While many NIU students will gear up in hats and gloves next weekend, some students will don caps and gowns.

NIU’s graduate commencement ceremony will take place 4 p.m. Dec. 10. According to the Convocation website, the first undergraduate ceremony Dec. 11 will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will be for students in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, and Engineering and Engineering technology. The second undergraduate ceremony that day will begin at 2 p.m. and will be for students in the College of Business, College of Education, and the College of Human Health and Sciences.

According to the Office of Registration and Records, 1309 undergraduate students and 554 graduate students applied for graduation this winter.

Tickets have no limit for the graduate ceremony, but are limited to 15 per graduate for the undergraduate ceremonies.

“The undergraduate ceremonies are a lot bigger and we only have a limited amount of seats,” said Heather Priest, Convocation Center marketing manager.

Priest said that if students need more than 15 tickets there will be an opportunity to pick up any leftover tickets Dec. 9 prior to the ceremonies.

“[Attendees] need a ticket to come to the ceremonies,” Priest said. “The doors open an hour and a half prior.”

The Convocation Center will have food and drink available to those coming for the ceremonies.

“Concessions will be open,” Priest said. “You can bring concession food into the ceremony, but no outside food or beverage can be brought in.”

Priest said the Convocation Center will also be equipped with its normal event security of event staff security, police, and medics.

Those unable to attend the commencement ceremonies can watch a live video stream provided by Media Services.

“One of the things we’ve done for many years at NIU is a live video stream,” said Brad Hoey, director of Communications and Marketing.

Hoey said Media Services wanted to give family members and friends of graduates the opportunity to watch the ceremony even if they couldn’t attend.