Congratulations, Class of 2025!

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is pleased to announce the 2025 commencement schedule. There will be four degree conferral ceremonies:

• Doctoral Hooding, Friday, May 16, 2025, at 9 a.m., Mullins Center
• Undergraduate Ceremony, Friday, May 16, 2025, at 5 p.m., McGuirk Stadium
• Stockbridge School of Agriculture Ceremony (Associate Degree), Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 3 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
• Master's and Education Specialists Ceremony, Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 2 p.m., Mullins Center

We invite you all to attend as we honor the class of 2025, hear words of inspiration from university leaders, welcome honored guests, applaud the student speakers, and cheer our graduates as degrees are conferred. Throughout Commencement Weekend, senior recognition ceremonies take place where undergraduates will have their names called and cross the stage. Dates and times are listed below.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKER

The University of Massachusetts Amherst invites all undergraduate seniors to submit a speech proposal for consideration as the Undergraduate Student Speaker for the Class of 2025. Share your favorite UMass Amherst memories while reflecting on all you've learned and the many friends and mentors who've helped you along the way.
Submit your proposal by Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. 

21ST CENTURY LEADER AWARDS

The 21st Century Leader Award recognizes the strong academic record and exemplary achievement of undergraduate students who further distinguished their intellectual accomplishments, and enhanced the reputation of the university by contributing to the campus community. Up to ten graduating seniors will be awarded the 21st Century Leaders Award. Recipients will be recognized during the undergraduate commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16 and will receive an award of $1,000 from the UMass Amherst Alumni Association.  Nominations are due by Wednesday, December 4, 2024 and supplemental materials are due by Wednesday, January 15, 2025. 

CAPS & GOWNS

No pre-order is necessary for undergraduates. Caps, gowns, and tassels may be picked up free of charge in May at the Commencement Fair, in the week leading up to commencement, and at the undergraduate ceremony. A limited supply will also be at each of the senior recognition ceremonies. A pickup schedule will be shared as soon as it is finalized. 

Students graduating from University Without Walls and distance learning programs will receive an email with instructions on how to secure their cap, gown, and tassel when details of those arrangements are confirmed during the spring semester. An update will be provided here when those details are finalized. 

Some other campus organizations distribute additional symbols of achievement, such as cords, stoles, pins, etc. These items are not coordinated through the Office of Community Relations and University Events. If you have a question about how you'll receive a stole, cord, pin, etc., please contact the awarding organization directly.  

COMMENCEMENT FAIR

Held in early May, the Commencement Fair has everything graduates need for commencement:

• Regalia (cap, gown, and tassel) pickup free of charge, no pre-order is necessary
• Cap decorating
• Connect with the UMass Alumni Association
• Swag and keepsakes from the UMass Store
• Portrait and professional photography with Ultimate Exposures®
• Class rings
• Snacks, music, fun, and much more!

DIPLOMAS & MEDALLIONS

Diplomas are not distributed during Commencement Weekend. They are mailed to the student's diploma (permanent) address approximately six weeks after grades have been received and students are cleared for graduation by their department, college, and the Registrar's Office. To ensure the delivery of diplomas, all graduates should check SPIRE to make certain their diploma mailing address is accurately recorded. Please log in to SPIRE, then go to your Academics tile, and then, in your left menu, click Graduation > Diploma Preferences to update your mailing address. Questions regarding diplomas? Please contact the Registrar’s Office, located at 213 Whitmore Administration Building, by phone at 413-545-0555 or via email at reggrad@registrar.umass.edu. Please allow for 6–8 weeks for diploma delivery after your degree has been officially conferred in SPIRE.

Commencement medallions are presented to each undergraduate at their senior recognition ceremony.

MARCHING ORDER: CEREMONY REGISTRATION & NAME PRONUNCIATION

Marching Order is the software used to read and display your name during your senior recognition ceremony. Instructions on how to register and verify your name with Marching Order will be shared via email in the spring semester and updated here. In the meantime, please verify or update your diploma name in SPIRE. This is the name that is printed on your diploma, listed in the commencement program, and read as you walk across the stage at your senior recognition ceremony.  

SENIOR & PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS

Photographers from Ultimate Exposures® will be on campus to take senior portraits as well as professional photos. A cap, gown, and tassel will be provided and sittings are free. Links to make an appointment will be shared soon. 

CEREMONY PHOTOGRAPHY

Photos of graduates walking across the stage will be taken during the senior recognition ceremonies. Photo proofs will be emailed within 48 hours of the ceremony to graduates along with order forms and information for those wishing to purchase prints.

GRADUATION KEEPSAKES

Commemorate your graduation with products that include class rings and more. Order details will be shared in the spring.

GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Optional graduation announcements can be purchased at Amherst Copy & Designworks. The 2025 order form is coming soon!

GRADUATION ELIGIBILITY

An undergraduate student’s year of graduation is established by the Registrar’s Office. To be eligible to participate in 2025 commencement ceremonies, students must have fulfilled all requirements by the date of the ceremony or be scheduled to do so by September 2025.

Students who are expected to graduate in fall 2025 or spring 2026, but want to walk in May 2025, must contact the Registrar's Office, Diploma and Graduation Services, at reggrad@registrar.umass.edu no later than March 31, 2025.

FERPA PRIVACY FLAGS & COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM LISTINGS

Students with a FERPA Privacy Flag on their SPIRE account will not have their names printed in the commencement program or on any commencement-related material. If you have a privacy flag on your account but would like your name included in commencement material, please request the flag be removed by March 14, 2025. You may do so by completing the Request for Privacy form with the Dean of Students Office. Please email @email when you have removed the flag.

VISA REQUEST LETTERS

The Office of Community Relations and University Events will provide letter(s) for undergraduate students who wish to invite family member(s) living abroad to attend commencement ceremonies. The letter states the name of the graduate, major, commencement dates, and relationship to the guest seeking the invitation; it is not an official government document. To receive a visa request letter, fill out this Visa Request Form. Our office will complete it within one week of receipt. Please note: It is the responsibility of the graduate to mail the letters to the appropriate embassy.

HOMETOWN PRESS RELEASES

Each summer, the Office of News and Media Relations sends press releases about in-state graduates to daily and weekly hometown newspapers in Massachusetts. Because of the large number of graduates involved, names are usually published in lists. Out-of-state graduates wishing to have press releases sent to their hometown newspapers must complete a form available from the News and Media Office or call (413) 545-0444.

GRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKER

The University of Massachusetts Amherst invites all graduating master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degree candidates to submit a speech proposal for consideration as the Graduate Student Speaker for the Class of 2025. Share your favorite UMass Amherst memories while reflecting on all you've learned and the many friends and mentors who've helped you along the way. Submit your proposal by Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. 

TICKETS

Guest tickets are required for the master's and education specialist ceremony. Candidates will register in Marching Order and RSVP for the ceremony. More information about tickets, including the number of tickets each candidate will receive and how they will be distributed, is coming soon. 

REGALIA

Information regarding picking up your commencement regalia will be posted here in the days to come.

MARCHING ORDER: CEREMONY REGISTRATION & NAME PRONUNCIATION

Marching Order is the software used to read and display your name during your commencement ceremony. Instructions on how to RSVP for your ceremony and verify your name with Marching Order will be shared via email in the spring semester and updated here. In the meantime, please verify or update your diploma name in SPIRE. This is the name that is printed on your diploma, listed in the commencement program, and read as you walk across the stage at your commencement ceremony.  

COMMENCEMENT FAIR

Join us for the Commencement Fair held in early May to pick up everything graduates need for commencement:

• Regalia pickup available
• Connect with the UMass Alumni Association
• Swag and keepsakes from the UMass Store
• Portrait and professional photography with Ultimate Exposures®
• Class rings
• Snacks, music, fun, and much more!

PROCEDURE TO GRADUATE, ELIGIBILITY, AND DIPLOMAS

Master's and education specialist degree eligibility is determined by staff in the Graduate School. Your degree eligibility form must be completed by April 1, 2025. In order to be considered eligible, you must fulfill various requirements. The list of requirements can be found on the Graduate School Degree Requirement website. Once those requirements are complete and you are approved for graduation, view the appropriate degree eligibility form.

Information regarding diplomas for graduate students can also be found on the Degree Requirements website.

PORTRAIT OPPORTUNITIES

Ultimate Exposures® will be on campus to take graduation and professional photos. Regalia will be provided at your appointment. 

CEREMONY PHOTOGRAPHY

Commencement photos of graduates walking across the stage will be taken at the commencement ceremony. Photo proofs will be emailed to graduates within 48 hours of the ceremony along with order forms and information for those wishing to purchase prints.

GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Optional graduation announcements can be purchased at Amherst Copy & Designworks. The 2025 order form is coming soon!

COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM LISTINGS

Students who have a full-privacy request on file but wish to have their names printed in the commencement program must also notify the Dean of Students Office no later than the close of business on March 14, 2025. Those who fail to do so will not be listed.

VISA REQUEST LETTERS

The Office of Community Relations and University Events will provide letter(s) for graduate students who wish to invite family member(s) living abroad to attend commencement ceremonies. The letter states the name of the graduate, major, commencement dates, and relationship to the guest seeking the invitation; it is not an official government document. To receive a visa request letter, fill out this Visa Request Form. Our office will complete it within one week of receipt. Please note: It is the responsibility of the graduate to mail the letters to the appropriate embassy.

GRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKER

The University of Massachusetts Amherst invites all graduating master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degree candidates to submit a speech proposal for consideration as the Graduate Student Speaker for the Class of 2025. Share your favorite UMass Amherst memories while reflecting on all you've learned and the many friends and mentors who've helped you along the way. Submit your proposal by Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. 

REGALIA

Information regarding picking up your commencement regalia will be posted here in the days to come.

MARCHING ORDER: CEREMONY REGISTRATION & NAME PRONUNCIATION

Marching Order is the software used to read and display your name during your doctoral hooding. Instructions on how to RSVP for your ceremony and verify your name with Marching Order will be shared via email in the spring semester and updated here. In the meantime, please verify or update your diploma name in SPIRE. This is the name that is printed on your diploma, listed in the commencement program, and read as you walk across the stage at your doctoral hooding.  

COMMENCEMENT FAIR

Join us for the Commencement Fair held in early May to pick up everything graduates need for commencement:

• Regalia pickup and doctoral hood purchase available
• Connect with the UMass Alumni Association
• Swag and keepsakes from the UMass Store
• Portrait and professional photography with Ultimate Exposures®
• Class rings
• Snacks, music, fun, and much more!

PROCEDURE TO GRADUATE, ELIGIBILITY, AND DIPLOMAS

Doctoral degree eligibility is determined by staff in the Graduate School. Your degree eligibility form must be completed by April 1, 2025. In order to be considered eligible, you must fulfill various requirements. The list of requirements can be found on the Graduate School Degree Requirement website. Once those requirements are complete and you are approved for graduation, view the appropriate degree eligibility form.

Information regarding diplomas for master's and doctoral candidates can also be found on the Degree Requirements website.

PORTRAIT OPPORTUNITIES

Ultimate Exposures® will be on campus to take graduation and professional photos. Regalia will be provided at your appointment. 

CEREMONY PHOTOGRAPHY

Commencement photos of graduates walking across the stage will be taken at the doctoral hooding ceremony. Photo proofs will be emailed within 48 hours of the ceremony to graduates along with order forms and information for those wishing to purchase prints.

GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Optional graduation announcements can be purchased at Amherst Copy & Designworks. The 2025 order form is coming soon!

COMMENCEMENT PROGRAM LISTINGS

Doctoral candidates who have a full-privacy request on file but wish to have their names printed in the commencement program must also notify the Dean of Students Office no later than the close of business on March 14, 2025. Those who fail to do so will not be listed.

VISA REQUEST LETTERS

The Office of Community Relations and University Events will provide letter(s) for graduate students who wish to invite family member(s) living abroad to attend commencement ceremonies. The letter states the name of the graduate, discipline, commencement dates, and relationship to the guest seeking the invitation; it is not an official government document. To receive a visa request letter, fill out this Visa Request Form. Our office will complete it within one week of receipt. Please note: It is the responsibility of the graduate to mail the letters to the appropriate embassy.

HOMETOWN PRESS RELEASES

Each summer, the Office of News and Media Relations sends press releases about in-state graduates to daily and weekly hometown newspapers in Massachusetts. Because of the large number of graduates involved, names are usually published in lists. Out-of-state graduates wishing to have press releases sent to their hometown newspapers must complete a form available from the News and Media Office, or call (413) 545-0444.

ADVISORS

Doctoral advisors: Please visit the faculty section to learn more and request regalia.

Do I need tickets?

• Graduates themselves do not need tickets to participate in their ceremony, but they do need to RSVP and register with Marching Order. Marching Order instructions will be emailed and posted here as they are finalized for 2025. 
• Guest tickets are not required for the undergraduate, doctoral hooding, or Stockbridge School degree conferral ceremonies. 
• Guest tickets are required for all senior recognition ceremonies and for the Master's and Education Specialist Commencement Ceremony.
• With the increasing number of graduates and venue capacity limits, ticketing ceremonies ensures all graduates have the option of guests attending and prevents guests from being denied entry due to capacity constraints.

How do I get tickets? Can I transfer my tickets? What if I want more tickets?

• Information on how tickets will be distributed for 2025 ceremonies will be finalized and posted here soon. 
• Due to the finite number of seats available, we cannot exceed the designated allotment of tickets per graduate.
• Ceremonies will be live streamed so that family members and supporters can join the celebration from anywhere. 

Which ceremony should I go to? (undergraduate class)

• The main commencement ceremony for the undergraduate class will be held at McGuirk Stadium on Friday, May 16, 2025, at 5 p.m. This ceremony is fun and celebratory, degrees are conferred, the UMass Wind Ensemble performs, and remarks are given by the chancellor, keynote speaker, and student speaker. All members of the class of 2025 are encouraged to attend and are recognized en masse by school or college.
• Additionally, school and college senior recognition ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 16, Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, 2025. Senior recognition ceremonies are smaller and more intimate. Names are read, students walk across the stage, and individual portraits are taken. Students and families are encouraged to attend the main undergraduate ceremony and their senior recognition ceremony.
  
  See full schedule of events.

Are the ceremonies outdoors or indoors?

• The undergraduate ceremony on May 16 at McGuirk Stadium is outdoors. 
• All other ceremonies are held indoors.

What is the schedule? When and where will the ceremonies be?

• Refer to the complete Commencement Weekend schedule.

What if a student has a final exam scheduled on Friday, May 16?

• Final exams are scheduled to take place between Monday, May 12 and Thursday, May 15. Friday, May 16, is reserved for make-up exams only, which will conclude by 10 a.m..

I’m a graduating student or student working/helping/performing at commencement activities, who lives in an on-campus residence hall. I read residence halls will close at noon on Friday, May 16. What do I do if I need to stay later than that? 

• Graduating seniors are automatically approved for permission to stay late and will receive an email in April confirming their status.
• Students affiliated with commencement activities as a student employee, performer, or ambassador will have their names submitted for permission to stay late by their supervisor or group leader in the spring semester and will also receive an email in April confirming their status.
• Other students, for instance students with a graduating sibling, may request permission to stay late in the spring semester. All students who are granted permission to stay late will need to move out no later than May 19 at 10 a.m.
• Learn more about UMass Move-Out and Permission to Stay Late from Living at UMass Amherst.

What is traffic usually like? How will I know where to go?

• Plan at least two hours of travel time once you arrive in the Amherst area.
• Parking starts at lots closest to the ceremony and moves farther as they fill up. Once you arrive on campus, UMass Police officers will direct traffic and parking.
• If you have two ceremonies to attend on the same day, park once and take the bus or walk to your destination(s).
• Shuttle services will be available on the campus loop throughout Commencement Weekend.

What about accessible parking?

• Guests attending the undergraduate ceremony at the stadium who meet the requirements and are in need of accessible parking will be able to register to receive a parking pass for Lot 11 on Stadium Drive, the accessible lot closest to the stadium for the ceremony on Friday, May 16.
• The form to request accessible parking will be linked here when it is available. 
• All other venues have accessible parking near the building and accessible parking is available throughout the campus. Guests do not need to request accessible parking for these other venues in advance. 

What physical accessibility accommodations are in place at McGuirk Stadium?

• There is a designated security checkpoint and entrance for guests with mobility challenges. Commencement ambassadors will be present to assist with directing guests to the accessible entrance (Portal 20).
• Portal 20 (the northeast-most portal of the stadium) provides full access to restrooms and accessible guest seating on the field. Guests can, of course, choose to sit in the stands. There are ramps to the stadium stands at the southern end of the stadium. The first row of the stands is available from those ramps. All others are only accessible via stairs.
• Accessible seating is available for guests and graduates on the stadium field; however it is in the open sun. Guests should take appropriate precautions related to the weather. Guests sitting in the stands and in the accessible area on the field may want to bring sunscreen and visors or hats for sun protection. Additional accessibility instructions for the stadium can be found in the accessibility drop down section above;. 
• The pathway from the Lot 11 Graduate Assembly Area to the stadium field and student seating (for processional/march) is an even-grade, paved surface and accessible by wheelchair.  
• Note that portions of both the east side (for guests) and west side (for graduates) of the stadium are gravel and may be difficult for a wheelchair to traverse. However, the paved sections, concrete sidewalks, and installed floor provide accessible pathways to most of the stadium.

What physical accessibility accommodations are in place at the Mullins Center?

• Learn more about accessibility on the Mullins Center website. 

Where can I stay?

• Campus residence hall accommodations are available in single or double occupancy, providing casual comfort at affordable rates.  See umass.irisregistration.com/site/commencement for the latest residence hall information. For questions or registration assistance, call 413-577-8102. Reservations will be accepted until 4 p.m. on April 11, 2025, or until capacity is reached. 
• For a unique blend of restaurants, hotels, shops, and cultural destinations, please visit our friends at the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce at amherstarea.com and the Amherst Business Improvement District at amherstdowntown.com or visithampshirecounty.com.
• Review the Lodging drop down in the section above for more information. 

When/where do I get my cap and gown?

• Undergraduates: No pre-order or online ordering is necessary. Caps, gowns, and tassels may be picked up free of charge:
  • At the Commencement Fair in early May
  • The week proceeding commencement at the Campus Center
  • On commencement day, Friday, May 16, prior to the 5 p.m. ceremony, Lot 11 Graduate Assembly Area at McGuirk Alumni Stadium
• Undergraduate University Without Walls/Distance Learners will receive an email with instructions on how to secure their cap, gown, and tassel when details of those arrangements are confirmed during the spring semester. An update will be provided here when those details are finalized. 
• ​​​​​​Graduate students will be notified when regalia is available at the UMass Store. Once available, graduate students can pick up their regalia at the UMass Store during business hours.  There is no charge for caps, tams, gowns, or tassels, regardless of your degree. Hoods for master's degree recipients are free of charge. Discipline-specific doctoral hoods will be available for purchase at the UMass Store.

I want to invite my relative from another country. How can I do that?

• Graduates can complete a Visa Letter Request Form for each relative they wish to attend. Our office will complete it within one week of receipt. Please note: It is the responsibility of the graduate to mail the letters to the appropriate embassy.

I am a graduate student. How do I know if I am eligible to attend commencement? 

• The deadline for May graduation is April 1, 2025. There are various requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to be approved to graduate. The list of requirements can be found at umass.edu/graduate/handbook/degree-requirements
• Once these requirements are met, please complete the graduate eligibility form. 

Will my doctoral advisor be able to hood me? / Will I be able to hood my doctoral advisees?

• Yes! Doctoral candidates will be hooded during the doctoral commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16. Your advisor or chosen faculty will be able to participate and hood you. Please RSVP in your Marching Order account starting in the spring and indicate who you would like to have hood you.

Where can I get senior portraits?

• Photographers from Ultimate Exposures® will be on campus to take cap-and-gown photos as well as professional photos during the week before commencement in the Campus Center. Appointment links will be available in the spring.

Please contact the Office of Community Relations and University Events at 413-577-1101 or @email with additional questions.

Degrees granted in academic year 2023–2024 (September 2023 through May 2024):