Cornell awards degrees in August, January, and May each year. The commencement ceremony is in May, usually on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Students who will have finished their degree requirements by the end of August are eligible to take part in the ceremony. If you finish the requirements before the graduate school sends out the graduation information (usually mid February) you will automatically receive the information. However, if you plan on finishing between February and August, you must go to the Graduate School and request the information. You must finish your requirements before the end of March to have your name printed in the graduation programs. The programs automatically contain the names of student who received degrees in the previous January and August.
One of the things the graduation information packet includes is info on getting your robe. M.S./M.Eng graduates can rent a black robe for about $12. The robe is similar to the undergraduate robe, but nicer with the special hood. Ph.D. graduates have the special privilege of wearing a red robe which can be rented for about $46. Graduates going into academia will want to consider buying their robes, which cost about $700.
The information packet will also contain lists of all the activities happening during graduation weekend. There's lots of stuff for your parents and family to do!
For ceremonies, there is a university ceremony, department ceremonies, and a Ph.D. ceremony. The university ceremony starts off with all graduating students lining up on the Arts quad (Ph.D. students in front, JGSM and Law students next, Vet, Masters, and finally all undergrad seniors). The procession then marches through campus to the football stadium. As long as the weather is nice, the ceremony takes place outdoors in the stadium. If the weather is bad, the ceremonies are moved indoors. Due to limited indoor seating, graduates are only allowed 4 guests (tickets given in graduation information packet). Note that the tickets are ONLY important if the weather is bad, otherwise you're allowed as many guests as you can bring.
If you are to receive your diploma at graduation, then you will receive it at your department ceremony. Larger departments have separate ceremonies for graduates and undergraduates whereas the smaller departments combine the two.
The Ph.D. ceremony is usually held on the Saturday of commencement weekend in the late afternoon. It is open to all Ph.D. grads, parents, and friends. The ceremony is much smaller than the university one. In addition to speeches by the Grad School Dean and guest speaker, each student is called onto the stage and gets to shake hands with the Grad School Dean and university President.
As a final note, if friends and family are planning on coming to watch you graduate, you should warn them to make hotel reservations very early. Since all the undergraduates are also graduating at the same time, the hotels fill up early. The same thing goes if your family would like to eat out graduation night. Make reservations early! Another alternative for graduation housing is available in the dorms on campus. For a small fee per room for the whole weekend, your family can stay in one or more dorm rooms. These are usually made available sometime in March; they are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis, but usually the housing department is able to accomodate all requests. Check the commencement information packet for more information.