Congratulations on your graduation! We are delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate with you. There are a number of events and details of which you need to be aware.
This graduation webpage is the primary mode of detailed communication for Masters-level graduates for both the Hamilton and Boston campuses, along with the Doctor of Ministry and Latino and Global Ministries programs. However, if at any time you have questions regarding the commencement activities, please contact the Student Life Services office at: [email protected] or 978-646-4071.
Doctor of Ministry students click here for additional information.
Please review all of the information found on this webpage, especially arrival times for robing at Commencement on Saturday morning. The times have been set to allow for sufficient time to go over the instructions for processing, as well as detailed instructions on receiving your diploma.
If a graduate encounters any difficulty on his or her way to Commencement, please call the Seminary switchboard at 978-648-7111 between 8:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. on Saturday. The switchboard will contact the graduation leaders, who will be organizing the graduates on both occasions.
We are grateful for you and for the joy of the completion of your time at Gordon-Conwell as the Lord prepares you for whatever may be next!
In His Service,
Jana Holiday, Dean of Students
Dinner Buffet:
Location: Alumni Hall
Time: Open between 5:00-6:00pm
Order tickets through Eventbrite
Price: $16/per person; Children 7-12 are $7; Children 6 and under are free.
Location: Gordon College Chapel, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA
Graduate arrival time: 6:45pm at the Ken Olson Science Center
Baccalaureate Service time: 7:30pm at the Gordon College Chapel
Graduates must wear academic regalia.
Graduates may invite up to 6 guests to the Baccalaureate service. The Baccalaureate livestream will be available for those who are unable to attend in person. It will begin at 7:15pm on our website.
See below for additional livestream information.
Location: Gordon College Chapel, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham, MA
Graduate arrival time: 8:45am at the Ken Olson Science Center
Commencement time: 10:00am at the Gordon College Chapel
Speaker: Dr. Scott Sunquist, President
Graduates must wear academic regalia.
Graduates may invite up to 6 guests to the Commencement ceremony. The Commencement livestream will be available for those who are unable to attend in person. It will begin at 9:45am on our website.
See below for additional livestream information.
Baccalaureate and Commencement will be live-streamed from gcts.edu/live. The link also will be shared on our Facebook page.
No later than Monday, March 20, 2023: Order extra graduation announcements using the order form.
No later than Friday, April 14, 2023: Notify Registration Office via email at [email protected] if you will not be attending Commencement.
April 25-28, 2023, May 1-4, 2023: Regalia distribution for Boston graduates.
April 24-28, 2023, May 1-4, 2023: Regalia distribution for Hamilton graduates who ordered regalia to be shipped to Gordon-Conwell Hamilton Campus.
For on-campus students, graduation announcements will be placed in student mailboxes the week of March 20th. Out-of-town graduates will receive theirs by mail.
April 21: Deadline to submit written work (Masters only; D.Min. students click here).
No later than Monday, April 24, 2023: Submit your photos for the graduation slide/video presentation to [email protected].
Each year we reevaluate our safety and security plans, and we would like to make you aware of some continued safety and security restrictions and procedures ahead of time to reduce any inconvenience to you, your family, or other guests.
The continued safety and security restrictions and procedures are:
Attendance at Commencement is expected for all graduates living within a 250-mile radius of the Seminary. If you will not be attending Commencement, you must notify the Registration Office via email ([email protected]) no later than Friday, April 14, 2023. Your name will be listed in the program, but not announced.
Your name is important! We want to pronounce your name correctly at Commencement. If you have not already done so on your graduation application, please write out the phonetic spelling of your name and email this to the Registration Office ([email protected]) or stop by in person. We need your help with this task.
We are now in the process of having announcements (not invitations) printed. Each graduate will receive 10 announcements free of charge.
If you’d like to order extra announcements, please use this order form. Any extra announcement must be ordered by Monday, March 20, 2023. The minimum order is $5.00, which will be billed to your student account. Graduates must order announcements in increments of 10. The announcements will be sent to the address that you provide on the form. Contact the Registration Office ([email protected]) or 978-646-4551 with any questions.
One of the requirements of graduation is completing the Graduating Student Survey. The information you enter into the survey is confidential. We ask for your student ID only, so that we know that you completed the survey. The information you give us is used to continue to improve Gordon-Conwell. The survey must be completed online before graduation. If you are a graduating MA/M.Div./Th.M. student, please click here.
Any student who received a Federal student loan while at Gordon-Conwell is required to complete an online exit counseling tutorial before graduation. Please note that this is a Federal requirement, and that GCTS cannot issue your diploma or transcript until this requirement is met. The Loan Exit Counseling tutorial includes important information about student loan repayment plans and how to contact your loan servicer. The deadline for May graduates is Friday, April 14, 2023.
Students who have received an Unsubsidized or GradPlus loan while attending Gordon-Conwell must complete an online Loan Exit Counseling Tutorial. The Financial Aid office will receive notice from the Department of Education once done. Please go to this link and then LOG IN.
Hamilton: Join us on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 3:30-5:00pm on the Kerr patio (or the Dining Hall, if it rains) to say goodbye to faculty and other graduates.
Boston: Details to follow.
All who march in the procession at both events will wear full academic regalia. Masters-level graduates will order their own regalia to be shipped either to the campus or their home. Students who apply for graduation will receive a link to place their order. Contact the Registration Office at [email protected] with questions regarding regalia.
Wearing Academic Regalia
It is most appropriate for men to wear ties, as necklines are visible. Women should consider wearing blouses or dresses with buttons so that regalia hoods can be easily fixed to these (instead of pinned). After Commencement, graduates may keep their regalia.
Honor insignia on academic regalia are limited to official pins (Psi Chi pins or other seminary-sanctioned academic honors). Other insignia (e.g., cords, capes, and stoles) or decorations are not permitted.
Students attending the ceremony, but unable to pick up regalia by end of business hours on May 4, 2023 may pick up their regalia at the Ken Olsen Science Center either before Baccalaureate on May 5th or before Commencement on May 6th. Please arrive early for pick up and assistance getting robed.
Students who are not attending the ceremony will have their diploma mailed to them at the address on file with the seminary; any student graduating in absentia who orders regalia are encouraged to have it shipped directly to their home.
The Graduation gown may be placed in the dryer on permanent press for 15-20 minutes to remove wrinkles. The hood should be lightly ironed.
Please make sure that your regalia fit properly and that the gown has a long extension on the end of the sleeves. Please notify the Registration Office immediately if you detect any problems with your regalia.
Monday through Friday, April 24, 2023 to May 4, 2023 in the Registration Office (Kerr 371)
Times: 8:30am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:30pm
Closed Wednesday 11:00am-Noon for Chapel
Boston regalia is distributed in the Registration Office/Front Desk of the building.
From Monday, April 25 to Friday, April 28, 2023
From Monday, May 1 to Thursday, May 4, 2023
Times: TBD
Out-of-town graduates are encouraged to have their regalia shipped directly to their home when they order their regalia.
Directions to Gordon College:
See Gordon College campus map.
Parking information to follow.
Website: https://www.gordon.edu/
Baccalaureate Service: Graduates will assemble at Gordon College Ken Olson Science Center auditorium on Friday, May 5, 2023 at 6:45pm.
Commencement Service: Graduates will assemble at Gordon College Ken Olson Science Center auditorium on Saturday, May 6, 2023 at 8:45am.
In order for graduates to be placed within their respective degree programs, it is imperative that all graduates be on time with cap, tassel, gown, and hood. See Gordon College campus map here.
Graduates may invite up to 6 guests to the Baccalaureate service and up to 6 guests to the Commencement ceremony.
Below is a list of hotels in the area:
Boston Marriott Peabody
8A Centennial Drive, Peabody, MA 01960
978-977-9700
Best Western Plus North Shore Hotel
50 Dayton Street, Danvers, MA 01923
978-777-1700
The Cabot Lodge
278 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915
978-998-4460
Double Tree by Hilton
50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923
978-750-7952
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
1 Newbury Street (US1 North), Peabody, MA 01960
855-516-1090
Sonesta Select Boston Danvers
275 Independence Way, Danvers, MA 01923
833-448-0872
SpringHill Suites Boston/Peabody
43 Newbury Street, Peabody, MA 01960
978-535-5000
There will be a free shuttle bus departing from the Academic Center parking lot, starting at 8:15am. The bus will be making continuous loops up until 10:00am.
There will be return trips back to the Seminary starting immediately after the ceremony and leaving from the Gordon College Chapel lot. The bus will be making continuous loops until 1:00pm.
Some parking is available at Gordon College, if needed. See Gordon College map.
No Pets will be allowed in the Baccalaureate or Commencement services, with the exception of service animals.
If you or any of your invited guests have a physical challenge and need of assistance, please contact Student Life Services ([email protected]) as soon as possible to arrange for assistance.
Gordon College has updated their Assisted Listening System in the chapel. It is now a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) system. This means that anyone looking to utilize Assisted Listening (English Program Sound) must bring their own Internet-enabled device, such as a phone or tablet, and headphones. We will have a limited supply of headphones available for check-out. Here are instructions from Gordon that were customized.
GCTS Graduation Assisted Listening Instructions.pdf
There will be a reserved area for those in wheelchairs at Commencement. In order to accommodate everyone, we need to know if any of your family members are bringing his or her own wheelchair.
The Seminary will have photographers taking photos of commencement, including a photograph of graduates after they receive their diplomas. After commencement, the photographs will be available online for download at no cost. Therefore, we ask that students please do not hire their own professional photographers or videographers. Photos may be taken by family or friends only from their seats during events.
11” x 17” The Hamilton Bookstore has a few special GCTS frames. Contact Adam Davis at: [email protected].
Graduates must close their Gordon-Conwell mailbox and give the Mailroom their new address before they leave campus! This can be done at the mailroom window or online. Only first-class and priority mail sent through the United States Post Office can be forwarded to your new address for up to one year. Please share your new address with anyone who may send you mail or packages. If you live in the apartments, you also must file a change of address with either the South Hamilton post office or by going online to the USPS website.
Be sure to look for professional full-time and part-time ministry positions around the country (and even the world) on our ministry employment website. For helpful resume, interview, and ministry job search tips, visit our Career Services page.
Graduation is just the beginning of your lifetime relationship with Gordon-Conwell as an alumni. Visit the new alumni website to find resources that will serve you in ministry and to stay connected to the global Gordon-Conwell family. As an alumni you can:
Be sure to also follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The Boston and Hamilton campuses hold a joint commencement program. Please see the Hamilton tab of this page for detailed information about the Northeast commencement.
This graduation page contains detailed information for Masters level graduates of the Charlotte & Jacksonville campuses. If at any time you have questions regarding the commencement activities, please contact the Registration Office at 704-527-9909 or [email protected].
Date: Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.
Location: Forest Hill Church, 7224 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210
Speakers: TBA
Graduates should arrive at the church by 9:00 a.m., one hour prior to the start of the service, for robing and instructions.
Service will be live-streamed on the Gordon-Conwell—Charlotte Facebook page and the Gordon-Conwell website.
No later than April 1: Order extra graduation announcements using the order form.
No later than April 15: Notify Registration Office via email at [email protected] if you will not be attending Commencement.
April 21: Deadline to submit written work (Masters only; DMin students click here).
Attendance at Commencement is expected for all graduates living within a 250-mile radius of the Seminary. If you will not be attending Commencement, you must notify the Registration Office via email no later than April 15. Your name will be listed in the program, but not announced.
Your name is important! We want to pronounce your name correctly at Commencement. If you have not already done so on your graduation application, please write out the phonetic spelling of your name and email this to the Registration Office. We need your help with this task.
We are now in the process of having announcements (not invitations) printed. Each graduate will receive 10 announcements free of charge.
If you’d like to order extra announcements, please use this order form. Any extra announcement must be ordered by April 1. The minimum order is $5.00, which will be billed to your student account. Graduates must order announcements in increments of 10. The announcements will be sent to the address that you provide on the form. Contact the Registration Office with any questions.
One of the requirements of graduation is completing the Graduating Student Survey. The information you enter into the survey is confidential. We ask for your name only to ensure you completed this graduation requirement. The information you give us is used to continue to improve Gordon-Conwell. The survey must be completed online before graduation. If you are a graduating MA/M.Div./Th.M. student, please click here. If you have any problems completing the survey, please contact us at [email protected].
Any student who received a Federal student loan while at Gordon-Conwell is required to complete an online exit counseling tutorial before graduation. Please note that this is a Federal requirement, and that GCTS cannot issue your diploma or transcript until this requirement is met. The Loan Exit Counseling tutorial includes important information about student loan repayment plans and how to contact your loan servicer. The deadline for May graduates is April 15, 2023.
Students who have received an Unsubsidized or GradPlus loan while attending Gordon-Conwell must complete an online Loan Exit Counseling Tutorial. The Financial Aid office will receive notice from the Department of Education once done. Please go to this link and then LOG IN.
All graduates who march in the procession will wear full academic regalia. Masters-level graduates will order their own regalia to be shipped either to their home or to the Charlotte campus. Students who apply for graduation will receive a link to place their order. Contact the Registration Office at [email protected] with questions regarding regalia orders.
For those who select to have their regalia shipped to the Charlotte campus, students can pick up in the Registration Office starting April 25 through May 11 during our in-person office hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 am – 4:00 pm (Registration staff are fully remote on Mondays). Students attending the ceremony, but unable to pick up regalia from campus by May 11, will pick up their regalia on Saturday, May 13 at the church (please arrive early for pick up).
It is most appropriate for men to wear ties, as necklines are visible. Women should consider wearing blouses or dresses with buttons so that regalia hoods can be easily fixed to these (instead of pinned). After Commencement, graduates may keep their regalia.
Honor insignia on academic regalia are limited to official pins (Psi Chi pins or other seminary-sanctioned academic honors). Other insignia (e.g., cords, capes, and stoles) or decorations are not permitted.
The graduation gown may be placed in the dryer on permanent press for 15-20 minutes to remove wrinkles. The hood should be lightly ironed.
Please make sure that your regalia fit properly and that the gown has a long extension on the end of the sleeves. Please notify the Registration Office immediately if you detect any problems with your regalia
The size of a Gordon-Conwell diploma is 11″ x 17″. The Charlotte Bookstore carries a variety of frames in this size. To view options and order frames, stop by the Bookstore Table on Commencement weekend or visit the GCTS Bookstore Diploma Frame page. Email [email protected] with questions.
Be sure to look for professional full-time and part-time ministry positions around the country (and even the world) on our ministry employment website, MinstryList.
Join the Alumni community to stay connected to Gordon-Conwell, your classmates and resources we offer to alumni, including study tours, continuing education, ministry tools, and access to transcript requests and graduation verification.
For Alumni Library Resources, visit https://library.gordonconwell.edu/alumni. If you have questions about library access post-graduation, please contact the GCTS Library at [email protected] or https://library.gordonconwell.edu/contact.
Currently, your GCTS email account is yours to keep. Access to Canvas is not guaranteed after graduation, so we recommend you download anything you wish to retain from your course sites.
After graduation, your student ID card will be deactivated, as our entry system can only handle a limited number of active cards. Alumni may still use their ID card to check out books from GCTS Libraries. Your ID card can also be reactivated if you are readmitted to the Seminary.
The Jacksonville and Charlotte campuses will hold a joint commencement program in 2023. Please see the Charlotte tab of this page for detailed information about the Networked Education commencement. If at any time you have questions regarding the commencement activities, please contact the Registration Office at [email protected].
No later than April 1: Order extra graduation announcements using the order form.
No later than April 15: Notify Registration Office via email at [email protected] if you will not be attending Commencement.
April 21: Deadline to submit written work (Masters only; DMin students click here).
If you will not be attending Commencement, you must notify the Registration Office via email no later than April 15. Your name will be listed in the program, but not announced.
Your name is important! We want to pronounce your name correctly at Commencement. If you have not already done so on your graduation application, please write out the phonetic spelling of your name and email this to the Registration Office. We need your help with this task.
We are now in the process of having announcements (not invitations) printed. Each graduate will receive 10 announcements free of charge.
If you’d like to order extra announcements, please use this order form. Any extra announcement must be ordered by April 1. The minimum order is $5.00, which will be billed to your student account. Graduates must order announcements in increments of 10. The announcements will be sent to the address that you provide on the form. Contact the Registration Office with any questions.
One of the requirements of graduation is completing the Graduating Student Survey. The information you enter into the survey is confidential. We ask for your name only to ensure you completed this graduation requirement. The information you give us is used to continue to improve Gordon-Conwell. The survey must be completed online before graduation. If you are a graduating MA/M.Div./Th.M. student, please click here. If you have any problems completing the survey, please contact us at [email protected].
Any student who received a Federal student loan while at Gordon-Conwell is required to complete an online exit counseling tutorial before graduation. Please note that this is a Federal requirement, and that GCTS cannot issue your diploma or transcript until this requirement is met. The Loan Exit Counseling tutorial includes important information about student loan repayment plans and how to contact your loan servicer. The deadline for May graduates is April 15, 2023.
Students who have received an Unsubsidized or GradPlus loan while attending Gordon-Conwell must complete an online Loan Exit Counseling Tutorial. The Financial Aid office will receive notice from the Department of Education once done. Please go to this link and then LOG IN.
All graduates who march in the procession will wear full academic regalia. Masters-level graduates will order their own regalia to be shipped to their home. Students who apply for graduation will receive a link to place their order. Contact the Registration Office at [email protected] with questions regarding regalia orders.
It is most appropriate for men to wear ties, as necklines are visible. Women should consider wearing blouses or dresses with buttons so that regalia hoods can be easily fixed to these (instead of pinned). After Commencement, graduates may keep their regalia.
The Graduation gown may be placed in the dryer on permanent press for 15-20 minutes to remove wrinkles. The hood should be lightly ironed.
Please make sure that your regalia fit properly and that the gown has a long extension on the end of the sleeves. Please notify the Registration Office immediately if you detect any problems with your regalia.
The size of a Gordon-Conwell diploma is 11″ x 17″. The Bookstore carries a variety of frames in this size. To view options and order frames, visit the GCTS Bookstore Diploma Frame page. Email [email protected] with questions.
Be sure to look for professional full-time and part-time ministry positions around the country (and even the world) on our ministry employment website, MinstryList.
Join the Alumni community to stay connected to Gordon-Conwell, your classmates and resources we offer to alumni, including study tours, continuing education, ministry tools, and access to transcript requests and graduation verification.
For Alumni Library Resources, visit https://library.gordonconwell.edu/alumni. If you have questions about library access post-graduation, please contact the GCTS Library at https://library.gordonconwell.edu/contact.
Currently, your GCTS email account is yours to keep. Access to Canvas is not guaranteed after graduation, so we recommend you download anything you wish to retain from your course sites.