For the first time in school history, Dordt University will hold two commencement ceremonies. The undergraduate commencement ceremony will take place on Friday, May 10 at 9:30 a.m. with the graduate commencement and hooding ceremony will be held on the same day at 2 p.m., both ceremonies will take place in the B.J. Haan Auditorium.
The decision to hold two ceremonies was made in part due to the growth of the master’s programs at Dordt and the interest that graduate students had in attending the graduation ceremony.
Joe Bakker, dean for online, graduate, and partner programs, says that a separate ceremony for master’s students provides a time to celebrate their unique accomplishments of graduating from a master’s program. He says obtaining a master’s degree often includes a different set of challenges, especially for those navigating studies as working adults or parents; a separate ceremony allows time to specifically acknowledge the work of graduate students and to provide more space for their family and friends.
Dordt currently offers the following graduate programs: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (M.Ed.), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Social Work (MSW), and Master of Special Education (M.SpEd).
