
Commencement Ceremony at Prudential Center
General and Guest Information for Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of Degrees at the Prudential Ceremony
General and Guest Information for Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of Degrees at the Prudential Ceremony
Bags are not permitted inside of Prudential Center. The only exceptions are:
Those with exceptions should enter at the Ford Tower and expect to have their bags x-rayed. Bags that do not meet these expectations must be returned to the guest’s vehicle or stored in a Prudential Center supplied locker at the guest’s expense. Lockers are locked outside the Ford Tower.
Please allow ample time for morning traffic and for the Prudential Center's required security checkpoint.
· 7:30 a.m. - Prudential Center doors open
· 8:40 a.m. - Processional begins
· 9:00 a.m. - Ceremony begins **
· 11:00 a.m. - Approximate end time for the ceremony
** Please note: All candidates are required to stay the duration of the ceremony. In the event that guests are leaving before the end of the ceremony, candidates are reminded to make alternative transportation arrangements, as they will not be permitted to leave early.
The ceremony will be held at the Prudential Center, located at 165 Mulberry Street, Newark, NJ 07102.
Directions for driving or taking public transportation to the Prudential Center can be found here. Please note: Commencement falls on a weekday, so you should allow extra time for heavy traffic. If you choose public transportation, the Prudential Center is two blocks away from Newark Penn Station.
Directions to the Prudential Center can be found here.
Parking is available for a charge at the commercial lots near Prudential Center, as indicated on this map. Costs vary, as the lots are privately owned. Any information about discounted rates will be posted on this site, if and when it becomes available.
You also have the option of parking on campus and taking the city subway to Newark Penn Station or walking to the Prudential Center.
As you face the stage, President's Medal recipients will be seated in the first row, row A, on the left-hand side (house left/stage right). The NCE bachelor’s and master’s candidates will be seated directly behind them. Ph.D. candidates will begin the second row, row B, (house left/stage right) followed by the remaining NCE candidates.
Seating on the right-hand side in row D (house right/stage left) will consist of the following groups in order: NJIT Faculty, HCAD bachelor's and Master’s candidates, CSLA bachelor's and master’s candidates. To the left of this group, row C, will consist of Ph.D. advisers, MTSM bachelor's and master’s candidates, YWCC bachelor's candidates. All Albert Dorman Honors College candidates will sit as a group at the beginning of their college.
Tickets are not required to attend, but we ask that you limit your number of guests to 6. We do suggest you refer to the "Seating for Candidates" section above so that you can get a better idea of where your candidate is seated and therefore you can plan your seating accordingly. Please note: Seating in sections 10 and 17 is reserved for university guests and is not a part of general admission. All seats for guests of candidates are general admission and available on a first-come basis; guests are not allowed to reserve or block off seating. If you attempt to do so, Prudential staff will enforce the policy.
The Prudential Center Guest Services Staff are available to answer your questions, collect lost and found items and provide assistance to guests at various locations.
If you need a wheelchair to assist you in entering the building or if you will require a wheelchair for the duration of the ceremony, you must bring your own. Please note: Ramps are provided at the entrance of the Ford Tower located at the corner of Lafayette and Mulberry Street.
The Prudential Center has a limited number of wheelchairs made available to our guests once they have entered the building. Outside of the Prudential Center, wheelchairs will not be available.
Once inside, you can request assistance from the Prudential Center Guest Services. You do not need to reserve a wheelchair as they are made available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please refer to the following steps.
If a candidate or guest requires a sign language interpreter, he/she must email the request to commencement@njit.edu by Sunday, April 30.
Guest Services will gladly provide Assisted Listening Devices upon request.
If you are in need of additional assistance and it has not been addressed in this section, please email us at commencement@njit.edu by Sunday, April 30.
For safety reasons, guests are refused entry if they are in possession of prohibited items. Illegal items will be confiscated and turned over to the police. If a guest is found inside the arena with prohibited items, the items will be confiscated, and the guest may be ejected from the facility.
The following items are not permitted at the Prudential Center:
*This list is subject to change at the discretion of Prudential Center Management
It is an NJIT tradition to invite all alumni who have graduated from NJIT (Newark College of Engineering) 50 years ago or more to participate in the ceremony. After candidates have been seated, the Golden Highlanders are announced. It is one of the most memorable moments in the ceremony as they enter the arena to the sounds of cheers and applause from the candidates and their guests. We look forward to the participation of the Class of 2022 in 2072.