Commencement
Celebrating the Class of 2025
Join the Live Stream of the Ceremony!
We are thrilled to celebrate our 2025 graduating students on our beautiful campus quad. See details below.
If you have questions regarding Commencement, please review the FAQ section. If you can't find the answer to your question, please email commencement@mville.edu.
Severe Weather Plan
Commencement ceremonies will be held outdoors on the quad. In case of inclement weather, ceremonies will be held in the Chapel and seating will be limited. Manhattanville will notify the graduates via email and add a banner to the web if the ceremony is being moved indoors 24 hours in advance of each ceremony. Please read the full Severe Weather Plan for your commencement below.
Undergraduate Severe Weather Plan Graduate Severe Weather Plan
Commencement Schedule and Information
Graduate and Doctoral Commencement
Report Times - Please be punctual!
- 5:00 PM - Family check-in on quad (first come, first served seating)
- 5:00 PM - Student Check-in (East Room, above cafeteria)
- 5:50 PM- Procession begins
Undergraduate Commencement
Report Times - Please be punctual!
- 8:45 AM - Family check-in on quad (first come, first served seating)
- 8:45 AM - Student Check-in (East Room, above cafeteria)
- 9:50 AM - Procession begins
Undergraduate RSVP link for 5/17/25
Undergraduate Commencement Rehearsal is Friday, May 16 10 AM – 12 PM, East Room
Organized by Office of the President
Graduates report to the East Room to become familiar with the flow of the Commencement ceremony, sign your class banner and practice crossing the stage.
Commencement Speakers
Dr. Raymond Sanchez '19
Superintendent of the Public
Schools of the Tarrytowns
Dr. Raymond Sanchez is the Superintendent of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns. Dr. Sanchez started as a classroom teacher and progressed through building, curriculum, and district leadership roles before being appointed superintendent of the Ossining Union Free School District in 2013, a position he held for over 10 years. Dr. Sanchez received his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville College, earning the Doctoral Outstanding Leadership Award in 2019.
Dr. Daryl A. Mundis ‘88
Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (retired)
Daryl A. Mundis retired in February 2021 from the United Nations at the rank of Assistant Secretary-General after a career spanning more than two decades in international criminal law. His final position was the Registrar at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (“STL”), an international tribunal prosecuting political terrorist offenses. As the senior executive for that institution, which employed 450 staff on three continents, he managed a budget of nearly $90 million. Dr. Mundis graduated with a BA, magna cum laude, in International Studies and Russian Area Studies from Manhattanville College in 1988.
Additional Commencement Resources
Severe Weather Plan
In the event of severe and dangerous weather, the ceremony will be moved inside to the O'Byrne Chapel.
Undergraduate Severe Rain Plan
Live Stream
All of our Commencement ceremonies are live streamed. Closed captioning is available on all of our Commencement live streams. Links to the live streams are available on our homepage at www.mville.edu. Ticketed guests at the ceremonies can access Manhattanville’s free WiFi – “Mville Wireless.” Each of our ceremonies are recorded and available to view after Commencement as well.
Directions to Campus
We are located close to exits off of 684, 287, and the Merritt/Hutchinson River Parkway
See our FAQ section below for instructions from your area.
Weather
In the middle of May, the weather is usually mild. Depending on the forecast, guests may want to bring water, sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, and comfortable shoes. Both ceremonies will be held outside on our Quad lawn, rain or shine.
Services
- Complimentary programs will be handed out by volunteers.
- Beverages will be sold prior to the start of the ceremonies.
- Flowers are available for purchase on the Quad.
- Staff volunteers are on site to provide assistance.
- Restrooms including accessible and gender-neutral spaces are located in Founder’s Hall, the Reid Castle and Brownson Hall.
- The College Ville’age Store will be open extended hours.
Seating
Seating at the ceremony is first come/first serve general seating. Volunteers will be available to assist individuals in wheelchairs and those with other special needs in order to be able to be seated with family and friends.
- If you or a family member or friend is hearing impaired and requires an American Sign Language interpreter, please go to the commencement webpage, click “Accessible Information,” and then fill out the form.
- Please call the Office of Student Accommodations at 914.323.7127 with any questions.
Commencement FAQs
Academic regalia can be purchased through the Ville'age Store.
Please use their website to order where you may choose shipping or Buy On-line Pickup in Store. Please allow two business days for fulfillment.
In order to participate in Commencement, you must wear the proper academic regalia.
For further details please contact The Ville'age Store by phone 914.323.7217 or by email: villeagestore@mville.edu
The packages are as follows:
Bachelor package (cap, gown, tassel, hood)
Master package (cap, gown, tassel, hood)
Doctorate package (tam, gown, tassel, hood)
All tassels should be red and white for undergraduate students and black for graduate
students. The color of the hood corresponds to the degree:
Bachelor of Arts (BA): narrow white trim
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA): narrow brown trim
Bachelor of Science (BS): narrow Olive trim
Bachelor of Science Nursing Major (BS): narrow apricot trim
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT): wide light blue trim
Master of Science (MS): wide olive trim
Master of Science, Family Nurse Practitioner (MS): wide apricot trim
Master of Professional Studies (MPS): wide light blue trim
Master of Fine Arts (MFA): wide white trim
Master of Education (Med): wide light blue trim
Advanced Certificate (ADVCERT) or Professional Diploma (PD): students are advised
to select regalia corresponding to their previously earned master’s degree
Doctor of Educational Leadership (EdD): powder blue trim
Gold honors cords are also available.
Each ceremony will be streamed live on the University’s main webpage and social media platforms. The ceremonies will also be available through YouTube for future viewing.
The commencement ceremony includes: The academic procession, invocation, the national anthem, greeting from the president, student greetings (UG), presentation of candidates for honorary degrees, honorary degree recipient and keynote speaker, (graduate/doctoral ceremony has the addition of presenting doctoral candidates and hooding), presentation of college honors, presentation of candidates for degrees, conferring of degrees, alma mater, and the recessional.
Manhattanville
2900 Purchase Street
Purchase NY 10577
By Car:
From New York City
Deegan Expressway/New York State Thruway (I-87) north to exit 8. Right to Cross Westchester
Expressway (I-287), east to Hutchinson River Parkway. North on Hutchinson River Parkway
to exit 16 (in New York, not Connecticut) at Route 120 (Purchase Street). Left on
Purchase Street to campus.
From Long Island
Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridge north to Hutchinson River Parkway north to exit 16
(in New York, not Connecticut) at Route 120 (Purchase Street). Left on Purchase Street
to campus.
From Upstate New York and Northern New Jersey
Tappan Zee Bridge East to Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287). East to Hutchinson
River Parkway (Exit 9 north). North on Hutchinson River Parkway to exit 16 (in New
York, not Connecticut) at Route 120 (Purchase Street). Left on Purchase Street to
campus.
From Putnam and Dutchess Counties
South on I-684 to exit 2. Follow Route 120 south (Purchase Street) to campus (about
4 miles).
From Connecticut
Merritt Parkway South to Hutchinson River Parkway south to exit 16 in New York (not
in Connecticut). Turn right onto Route 120 (Purchase Street) and follow to campus
on left.
- or -
New England Thruway South to Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287) west to Hutchinson
River Parkway north (exit 9). Hutchinson River Parkway north to exit 16 at Route 120
(Purchase Street). Left on Purchase Street to campus.
By Public Transportation or Plane:
Train or Bus
Metro North Railroad from NYC Grand Central Terminal. Harlem Division Line to White
Plains.
- or -
Anderson Hill Road bus (Bee-Line No. 12) or Taxi to the campus.
By Plane
Manhattanville University also is easily accessible from all New York City area airports:
Westchester County Airport, Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark
International Airport.
Courtyard Marriott
631 Midland Avenue
Rye, NY 10580
Phone (914)-921-1110
Cambria Suites - White Plains Downtown
250 Main Street
White Plains, NY 10601
Phone (914)-681-0500
www.cambriasuiteswhiteplains.com
Other Area Hotels:
Doubletree Tarrytown
455 South Broadway
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Phone (914) 631-5700
HYATT House
101 Corporate Park Drive
White Plains, NY 10604
Phone (914) 251-9700
Please request Manhattanville University rate
Undergraduate ceremony: You are eligible to participate in the undergraduate ceremony if you earned your bachelor’s degree in January 2025, or if you are projected to complete your undergraduate degree requirements in May 2025 or August 2025.
Graduate/Doctoral ceremony: You are eligible to participate in the graduate/doctoral ceremony if you earned your master’s degree, advanced certificate, or professional diploma in January 2025, or your doctoral degree in August 2024 or January 2025. For masters, doctoral, advanced certificate, and professional diploma students projected to complete program requirements in May 2025, you are also eligible to participate in commencement (note: doctoral students must also successfully defend their dissertations prior to the ceremony to be eligible to participate).
Remember: if you’re completing requirements during the Spring 2025 term, you must apply to graduate on ServiceHub.
Note: students who have applied to graduate in August 2025 are also eligible to participate in the appropriate May 2025 Commencement ceremony while remaining requirements are pending (apart from doctoral students).
Residential graduates should complete the move out process by Sunday, May 18, by 12 noon. Please contact Residence Life for more details.
Commencement Events
Senior Week - Senior Picnic and Beer Tasting with Chriss Pappas
Senior Week - Student Athlete Brunch
Senior Week - Water Balloon Fight
Senior Week - Senior Pinning and Toast
Senior Week - Vinyard Trip or Angry Orchard
Senior Week - Movie Night on the Quad
Contact Us
