CNS Senior Celebration : College of Natural Sciences : UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst Commencement Weekend 2025

Undergraduates are encouraged to attend both the University Commencement, the official graduation ceremony where degrees are conferred, and the College of Natural Sciences Senior Celebration, a personalized ceremony where each CNS graduate is presented with a commemorative medal and crosses a platform as their name is announced and they appear on the jumbo video screens. Some of the ceremonies require advance registration and ticketing. Preliminary details are below; more information will be provided as it becomes available.

Learn more about UMass Commencement.

Doctoral Hooding

Friday, May 16, 2025
9 a.m. in the Mullins Center

Undergraduate Commencement

Friday, May 16, 2025
5 p.m. in McGuirk Alumni Stadium
All graduates receiving bachelor's degrees attend; tickets not required

Stockbridge School of Agriculture Associate Degree Commencement

Saturday, May 17, 2025
3 p.m. in Bowker Auditorium
All Stockbridge graduates receiving associate degrees attend

College of Natural Sciences Senior Celebration

Sunday, May 18, 2025
9 a.m. in the Mullins Center
All CNS graduates receiving bachelor's degrees attend; tickets required and are booked through Tassel, the online registration platform for all UMass commencement ceremonies. The deadline to register for the four guest tickets per graduate is April 22, 2025.

After April 22, 2025, any unclaimed or unused guest tickets that have not been booked will be redistributed to CNS graduates who request additional tickets through the waitlist form. If you wish to request additional tickets to the CNS Senior Celebration, complete and submit the CNS Senior Celebration Ticket Waitlist form.

Please note that there is no guarantee that there will be any tickets leftover after April 22, or that you will receive the number of tickets you request should there be additional tickets available. The deadline to request additional tickets on the waitlist form is April 30, 2025.

Master's and Education Specialists Ceremony

Sunday, May 18, 2025
2 p.m. in the Mullins Center; tickets required

Additional Senior Celebration Information

Schedule for Senior Celebration

7:30 a.m.: Graduating students check in at the tent located behind (west of) the Mullins Center; doors to the Mullins Center open for guest seating
8:30 a.m.: Seating of graduates commences
9:00 a.m.: CNS Stage Party and Faculty Procession
9:05 - 9:15 a.m.: Deans’ Welcome
9:15 - 11:45 a.m.: Recognition of individual graduates by major
11:50 a.m.: Celebratory UMass cheer and hat toss

Senior Celebration Tickets

Tickets will be required for entry into the Mullins Center.

Due to the limited seating capacity of the Mullins Center, guests will be admitted to the Senior Celebration ceremony by ticket only. Each graduate with a primary major in the College of Natural Sciences will be allotted four tickets for their guests. Graduates will not be required to have a ticket for Senior Celebration; only invited guests need a ticket for entry. Graduates should register their guests through Tassel. The deadline to register for guest tickets is April 22, 2025, after which any unclaimed tickets will be redistributed to graduates seeking additional tickets above the four they are eligible to receive.

Guest tickets will be distributed to registered students’ Mullins Center accounts in May. Instructions on how to create a Mullins Center account will be emailed to graduates beforehand. 

Doors to the Mullins Center will open at 7:30 a.m. on May 18. Tickets can either be presented and scanned from a printed copy or from any smart device. Once a ticket has been scanned, it cannot be scanned again. If graduates invite more than 4 guests, it is with the understanding that they may not be admitted, as extra tickets on the day of is not guaranteed and guests without tickets will be denied entry.

Senior Celebration will be live streamed so that family members and supporters can join the celebration from anywhere. A link to the live stream will be posted on the Senior Celebration page a few days prior to the ceremony.

Waitlist for Additional Tickets

Graduates requesting additional tickets to the CNS Senior Celebration should complete and submit the CNS Senior Celebration Ticket Waitlist form. Please note there is no guarantee that there will be additional tickets to distribute or that you will receive the number of additional tickets requested. The deadline to request additional tickets on the waitlist form is April 30, 2025. Graduates will be notified if additional tickets are available in early May.

Sharing Unused Tickets

Guest tickets are transferrable, and graduates can share these tickets with other students if they do not need all four. Information on how to do this can be found when they register with Tassel. Tickets shared must be for the same ceremony.

Planning Your Visit

Dining

Commencement Weekend On-Campus Dining

At Berkshire Dining Commons, Hampshire Dining Commons, and Worcester Dining Commons, families and guests of graduates who are on a UMass meal plan may join their graduates for complimentary meals. Other students, families, faculty, and staff may dine at the Commons at the rate of $12.00 for breakfast, $16.25 for lunch, and $19.25 for dinner. Meals feature healthy and sustainable global cuisine and showcase local and regional ingredients.

The People’s Organic Coffee Shop and Harvest Fresh Market on the concourse at the Campus Center both open at 8 a.m. and serve coffee, breakfast, and fresh baked organic and all natural treats. Harvest Fresh Market is a full-service market serving healthy, sustainable and delicious fare. Our hot bar features Indian, Asian, traditional American and many other world cuisines. Don’t miss our salad bar featuring freshly prepared composed salads using locally sourced in –season ingredients.

The Commonwealth Restaurant, located on the top floor of the newly constructed Worcester Commons, offers a relaxed atmosphere with beautiful views of campus. The Commonwealth is open Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. featuring a lunch and dinner menu. Saturday offerings include: brunch 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and dinner buffet 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.. Sunday brunch 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For reservations, please call 413-545-0255.

A Graduation Dinner buffet is offered beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 16, in the Marriott Center on the 11th floor of the UMass Amherst Campus Center. With beautiful views overlooking the campus and a delicious meal prepared by UMass Catering, the dinner buffet is the perfect way to celebrate the many achievements of your graduating student. Please note, tickets are $60.00 per person and reservations are required.

Stadium Concessions
Food and beverages (snacks and light meals, including a fresh grill selection, fruit, desserts, and beverages) will be sold prior to the 2025 Ceremony at the stadium and on the east side of the stadium, near the entrance.

UMass Dining Facilities Hours of Operations

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 Hampshire County Tourism Council at visithampshirecounty.com.

Lodging

On-campus Lodging

Residential Hall Lodging. Staying on campus is the best way to be close to all of the commencement activities. Our campus residence hall accommodations, in single or double occupancy, provide casual comfort at affordable rates. Each floor offers a lounge that encourages interaction with other guests while offering you the option of retreating to your own room to prepare for the next day’s activities. Parking is free and close by, and linens and towels are provided. There are a few rooms available for guests with disabilities, so please be sure to indicate any special accommodation needs when registering. All rooms are located in a low-rise residence hall in the Southwest Residential Area, a convenient location to the various commencement activities held throughout the weekend and the closest lodging option to the main Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony held at McGuirk Stadium. Please check umass.irisregistration.com/site/commencement for updates. For questions and/or registration assistance, call 413-577-8102 or email registration [at] umass [dot] edu (registration[at]umass[dot]edu).
Hotel UMass. Visit: hotelumass.com.

Off-campus Lodging

Accessibility

Disability Services & Accessibility
Parking Permit Instructions

The Undergraduate Commencement is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2025, at 5 p.m. in the McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Accessible parking is available throughout the campus. If you need accessible parking, please follow the signs and the direction of the traffic officers to park in the designated accessible parking areas adjacent to each of the venues.

Guests with limited mobility can also be dropped off at one of the designated bus stops, regularly serviced by accessible shuttle buses.

Golf carts will be available near the reserved accessible parking area at McGuirk Stadium before and after the ceremony. Our cart drivers will assist guests with limited mobility in getting to and from the stadium and the parking area.

Keep in mind that there will be significant traffic on Commencement Day, so it is best to allow two hours of travel after arriving in the Amherst/Hadley area. Our 25,000 guests trickle in throughout the day, but when commencement is over, everyone wants to leave at once, which leads to delays and traffic.

Due to high traffic on campus on Friday, May 16, we urge you to PARK ONCE if you are attending more than one event that day. It is best to drop off guests at the appropriate venue and park in Lot 11 for easier access to exiting at the end of the day, if possible. UMass Police will direct you to Lot 11, the closest lot to McGuirk Alumni Stadium.

Accessible Accommodations at the Stadium
Guests attending the undergraduate ceremony at the stadium who meet the requirements and are in need of accessible parking can 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 commencement ceremony is rain or shine. There is no shade in the stadium, so a sunny day can become intolerable without proper planning. Although the area devoted to our guests who need accommodations has been paved, most of the stadium ground is gravel, which may make walking difficult. Please consider this when choosing footwear.

Food and beverages will be available for purchase within the stadium. There is extensive security, including metal detectors. No alcohol is available or allowed at the stadium event. UMass is a tobacco-free campus; no smoking allowed anywhere. All bags will be checked. It’s highly recommended that you bring only what you need into the event.

Seating for our guests with mobility concerns is on the field behind the graduates. The grass will be covered with flooring to provide a flat and stable surface. There are no tickets for any seating at McGuirk stadium. We encourage at least one person to stay with the guest seated on the floor of the stadium, but your party does not need to separate.

Wheelchair-accessible restroom facilities will be available throughout the stadium grounds, with the largest cluster located by Gate 2/Portal 20, which is the entrance/exit for all guests with disabilities who require transportation.

If you require a van shuttle with a wheelchair lift, please contact Transportation Services prior to May 16 at 413-545-2086 or stspv [at] admin [dot] umass [dot] edu (stspv[at]admin[dot]umass[dot]edu).

Seating

Seating for our guests with mobility concerns is on the field behind the graduates. The grass will be covered with flooring to provide a flat and stable surface. There are no tickets for any seating at McGuirk Stadium. We encourage at least one person to stay with the guest seated on the floor of the stadium but your party does not need to separate.

Sign Language / Interpreters

If you or any of your guests require the services of a sign language interpreter, submit your request through the event accommodations request form. The deadline for requesting interpreter services is April 18, 2025.

Security at McGuirk Alumni Stadium

Our security protocols ensure the safety of our visitors and our campus community. Metal detectors will be in place at the entrances to McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Guests are advised to pack lightly for the day as all items taken into venues are subject to search—the less you are carrying, the more quickly your party will be able to proceed through security. Please discuss security measures with the members of your party ahead of time so everyone is aware of our protocols. Although you can expect security measures to take a little time at your point of entry, our staff will be there to welcome you!

Please Remember

Stadium gates open at 3 p.m.
All bags and containers are subject to search.
Tickets are not required for the main Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony, and graduates may invite as many guests as they wish. Seating at McGuirk Stadium is on first-come-first-served basis.
Graduates will enter and sit in the stadium with their school or college. The stadium map, included in print programs and signage at the event, shows where each school or college will be seated so you can plan your seating in the stands accordingly.
Outside food and beverage are permitted at the stadium.

Security at Mullins Center

All guests and graduates will be required to walk through metal detectors when entering the venue. To expedite the process, we ask guests and graduates to remove cell phones from their pockets. Purses, diaper bags, and other small personal bags are allowed but will be inspected at all entrances. Outside food or beverages will NOT be allowed. Weapons of any kind and tobacco products are not permitted inside the arena. For details on security procedures and a full list of prohibited items, please visit the Mullins Center website.

Parking

Please be advised that during Commencement Weekend there will be heavy traffic on and around the university. Please allow for at least 60 minutes upon arrival on campus to park.

Visitors to campus on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for commencements and senior recognition ceremonies are asked to park upon arrival. Parking will be directed by the UMass Police based on nearest available parking lots. Shuttle buses will operate during Commencement Weekend. It is strongly recommended that visitors arrive as early as possible, park once, and travel by bus or walk to their destinations.

Several roads will be partially closed or limited to one-directional traffic. Please follow directions from UMass Police—they will guide you on campus.

Complete public traffic and road closure advisory will be shared closer to Commencement Weekend.

Recreational Vehicle (RV) Parking

Recreational vehicle (RV) parking is available upon request at no charge. However, there are no hookups for electricity, water, or waste disposal. Call the Office of Community Relations and University Events at 413-577-1101 or email commencement [at] umass [dot] edu (subject: RV%20Parking%20Reservation) (commencement[at]umass[dot]edu) for more information or to make a reservation.

At McGuirk Alumni Stadium

Graduates and families will be guided by UMass Police officers and traffic flaggers to the closest available lots to the stadium beginning with Lots 22 and 33.

To specifically request accessible parking at the stadium on Friday, May 16, you can complete the Accessible Parking form (coming soon). Accessible parking for the stadium is located in Lot 11 on Stadium Drive.

There is a designated security checkpoint, entrance, and golf cart transportation for guests with mobility challenges. Commencement Ambassadors will be present to assist with driving golf carts and directing guests to the Disability Service 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.

Graduate Assembly Area: Lot 11 is otherwise closed and serves as the graduate assembly area.

FAQs for Graduates

CNS Celebration Schedule

Which ceremony do I attend?

We encourage undergraduates and families to attend both ceremonies, the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 16, at 5:00 p.m. and the CNS Senior Celebration on Sunday, May 18, at 9:00 a.m.

The 5:00 p.m. commencement ceremony at McGuirk Stadium is a fun and celebratory event held outdoors, where degrees are conferred; the Commencement Wind Ensemble plays; and Chancellor, student, and keynote speakers present.

The CNS Senior Celebration is smaller and more intimate where graduates’ names are called and each are recognized individually.

Stockbridge School of Agriculture Commencement - AS Degree - Visit this page for more information.

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

Plan at least an hour of travel time once you arrive to the Amherst area. Parking starts at lots closest to the ceremony and moves farther as they fill up. UMass Police officers will direct traffic and parking. Park once and take the bus or walk to your destination. Shuttle services will be available to take people from farther lots to the ceremony for the undergraduate ceremony.

Who gets to walk in the University Commencement and the CNS Senior Celebration?

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

Students who are expected to graduate in winter of 2025 or spring of 2026 but want to walk in May of 2025, need to contact the Registrar's Office, Diploma and Graduation Services at reggrad [at] registrar [dot] umass [dot] edu (reggrad[at]registrar[dot]umass[dot]edu) no later than March 31, 2025.

How many guests am I allowed to bring?

Tickets are not required for the Commencement ceremony in McGuirk Stadium.

For Senior Celebration, each graduate will be allotted 4 tickets due to the capacity of the Mullins Center, where the ceremony will take place. The ceremony will be live streamed for guests who do not have tickets.

What should I wear to the ceremony?

Students must dress in graduate caps and gowns.

Where can I get my cap and gown?

Undergraduates. No pre-order or online ordering is necessary. Caps, gowns, and tassels may be picked up on the days and times listed below.
- At the Commencement Fair: Wednesday, May 7, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Campus Center Auditorium
- The week of Commencement: Monday, May 12 – Thursday, May 15, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Campus Center 165-69
- On Commencement Day: Friday, May 16, Prior to 5:00 p.m. Ceremony, Lot 11 Graduate Assembly Area at McGuirk Alumni Stadium
Undergraduates UWW/Distance Learners and Fall or Winter Grads ONLY: You can request alternative options by emailing commencement [at] umass [dot] edu .
Masters and Doctoral. Regalia will also be available to order through the UMass Store online and in person during normal hours of operation beginning May 1. There is no charge for caps and gowns, they are covered by student fees. However, custom doctoral hoods must be purchased.

I am a double major or am enrolled in another college and their ceremony is at the same time as the CNS Senior Celebration, what should I do?

If a senior is a double major or is enrolled in another college and the ceremonies conflict, the senior must choose which of the two ceremonies to attend. We encourage you to attend the CNS Senior Celebration!

Double majors within CNS should sit with only one of their two majors and go up to the stage only once during the ceremony.

When will I get my diploma?

Diplomas are not distributed during the Saturday and Sunday ceremonies. They are mailed post-Commencement to the student's permanent address after the grades have been received, recorded, and processed by the Registrar's Office. To ensure the delivery of diplomas, all graduates should check SPIRE to make certain that 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 [at] registrar [dot] umass [dot] edu (reggrad[at]registrar[dot]umass[dot]edu).

I am unable to attend the ceremony; will I still be able to receive my commemorative medal and CNS gift?

Seniors may arrange to receive a medal and an event program by contacting the University Events Office (commencement [at] admin [dot] umass [dot] edu (commencement[at]admin[dot]umass[dot]edu)) or calling (413) 577-1101.

The College gives each graduating senior a small gift at the ceremony. If seniors would like to arrange receiving this, please contact the CNS Advising Center at cnsstudentsuccess [at] umass [dot] edu (cnsstudentsuccess[at]umass[dot]edu) or call (413) 545-1969. If leaving a message, please leave your name and phone number along with your reason for calling.

Will seniors be allowed to stay in their on-campus housing until Graduation?

Yes, seniors are automatically allowed to remain in their dorm rooms until Monday, May 19. For more information: https://www.umass.edu/living/permission-stay-late

FAQs for Families

When should I arrive?

Gates for Commencement on Friday, May 16, open for guests at 3:30 a.m. Doors to the Mullins Center for Senior Celebration on Sunday, May 18, open at 7:30 a.m.

How should I plan for the weather?

Commencement in McGuirk Stadium will be held rain or shine, so if there is potentially unpleasant weather, we would encourage wearing a raincoat, bringing an umbrella, and perhaps a towel to sit on.

If sunshine and clear skies are expected, just remember that shade is virtually nonexistent in the stadium so please consider bringing a hat and sunscreen.

Senior Celebration is indoors in the Mullins Center.

What should families and guests wear?

Families and guests should dress comfortably, wearing shoes appropriate for walking.

How do we purchase pictures of our graduate at the CNS Senior Celebration?

Commencement photos of graduates will be taken during Senior Celebration. Proof of these photographs will be emailed within 48 hours of the ceremony to graduates along with order forms and information for those wishing to purchase prints.

If You Have Further Questions...

If you have further questions regarding the CNS Senior Celebration, please feel free to contact Karen Schimmel, kschimmel [at] umass [dot] edu (kschimmel[at]umass[dot]edu).

More information about all university commencement activities can be found on the university commencement web page.

To view a recording of Senior Celebration from May 19, 2024, click here.

CNS Senior Celebration

Sunday, May 18, 2025, 9 a.m. in the Mullins Center