May 2024 Pinning and Commencement Events
Thursday, May 9, 2024
University Graduates Day | Vanderbilt University Recreation Field | 11:00am
**Founder’s Medalist Winner will be required to attend this event.
All VUSN graduates and guests are warmly invited to attend.
- Monitor the Vanderbilt University Commencement website for further details.
- Frequently Asked Questions
11:00 a.m. | Vanderbilt School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony | Sarratt Cinema
Only graduates (including Post-Master's Certificate awardees) and their guests of the following specialties should attend:
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Education
- Nurse-Midwifery/Family Nurse Practitioner
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner
View 11:00AM Pinning Ceremony Livestream
4:00 p.m. | Vanderbilt School of Nursing Pinning Ceremony | Nursing Annex 155
Only Master of Nursing graduates and their guests should attend.
Friday, May 10, 2024
School of Nursing Investiture of the Academic Hood | Magnolia Lawn, Peabody Campus | 2:00 p.m.
Reception to immediately follow at Magnolia Lawn
- This ceremony is for Master of Nursing, MSN, PhD and DNP graduates and their guests only. Post-Master's Certificate awardees do not participate in the Investiture of the Academic Hood as this ceremony is for degree-awardees.
- Graduates should arrive at Magnolia Lawn at 1:15pm and check-in upon their arrival.
- PhD graduates: You are invited to participate in the Graduate School and School of Nursing ceremonies on May 10th. You will receive your degree conferral at the Graduate School ceremony, scheduled to take place the morning of May 10th. You will receive further logistical instructions later in the spring. Please direct any questions to Anna Thomas at the Graduate School and Feylyn Lewis in the School of Nursing.
- All graduates taking part in the Investiture ceremony must wear Vanderbilt’s newly designed regalia (cap and gown) to participate. Doctoral graduates may rent or buy regalia. If you wish to buy your regalia, please note the deadline for ordering is March 1, 2024. There is no late order option. Master's level graduates may only rent regalia. To order regalia, all graduates should place their order with Oak Hall directly by March 29th (note the earlier deadline for purchases).
- Graduates are permitted to invite a maximum of 10 guests.
- Magnolia Lawn is between Magnolia Circle and Edgehill Avenue on the Peabody Campus.
- When you arrive at Magnolia Lawn, please check in at the entrance of the tent. We will give you a card with a number, which will be the order you will line up. Once you find your place in the line, please remove your hood and drape it over your left arm. We will have staff on hand to ensure it is in the correct position for the ceremony's hooding portion.
- Guests will find a seat in the tent.
- The ceremony will be livestreamed. Due to time limitations, only the names of the graduates present in person will be announced. Livestream coming soon.
- At the conclusion of the ceremony, graduates will proceed in the formal recessional to the reception held on Magnolia Lawn. Guests should follow the recessional.
Additional Information
Pinning Ceremony Information
August 3rd Pinning
Saturday, August 3rd | 11:00 a.m.
- Doctoral of Nursing Practice
- Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing and Health Care Leadership
- Nursing Informatics
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care
- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner- Primary Care
- Psychiatric Health Nurse Practitioner
Saturday, August 3rd | 2:00 p.m.
- Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner
- Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner
- Family Nurse Practitioner/Emergency Nurse Practitioner
- Women’s Health/Gender-Related Nurse Practitioner
General Instructions to All Graduates
- You are required to RSVP by Monday, July 8th. In your RSVP, you will indicate the number of guests that you will bring. Please monitor your Vanderbilt email address for the instructions to RSVP.
- At the Pinning ceremony, you are traditionally pinned by your program director. You may also be pinned by a close family member who is also a nurse. “Close family members” include parents, partners, siblings, and grandparents. Your close family member must be a nurse to pin you. If you would like to be pinned by your nursing close family member, please indicate the name and relation of your family member when you RSVP. *This opportunity is only for students who will be pinned or given a lavalier. This does not apply to those who will receive a PMC certificate.
- Graduates are permitted to invite a maximum of 6 guests. Seating is first-come, first-serve.
- Parking is available in the 25th Avenue Garage. Click here for directions to Langford Auditorium.