late 19th century. White taken from the white fur trimming of the Oxford and Cambridge B.A. hoods, was assigned to arts and letters. Red, one of the traditional colors of the church, went to theology. Green, the color of medieval herbs, was adopted for medicine, and olive, because it was so close to green, was given to pharmacy. Golden yellow, standing for the wealth which scientific research has produced, was assigned to the sciences. The Intercollegiate Commission met at Columbia University in 1895 and adopted a code of academic dress, which besides regulating the cut and style and materials of the gowns, prescribed the colors which were to represent the different fields of learning.
Pinning Ceremonies for Health Sciences Majors
The pinning ceremony is an honored tradition which originated in the 1860s at the Nightingale School of Nursing in London, England. Having been recently awarded The Red Cross of St. George for her selfless service to injured and dying soldiers in the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale chose to extend this honor to her most outstanding graduates by presenting each of them with a medal of excellence. This tradition of pinning at Mount Aloysius College began with the nursing department and expanded to all allied health programs.
The 2026 pinning ceremonies will be held on May 15, 2026 at 5:00 pm in the follow locations:
- Nursing – ACWC
- Radiography – Bertschi Center
- Science & Math – Alumni Hall
- Ultrasonography – Cosgrave Meeting Rooms
- Surgical Technology – Wolf-Kuhn
- PTA – Chapel
Please note: pinning locations subject to change. Graduating students will be provided with the most up-to-date information by their department chair.
Please view the Mount Aloysius College Map to follow the parking directions listed below.
Traffic will be restricted to enter College Drive through the main campus vehicle entrance near the Administration Building. The upper entrance near Ihmsen Hall will be closed for the day. Officers will be positioned along College Drive to direct vehicles to open lots. The parking lots will be filled one at a time, beginning with lot 13. The earlier you arrive, the closer to the Athletic Convocation and Wellness Center you will be able to park. Special needs and handicap person drop off will begin near lot 14 along Mountie Way. Please have your state issued handicap placard displayed or license plate and the Officers will direct you to the proper location. After the ceremony, Cresson Volunteer Fire Company Fire Police Officers will control traffic on Admiral Peary Highway to facilitate a safe and orderly exodus.
For accessible parking, please fill out the form under the Accessibility Accommodations tab and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Please contact the Campus Safety Office at 814-886-6327 if you have parking questions or concerns.
If you or a guest are in need of accessibility accommodations, please fill out the form below.
You can find information regarding Jostens graduation packages by clicking here.
Graduation practice for all students will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 3:30pm immediately before the Senior Send-Off Spectacular hosted by the Alumni Association.
Join us on May 14, 2026, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the Main Administration Building Lawn on the Mount Aloysius campus for the Senior Send-Off Spectacular. This event will feature:
- Food trucks, including Belly Busters Food Truck & Catering and The Funnel Cake Kings Food Truck
- Inflatables from Hogue’s Fun Factory – Whack-A-Mole, Human Foosball, and Hungry, Hungry Hippos
- Axe Throwing from Slingers Throw House
- Music from DJ Jammin’ Jim
- Photobooth with customized “Class of 2026” photo strip print-outs
- Adult Beverages (must be 21+ with government-issued photo ID)
- Grad Cap Maker-Space – Graduates can bring their graduation cap to add designs
- Yard Games
- and more!
What is a Baccalaureate Mass and why should I attend?
Mount Aloysius College’s Baccalaureate Mass is a celebration which honors all graduates, their families, friends, and instructors. Its roots are in the medieval European custom of presenting the candidates for the degree of Bachelor with laurels during a public oration.
The Baccalaureate Mass is a service of worship in celebration of and thanksgiving for lives dedicated to learning and wisdom and is open to all graduates no matter what their religious affiliation may be.
Why should you attend? This Mass is a special way of giving thanks and asking for God’s blessing. It is a major accomplishment in your life and attending the Mass not only honors your personal achievement, but brings together the Mount Aloysius Community in celebration with you.
Mass will be held Friday, May 15, 2026 at 3:30 pm
Graduation Application
Students who have applied for graduation will have a pre-graduation audit conducted. The time line for pre-graduation audits is listed below:
| Selected Conferral Period | Graduation Application Deadline | Registration Begins | Pre-Graduation Audit Conducted |
|---|---|---|---|
| May | First week of November | Late October/Early November | First week of December |
| August | First week of April | Late March/Early April | First week of May |
| December | First week of April | Late March/Early April | First week of May |
Once the graduation application is completed, the Registrar’s Office will conduct an audit on your account and notify you if you are on track for graduation.
