Regalia Rentals/Purchases

Official regalia must be ordered through Graduate Affairs. Note that the approved regalia items are necessary if you wish to ‘walk’ in the ceremony. To rent regalia for the ceremony, please complete the online regalia request form and make payment through the Graduate Affairs website:

• Regalia for Masters graduates
• Regalia for Doctoral (PhD & DHI) graduates

The deadline for ordering regalia is March 31, 2024. We encourage you to submit your order as early as possible. Any order received after this date will be charged a late fee of $25.

If you prefer to purchase your regalia instead of renting regalia, please see the information on the Graduate Affairs website.

Regalia Distribution

Regalia will be distributed and picked up at the commencement ceremony site on the day of the event; May 7 from 2:45-3:30 PM. Please arrive early to pick up your items, get dressed and take any pictures, if you desire.

Return of Regalia

Students and faculty should return their regalia rental package immediately after the graduation ceremony. Unreturned regalia will be charged to you at its equivalent purchase amount.

Stude Concert Hall is located in Alice Pratt Brown Hall on Stadium Road on the Rice University campus (6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005).  Campus Entrance No. 8 on University Blvd. is closest to the venue (at the corner of Stockton and University Blvd).

All attendees are asked to park in West Lot 2 and walk to the Shepherd School of Music. A parking attendant will be on hand to assist and guide guests to the building. Here is the link to the campus map for Rice University.

• From US-59 East, take the south Main St. exit and go south.  Turn west on University Blvd.
• From US-59 West, take the Fannin St. exit and go south.  Turn west on University Blvd.
• From 288, take the Binz St. exit and go west.  Turn south on Main St. and then west on University Blvd. 

An alternative campus entry - Entrance No. 18 - is located on Rice Blvd. 

Event Parking in West Lot 2 is available for $12-$15 per vehicle. Payment is only by credit Card - cash is not an option. The Central Garage is another parking option (Garage Rates apply). Parking attendant will be available in West Lot 2 for assistance if needed.

Visit Google Maps for directions to Stude Concert Hall (located in Alice Pratt Brown Hall) at Rice University.

Lodging is available at nearby hotels to Rice University and the Texas Medical Center.

There will be a professional photographer on site to take pictures of the graduates. These photos will be posted on SBMI’s Flickr account a few weeks after the commencement ceremony. You can bring your own camera for any additional photo opportunities at the venue.

Graduates should plan to arrive at the venue by 2:45 p.m. to ensure that they will be dressed in their regalia and lined up in the correct order. SBMI staff will be available to assist you, your family, friends, visitors, and faculty alike. Ceremony will begin promptly at 4:00 PM.

Upon the conclusion of the commencement ceremony, please join us for a reception in the venue foyer.

Drinks, hors d’oeuvre and desserts to be served.

The SBMI staff welcomes all families and guests to partake in this momentous occasion to celebrate the successful culmination of years of training for our students. Watching our students achieve this goal and celebrating it with them, their families, and their friends is a gratifying experience. We hope that you will find the ceremony enjoyable and memorable.

Below are some general guidelines for the commencement ceremony:

1. 1. Doors will open approximately at 3:00 PM to allow guests time to find seating.
   2. Open seating is available to all guests, friends and family members of graduates that would like to attend. At this time, there is no cap on the number of guests our graduates can invite and tickets are not required for attendance.
   3. Photographs: There will be a professional photographer on site to take pictures of the graduates. These photos will be posted on SBMI’s Flickr account a few weeks after the commencement ceremony. You can bring your own camera for any additional photo opportunities. If you choose to take photos as the graduate walks across the stage, please take the photos in assigned designated area and then return to your seats quickly, enabling others to do the same. Our goal is to allow you to document this momentous occasion, but maintain a clear view of the stage for the rest of the audience. Please remember to respect the reverence of this memorable event for our graduates.
   4. Special guests from the university and the community will be present and will be directed by the staff to assigned seating.
   5. Staff will assist any persons needing special access.
   6. Staff will direct any disruptive individuals to a quiet location.
   7. After the ceremony, please permit the faculty and graduates to exit first during the processional.

Immediately following the ceremony, graduates and their guests are invited to enjoy a reception at the venue.

Day of Photos can be viewed in the McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics Flickr account. The video of the commencement ceremony is also available in SBMI’s YouTube channel.

 Thank you to all the Graduates, Faculty, Staff and Family and Guests in attendance.