The University of Massachusetts Amherst is expected to confer degrees to nearly 6,200 undergraduate students and nearly 2,900 graduate students during three days of special events to mark its 155^th Commencement Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18. The Class of 2025 — ranging in age from 17 to 77 — represents 45 U.S. states and 54 countries around the world.
 

Undergraduate Ceremonies

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the main Commencement Ceremony for the undergraduate Class of 2025, which will be held rain or shine Friday, May 16, at 5 p.m., at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on the UMass Amherst campus.

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Award-winning creative director David Korins ’99 will be the keynote speaker. David Dagenais, of Agawam, a Commonwealth Honors College student who is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and a bachelor’s degree in psychology on the neuroscience track, will speak on behalf of the undergraduate Class of 2025.

UMass Amherst will confer two honorary degrees and recognize two accomplished alumni at Undergraduate Commencement. Korins and the Hon. Stephen P. Driscoll ’73, a performing arts champion and philanthropist, will be bestowed honorary degrees, while Apple product designer, innovator and leader Daniel J. Riccio Jr. ’86BS, ’24MS and prominent regulatory litigator Christine Savage ’92 will receive Distinguished Achievement Awards.

The university will also honor the exemplary achievements, initiative and leadership of 10 of its most talented and accomplished undergraduates with the 21st Century Leaders Award. Chosen in recognition of their strong academic records and exemplary achievements, the winners of the $1,000 award from the UMass Amherst Alumni Association further distinguished themselves through intellectual accomplishments and will be recognized for the prestige and honor they bring to UMass Amherst, both as undergraduates and as alumni joining the larger community.
 

 

 

 

 

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In addition, two students who were named Welch Scholars have received merit scholarships throughout their UMass careers, funded by the GE Foundation. The award is named in honor of alumnus Jack Welch, who drew upon his UMass Amherst undergraduate education to forge a legendary career as a business leader, serving for two decades as chairman and CEO of General Electric.

Entrance to the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony is free and tickets are not required. Shuttle buses will transport guests from parking lots to the stadium. Guests should plan to arrive on campus at least an hour prior to the ceremony to ensure ample time to park and arrive at the stadium via a shuttle bus or by walking. Services are available for guests with limited mobility and other disabilities. The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at approximately 7 p.m.

The Stockbridge School of Agriculture Commencement Ceremony for associate degree recipients will be held Saturday, May 17, at 3 p.m., at Bowker Auditorium.

Throughout Commencement Weekend, senior recognition ceremonies will take place around campus, where undergraduates will have their names called and cross the stage.
 

Graduate Ceremonies

The doctoral hooding for the Class of 2025 will be held on Friday, May 16, at 9 a.m., at the Mullins Center. The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at approximately 11 a.m. Guest tickets are required for this ceremony.

Ann-Marie Sylvia, of New Bedford, who is graduating with a doctorate in kinesiology and has accepted a faculty position at UMass Amherst, will speak on behalf of the doctoral Class of 2025.

The Master's and Education Specialist Commencement Ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m., at the Mullins Center. The ceremony is scheduled to conclude at approximately 5 p.m. Guest tickets are required for this ceremony.

Combat veteran Dan Gessen, of Falmouth, who is graduating with a master’s degree in business analytics from the Isenberg School of Management, will speak on behalf of his fellow advanced degree recipients.

For those unable to attend the Undergraduate or Graduate Commencement ceremonies in-person, livestreams for each event will also be available on the Commencement site.

Throughout the weekend, the public is advised to plan for heavy traffic, delays and some street closures around campus.

Full details about Commencement Weekend, including the complete schedule of festivities, can be found at umass.edu/commencement.