Get ready to celebrate, UMass Class of 2024!
Get the most current updates at https://www.umass.edu/commencement/
You are invited to participate in the 154th University of Massachusetts Amherst Commencement Exercises!
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is excited to celebrate the Graduate Class of 2024 on Friday, May 17 at 10:00 a.m. at the Mullins Center. We invite you all to attend as we honor the Class of 2024, hear words of inspiration from distinguished speakers, welcome honored guests, applaud the student speaker, and cheer our graduates as master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees are conferred. Each student will be individually recognized and doctoral students will participate in a special hooding ceremony.
Over the next several months, information detailing all aspects of Commencement will be posted to the Commencement website and sent to graduates via email.
For Family, Friends, and Guests:
We welcome family and friends to join the celebration of the UMass Class of 2024!
Campus residence hall accommodations are available in single or double occupancy throughout the weekend with shared bathrooms providing casual comfort at affordable rates. Information available at umasshospitality.com/registration.
Treat your family to a meal at our award-winning Berkshire, Hampshire, and Worcester Dining Commons or The Commonwealth Restaurant, or join us for a Graduation Celebration Buffet. For details email @email or call 413-577-8102.
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 check out the Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council at visithampshirecounty.com.
Opportunities and Information for Graduate Students
Graduate Student Speaker
All 2024 master's and doctoral candidates are invited to submit a speech proposal for consideration as the Graduate Student Speaker! One graduate student will be awarded the honor of addressing the audience at Commencement. Celebrating the many academic achievements of the university's newest advanced degree recipients, the ceremony will draw graduates, faculty, university administrators and guests. Do you want to be recognized as the voice of the 2024 UMass graduate class? Then don't miss the opportunity to compete for this unique honor!
Submission Deadline: February 20, 2024 at midnight.
INSTRUCTIONS
Submit Proposals via Email To: Student Speaker Selection Committee, ATTN: Rebecca White, @email.
Please be sure to include:
- Graduate Student Speaker in the subject line
- Your Full Name
- Your Student ID Number
- Your Discipline
- Attach your speech for consideration. Proposals should consist of three to four minutes of speaking time.
Looking for Inspiration?
Read about Patricia “Tita” Feraud-King '23EdD, last year's graduate student speaker.
Watch a recording of her delivering her speech at the 2023 Commencement Ceremony here.
Procedure to Graduate, Eligibility, and Diplomas
Master's and Doctoral degree eligibility is determined by staff in the Graduate School. Your degree eligibility form must be completed by April 1, 2024. 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, the eligibility form can be found here.
Information regarding diplomas for master's and doctoral students can also be found on the Degree Requirements website.
Regalia
Graduate Students can pick up their regalia at the UMass Store in the Campus Center in the weeks prior to Commencement as well as on-site at the Graduate Ceremony in the Mullins Center. Discipline-specific Doctoral hoods will be available for purchased at the UMass Store. There is no charge for caps/tams, gowns, or tassels, regardless of your degree. Hoods for master's degree recipients are free of charge.
Commencement Fair
Everything graduates need for commencement!
- Regalia pickup and 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 from Jostens
- Snacks and much more!
Join us on Wednesday, May 8, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Campus Center Auditorium. For more information visit the Commencement website.
Diplomas
Diplomas are not distributed during Commencement Weekend. They are mailed to the student's address approximately six weeks after the degree conferral date. To ensure the delivery of your diploma to the correct address, all graduates should check SPIRE to ensure your diploma mailing address is recorded correctly. You can view and update this address from your Student Center in SPIRE, select Academics Tile > Graduation > Diploma preferences. For help with updating your diploma address, visit View/Update Your Graduation Data.
Portraits & Professional Portrait Opportunities
Ultimate Exposures® will be on campus to take portraits as well as professional photos on several occasions in December and early May. A cap, gown, and tassel will be provided and sittings are free. Walk-ins are welcome or you may make an appointment online today by visiting ultimateexposures.com.
Ceremony Photography
Commencement photos of graduates walking across the stage will be taken during the Graduate Commencement and 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.
Visa Letter Requests
The Office of Community Relations and University Events will provide letter(s) for 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 and it's not an official government document. To receive a visa request letter, please use the link below. Our office will complete it within one week of receipt and notify you when it's available. Please note, it is the responsibility of the graduate to contact their embassy to confirm dates and procedures. Processing may be delayed based on the volume of requests received.
Visa Letter Request Form