Image of students and administrators at a commencement ceremony

Commencement Ceremony at Prudential Center

General and Guest Information for Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of Degrees at the Prudential Ceremony

Prudential Bag Policy For All Candidates and Guests

Bags are not permitted inside of Prudential Center. The only exceptions are:

  • Soft sided clutches/purses/wallets under 4” x 7 “ with a shoulder strap or wrist strap attached
  • Medical or childcare bags under 12” x 16” x 6”

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.

Schedule

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.

Location, Travel Directions and Parking

Location

The ceremony will be held at the Prudential Center, located at 165 Mulberry Street, Newark, NJ 07102.

Travel Directions

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

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. 

  • Subway: You will need to purchase an "underground fare" ticket; you must validate your subway ticket before entering the subway car. Failure to validate your ticket can result in a summons from the City of Newark.
  • Walking: If you park on campus, you can walk to the Prudential Center. Directions can be found here. Please note: We do not recommend this option for the elderly or those with disabilities.

Seating for Candidates

[See floor plan]

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. 

Guest Seating

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.

Guest Services/Accessibility

Guest Services

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.

Wheelchair Assistance 

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.

  • Guests in need of assistance should be dropped off curbside near the tower entrance.
  • Guests whose student is graduating from HCAD, CSLA, MTSM or YWCC will enter via the Investors Bank Tower.
  • Guests whose student is graduating from NCE will enter via the Ford Tower.
  • Upon entering, please inform the Prudential Security Staff that you will need a wheelchair.
  • Once you have received a wheelchair, an usher will escort you and your family to the wheelchair seating area.
  • There are elevators to assist you in getting to the proper location.
  • Once the usher has brought you to your seat, he or she will then return to the entrance with the wheelchair to assist other guests.
  • At the conclusion of the ceremony, an usher will return with a wheelchair to escort you to an exit.  The staff will need to accommodate all those they originally escorted to their seats, so we ask that you please be patient as they try to get everyone out as quickly as possible.

Sign Language Interpreter

If a candidate or guest requires a sign language interpreter, he/she must email the request to commencement@njit.edu by Sunday, April 30.

Assisted Listening Devices and Guest Services

Guest Services will gladly provide Assisted Listening Devices upon request.

Additional Assistance

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.

What NOT to Bring

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:

  • aerosol cans
  • animals / pets (except service animals)
  • audio/video equipment
  • balloons and beach balls
  • cans, bottles, glass or other beverage containers
  • chains, studded bracelets, etc.
  • coolers or ice chests
  • drones of any type
  • illegal drugs
  • laser pens and pointers
  • noisemaking devices (i.e. whistles, air horns, drums, horns, vuvuzelas)
  • outside food and beverages
  • professional photography equipment (except cameras)
  • selfie sticks, GoPros and iPads
  • poles to display banners, flags, etc.
  • signs with wires, lights, and/or batteries
  • skateboards, rollerblades and hover boards
  • un-approved pamphlets, handouts, advertisements, etc.
  • weapons that include but are not limited to firearms, utility knives, razor blades, cork screws, pepper spray, tear gas, handcuffs, stun guns, etc.)
  • any other item deemed to be inappropriate or dangerous by Prudential Center Management

*This list is subject to change at the discretion of Prudential Center Management

Who Are the Golden Highlanders?

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.