A doctoral degree is the end of a years-long academic journey. The completion of that journey for 32 Yale School of Nursing (YSN) students took place on Saturday, May 17 in a hooding ceremony held at the Yale West Campus Conference Center.
This year’s ceremony saw two students hooded as PhD recipients, and 30 who received Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees—18 in the Healthcare Leadership, Systems, and Policy DNP program, and 12 in the clinical DNP program. The separate commencement ceremony marking the transition from doctoral candidates to doctoral graduates was held on Monday, May 19 at the historic Yale University Old Campus.
“These doctoral graduates represent not only the highest level of academic attainment, but also the future of healthcare,” said YSN Dean Azita Emami, PhD, RN, FAAN. “They are the nursing professionals who will provide primary and other clinical care, do basic research, teach, create healthcare policy, and fulfill our commitment to seeking better health for all people.”
The hooding ceremony is a centuries-old tradition. It recognizes the exceptional achievement of attaining a doctoral degree. Each doctoral candidate is individually recognized and hooded by their academic advisor.
The hood is a unique addition to the traditional black graduation gown. It is trimmed in colors that designate the graduate’s degree, field of study, and institutional affiliation. As the first school of nursing within a university, YSN faculty chose the apricot color that now adorns the doctoral hoods of nursing graduates everywhere. Students retain the hood and wear it throughout their careers, whenever and wherever they take part in academic ceremonies.