Graduation

Due to space capacities, up to 2 guests are invited to accompany the graduate in person. Children are allowed and will count towards the 2 guests allowed.

The receptions will also be streamed virtually, so graduates can share the streaming link with their loved ones who are unable to attend in person. The event’s virtual link will be emailed to attendees at least a week prior to the event.

Keep in mind that all December graduates will also be invited and recognized at our Commencement Ceremony in May 2026, which will be held in-person at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ. Graduates will be able to bring an unlimited number of guests to the May 2026 Commencement Ceremony.

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No. Diplomas will not be distributed until you have completed all courses in your degree. Registrar will reach out to you when your diploma is ready to be picked up or mailed to you.

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No. Caps and gowns will be worn at the May 2026 Commencement Ceremony. December graduates will be invited and celebrated at this ceremony alongside HCCC graduates of the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Cap and gown sets will be offered free of charge to graduating students at that time.

December graduates are encouraged and invited to attend both the December Graduate Reception AND the May 2026 Commencement Ceremony.

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We encourage you to dress business casual for the December Graduate Reception. There will be a professional photographer at the events to take pictures of you and your guests.

If you are in need of professional clothes, please feel free to connect with our Career Closet located at the Journal Square Hudson Helps Resource Center. You can make an appointment to visit the Career Closet by visiting https://calendly.com/hudsoncareercloset.

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IMPORTANT!!!
Please note you must DOWNLOAD the Diploma Information Form and use Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill out the form. Please save the graduation application to your computer and email it to registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE as an attachment. 

This document collects the name that you wish to be displayed on your diploma and confirms your degree program. Please indicate in the box of the graduation application how you would like your name to appear on the diploma. This is the same way it will appear in the Commencement program.

If you are unsure if you have submitted your Diploma Information Form, or for any questions related to this Diploma Information Form, please email Assistant Registrar Upasana Sethi-Pagan at usethi-paganFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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Click here for the Fall 2025 Graduate Applicant List. Please note that this list is only accessible to individuals with HCCC login credentials. For any questions regarding the list, please email registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

Please note, in order to complete your degree and graduate from HCCC, you must pass all degree course requirements. Being a Graduate Applicant and participating in a graduation ceremony DOES NOT automatically mean that you have completed your degree and graduated from the college.

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Island Photography will be visiting the Journal Square and North Hudson Campuses to offer Graduate Portrait photo sessions. Students will pay a $10 sitting fee at the time of confirming an appointment. The sitting fee will be deducted from any photo packages you may choose to order. Appointment link will be emailed to all graduating students.

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All Fall 2025 graduates are highly encouraged and invited to participate in HCCC’s May 2026 Commencement Ceremony, which will take place at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ. At this official ceremony, all graduates will cross the stage in their cap and gown in front of their loved ones and fellow graduates. Graduates will have an unlimited number of tickets for guests for the May 2026 Commencement Ceremony.

The date for the May 2026 Commencement Ceremony will be announced in early 2026, and communication to all graduates with following details will be emailed to their HCCC email address in March 2026. If you have any questions, please email graduationeventsFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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IMPORTANT!!!
Please note you must DOWNLOAD the Diploma Information Form and use Adobe Acrobat Reader to fill out the form. Please save the graduation application to your computer and email it to registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE as an attachment. 

This document collects the name that you wish to be displayed on your diploma and confirms your degree program. Please indicate in the box of the graduation application how you would like your name to appear on the diploma. This is the same way it will appear in the Commencement program.

If you are unsure if you have submitted your Diploma Information Form, or for any questions related to this Diploma Information Form, please email Assistant Registrar Upasana Sethi-Pagan at usethi-paganFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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Click here for the Fall 2025 Graduate Applicant List. Please note that this list is only accessible to individuals with HCCC login credentials. For any questions regarding the list, please email registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

Please note, in order to complete your degree and graduate from HCCC, you must pass all degree course requirements. Being a Graduate Applicant and participating in a graduation ceremony DOES NOT automatically mean that you have completed your degree and graduated from the college.

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Click here for the Summer 2 2025 Graduate Candidate List. This list of students have completed their degree requirements as per the Registrar's Office. Please note that this list is only accessible to individuals with HCCC login credentials. For any questions regarding the list, please email registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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For information on graduation deadlines and requirements, as well as information on receiving Diploma Replacements, visit https://www.hccc.edu/administration/registrar/graduation-requirements.html.

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Graduates of Summer I 2023 and prior year degrees:

Your diplomas are available for pick up at the Journal Square Campus A Building, 70 Sip Avenue, Jersey City. Please bring your State ID. Note that you must return any borrowed technology (such as a Chromebook or Hot Spot) before you can receive your diploma. You can pick it up or request to have it mailed. Diplomas that are mailed may take a minimum of 2-3 weeks to arrive.

For any other questions or concerns about your diploma, email registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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Learn about HCCC’s Alumni Services at https://www.hccc.edu/community/alumni-services/index.html

Join the Alumni Association: https://www.hccc.edu/community/alumni-services/alumni-update-form.html

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Students are allowed and encouraged to wear as many cords and stoles with their cap and gown as they have earned. Different cords and stoles distributed by the college are:

Academic Schools

• Yellow Double Cord - School of Business, Culinary Arts, and Hospitality Management
• Red Double Cord – School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Green Double Cord – School of Nursing and Health Professions
• Double Blue Cord – School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Latin Honors (Graduating with Honors)

• Double Gold Cord - Summa Cum Laude (cumulative GPA of 3.85 to 4.0)
• Double Silver Cord - Magna Cum Laude (cumulative GPA of 3.65 to 3.84)
• Double Bronze Cord - Cum Laude (cumulative GPA of 3.45 to 3.64)

Other cords and stoles distributed include:

• Alpha Alpha Alpha - Students inducted into HCCC's Chapter of Alpha Alpha Alpha will receive a dark blue and silver cord.
• Alpha Sigma Lambda - Students inducted into HCCC's Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda will receive a white stole with the ASL logo embroidered on it.
• ESL - Students who started at HCCC as English as a Second Language learners and completed the path to graduation receive a dark purple cord.
• Hudson Scholars – Students who are a Hudson Scholar will receive a teal and purple braided cord.
• Kente Graduation – Students recognized as part of the Kente Graduation receive a Kente cloth stole handcrafted from Ghana.
• Lavender Graduation – Students recognized as part of the Lavender Graduation ceremony receive a stole with the Pride Flag.
• National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) – Inductees of NSLS receive a black and silver cord.
• Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) – Inductees of PTK receive a gold stole with the PTK logo and a gold tassel.
• Sigma Kappa Delta (SKD) – Inductees of SKD receive a green and yellow cord.

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The Office of Student Life and Leadership aims to schedule opportunities for Graduate Portraits during the Fall semester and the Spring semester. Students who take their portraits will receive their proofs with the option to purchase photo packages. Information regarding dates will be sent to you from graduationeventsFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE.

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Herff Jones is offering HCCC coupon codes for class rings! To order your college ring please log on to: https://collegerings.herffjones.com/

PROMO CODES:

• $100 OFF Austria and Extreme Silver: ENTER CODE: HJDD2024$100
• $125 OFF White Ultrium Ring: ENTER CODE: HJDD2024$125
• $300 OFF 10K Gold Ring: ENTER CODE: HJDD2024$300
• $400 OFF 14K Gold Ring: ENTER CODE: HJDD2024$400
• $500 OFF 18K Gold Ring: ENTER CODE: HJDD2024$500

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Hudson County Community College’s Office of Communications needs your help in identifying unique and exceptional graduate student stories to use in publicity for the upcoming Commencement ceremony as well as future marketing materials.

HCCC’s Office of Communications will be pitching these stories to media during the Commencement season and would be pleased to hear from students willing to be interviewed. Some past noteworthy stories covered by media included students who:

• Were age 50 or older while studying at HCCC
  
• Had served in the military
  
• Had relatives on HCCC staff or of HCCC alumni
  
• Were family members graduating together
  
• “Beat the odds” (earned a degree despite an obstacle, disability, etc.)

For more information please contact the Office of Communications at (201) 360-4060 or email at communicationsFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE or visit the Tell Us Your Story page.

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• December 2024
  • Photos from December 12 Reception
  • Photos from December 13 Reception
• May 2024
  • HCCC's 2024 Commencement Live Stream
  • Photos from Commencement Ceremony
• December 2023
  • Photos from December 4 Reception
  • Photos from December 5 Reception
• May 2023
  • HCCC's 2023 Commencement Live Stream
  • Photos from Commencement Ceremony
  • Graduate Personalized Slides
• December 2022
  • Photos from December 12 Reception
  • Photos from December 13 Reception
• May 2022
  • HCCC's 2022 Commencement Live Stream
  • 2022 Commencement Ceremony Program
  • Photos from Commencement Ceremony
  • Graduate Personalized Slides
• December 2021
  • To watch the December Graduate Receptions, visit: https://www.youtube.com/c/HudsonCountyCollege
  • To view photos from the December Graduate Receptions, visit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hudsonccc/albums/
• May 2021
  • Watch the May 2021 Virtual Commencement Ceremony
  • Download Virtual Commencement Slides
  • Access the May 2021 Commencement Program, Here
  • For the May 2021 Grad Walk photos, Click Here
  • To watch the May 2021 Grad Walks livestreams visit https://www.facebook.com/hcccedu/videos/
• December 2020
  • Watch the December 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony
  • Download Virtual Commencement Slides for Summer II 2019-December 2020 Graduates

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Contact Registrar at registrarFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE for questions about your graduation application, course completion towards earning your degree, diplomas, and related topics.

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Contact Student Life and Leadership at graduationeventsFREEHUDSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE for questions related to the Commencement ceremony, graduate portraits, graduation celebration events and related topics.

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