Regalia

Rental Deadline: April 18 

Ordering Instructions

1. Go to https://colleges.herffjones.com/college/_UTHSCHouston/soph.html.
2. Select “Cap and Gown”.
3. Follow the prompts for your degree.
4. Late Rental Order Deadline: May 2, 2025

   Late Fee: $25.00

   Ordering Instructions

   Contact Roger Torres at r.torres@follett.com to place your order.
   The regalia will be mailed to you. Do not throw away the packaging. The package will include a pre-paid return label for the return.
   Returned regalia must be received by Herff Jones, in the original box, no later than seven days after the ceremony (by May 20) to avoid late penalty fees or a full purchase charge.

Refunds for rental regalia are available if the unopened original package is returned at one of the UTHealth Houston bookstores by May 12. The refund will not include the initial shipping cost, and there will be a $15.00 return shipping fee.

Purchase Deadline: March 28

• Contact Roger Torres at r.torres@follett.com for assistance placing a purchase-to-own order.

Announcement Orders

• Announcement orders are available on the Herff Jones School of Public Health portal: https://colleges.herffjones.com/college/_UTHSCHouston/soph.html
• Select “Announcements”.

Diplomas

• School of Public Health graduates will not receive their diplomas at the ceremony.
• Summer and fall graduates will receive their diploma months prior to the ceremony.
• Spring graduates will receive their diploma approximately three months after the ceremony.
• Official UTHealth Houston School of Public Health diploma frames are available to order online through the USA Diploma Frames website.

Arrival

• Check in starts at 11:00 a.m. at the Graduates’ Check-in area. Graduates must arrive by 12:00 p.m.

Approximate end time: 4:00 p.m. CDT

Livestream and Recording Link: Link will be available prior to ceremony

Guest Attendance: We are not imposing a guest limit, and tickets are not required for the commencement ceremony. Guest seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening at 12 p.m.

Photos from the 2024 Commencement Ceremony can be accessed here.

Preparation and Ceremony Instructions for Graduates

Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health Stoles

Delta Omega stoles will be distributed at the check-in table.

Attire

Note: This is a formal event that serves as both the commencement and convocation to celebrate and publicly confer your degree. The University president, school deans and University of Texas System representatives will be present.

The dress for graduates under the regalia and for guests is business casual. Due to the warm weather conditions that are typical during May, lightweight clothing is recommended.

• Necklaces should be tucked inside of the gown. 
• No sneakers or other athletic shoes, flip flops, slippers, sandals, bare feet or just socks.
• High heeled shoes are allowed but not recommended if you are not comfortable walking in them on stairs or ramps, on a variety of surfaces, or standing in them for up to 20 minutes.
• No props (e.g. feather boas, glow-in-the-dark or lighted items, bells, etc.) or decorations should be worn on any part of the regalia.
• Only official regalia may be worn at commencement ceremonies, including cords, sashes, stoles, etc. distributed with the approval of your UTHealth Houston school.  No other items are permitted to be worn or carried.  Decorations or alterations of regalia are not permitted.

Personal Belongings

• Graduates should leave personal items with their guests. Items carried to the graduate seating section should be placed in pockets or left in the seat when walking to the stage. Do not carry any items with you to the stage.

Driving Directions and Parking

The Maroon lot is designated for students and faculty participating in the 2025 UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Commencement Ceremony.

The Blue Lot is the designated lot for guests attending the 2025 UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Commencement Ceremony.

Additional parking information:

Parking is $25 + tax per vehicle. Cashless. Credit card, debit card, Google Pay, Apple Pay.
Enter from Gates 4, 8, or 9.
Accessible parking is available in Blue Lot area 19.

Parking for guests that are getting dropped off:

• Rideshare and non-rideshare drivers and will typically direct all drivers to Blue Lot 18 drop drop-off for Arena events. (This is far from what a few of you said in the meeting)
• For non-rideshare drivers dropping off, parking will operate under a strict 15-minute window. The driver will be charged the full parking rate at the gate and given 15 minutes to drop off and exit. When exiting they will present their receipt to the cashier and if it's within the time limit, they will be issued a full refund.

NRG Parking Map available here.