May 14, 2026: Important Information Regarding the Ramapo College Commencement Ceremony

Commencement will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Doors will open 7:30 a.m. and the processional will begin at 8:40 a.m.

The ceremony is expected to last 2.5 hours and will be live streamed on ramapo.edu/commencement.

---

Prudential Center: Graduate Information

• • ARRIVAL TIME: Graduates must report to Prudential Center at 7:30 a.m. and proceed to the M&M Tower entrance to the building. The M&M Tower is located at southeast corner of the building at Mulberry Street and Lafayette Street. Tickets are not required for entry.
  • LATIN HONOR CORDS: Latin honor cords are distributed to undergraduates from the Barnabas Health Hockey House to the left of the M&M tower entrance. Graduates are responsible for bringing any additional cords and stoles with them.
  • REGALIA & READER CARDS: Undergraduates should put their cap with tassel (on the right) and gown with stole on before leaving their car and bring their reader cards with them. Masters & Doctoral students should put their cap, gown, and hood on before leaving their car and bring their reader cards with them. 
  • SEATING: Seating by school for undergraduates and by program for masters and doctoral graduates. Graduates may sit with their friends and classmates within these programs/schools. Friends should stand behind or in front of each other when lining up.
  • PERSONAL BELONGINGS: Graduates may keep their cell phones on them for the ceremony. Be social, get photos of the confetti moment!  However it is recommended to have pockets or a small cross-body/belt bag under the robe to hold these items.
  • COURTESY & SAFETY: All participants and attendees are to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony. Banners/flags, signs, balloons, beach balls and noisemakers are prohibited and will be confiscated. A full list of prohibited items is available on the Pru Center website.
  • DURATION & EXIT: The ceremony is expected to last 2.5 hours. After the ceremony, graduates will be directed to exit Prudential Center via the Box Office exit and Citizens Tower. Please plan to meet your families outside of the arena on Mulberry Street or Championship Plaza.

---

Prudential Center: Guest Information

Doors to Prudential Center will open at 7:30 a.m. Guests may enter the building through any of the following 3 entrances:

• Citizens Tower entrance– northeast corner of the building at Mulberry Street and Edison Place
• M&M Tower entrance*– southeast corner of the building at Mulberry and Lafayette Streets
• Lafayette Street entrance*– located on Lafayette Street

*Guests should refer to the Bag Policy above when selecting their building entrance

Prudential Center is ADA compliant. Both the Citizens and M&M Towers have elevators. If you need to drop off a guest, we recommend you do so outside the Citizens Tower. Handicap accessible seating is available in sections 3, 8, 19 and 22 and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit the Prudential Center ADA guide for more information on ADA services.

Concession stands will have food and beverages available for purchase. Cash will NOT be accepted at concession stands or retail locations. Pay with a debit or credit card using tap to pay, chip or swipe, or mobile payment, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.

The ceremony is expected to last 2.5 hours. All participants and attendees are to remain seated until the conclusion of the ceremony. After the ceremony, guests will be directed to exit Prudential Center via the Citizens Tower or Lafayette Street entrance. Please plan to meet your graduates outside of the arena on Mulberry Street or Championship Plaza.

Prudential Center Graduation Seating Details

Seating Level	Section Numbers	Key Details & Accessibility
Floor Level	Doctoral, Masters, ASB, CA, HGS, TAS, SSHS	Reserved seating for faculty and graduating students.
Lower Level (Red)	1 – 10 and 17 – 22	Includes designated accessible seating areas.
Mezzanine: 100 Level (Blue)	108 – 115 and 125 – 134	Middle-tier seating surrounding the lower bowl.
Upper: 200 Level (Yellow)	208 – 216 and 225 – 233	Highest tier of seating at the venue.
Non-Seating Areas (Grey)	11 – 16, 101 – 107, 116 – 124	Marked as “No Seating in this Area.”

---

Prudential Center: Entry Information & Policies

• TICKETS: Tickets are NOT required for entry. Graduates may bring an unlimited number of guests, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• ENTRANCES: Arrive early! Doors open at 7:30 a.m.
  • All graduates must use the M&M Tower entrance located at southeast corner of the building at Mulberry Street and Lafayette Street.
  • Guests may use:
    • M&M Tower
    • Citizens Tower
    • Lafayette Street entrance
• SCREENING: All graduates and guests will be subject to a screening upon entry into the building.
• BAG POLICY: Bags up to 12″x14″ are permitted inside Prudential Center. Anything larger, including backpacks, are not permitted, with the exception of childcare or medical bags. Permissible larger bags will be X-rayed. All bags are subject to search by Prudential Center security team members at each point of entry. 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 located outside the M&M Tower and Lafayette Street entrances.
• PROHIBITED ITEMS: Banners/flags, signs, balloons, beach balls and noisemakers are prohibited and will be confiscated. A full list of prohibited items is available on the Prudential Center website.
• A-Z GUIDE: A full FAQ page for the venue is available on the Prudential Center website.

---

Prudential Center: Directions & Parking

• Directions: Information on driving directions to Prudential Center, public transportation, Uber pick-up and drop off can be found on the Prudential Center’s website.
• Reserved Parking Options (this is just a few of the many options):
  • To reserve your parking spot for the Ramapo College Commencement using SpotHero, visit SpotHero’s Prudential Center Parking Page or click below:

• • To reserve your parking spot for the Ramapo College Commencement using LAZGo, visit LAZ Parking’s ‘Find Parking’ Page.
  • To reserve your parking spot for the Ramapo College Commencement using ParkMobile, visit Park Mobile’s Prudential Center Parking Page.

---

Live Stream

Can’t attend the Ceremony but want to cheer on your graduate?  The entire ceremony will be streamed live. On the morning of commencement, there will be a link for viewing on the Ramapo College Commencement webpage: www.ramapo.edu/commencement

 

More Information on Celebrating Together

---

ANNOUNCEMENTS: CLASS OF 2026