IB Graduate Students
The IB Commencement Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 starting at 7pm in Zellerbach Auditorium (reception to follow at Lower Sproul Plaza).
IB Grad 2025 Commencement RSVP:
If you have filed your dissertation sometime during Fall 2024-Spring 2025 or plan to file your dissertation this Spring or Summer 2025, you are eligible to participate in the 2025 IB Graduate Commencement Ceremony.
To RSVP, please complete the commencement survey here by April 18, 2025:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zW-UcnxlmcOfTJfTKBhJw2qnLdpYf2W5gbM6sg7Pv8w/preview
Commencement Information:
IB Graduate Students receive 4 complimentary tickets.
General timeline for sign-up and tickets:
- April 18 - Last day to RSVP to be listed in the program.
- Early May - Tickets (free for graduating students who RSVP'd) will be distributed out of the Graduate Advising Office.
- May (TBD) - Ticket distribution will end. All tickets not picked up will be available at the ceremony.
- May (TBD) - Tickets may be on sale at the Zellerbach Auditorium (if any remain).
If you would like to attend the Campus-wide UC Berkeley Commencement Convocation, tickets can be purchased here: https://commencement.berkeley.edu/
If an IB graduate student would like to be selected to be the featured graduate student speaker at IB commencement, please apply here by Friday, April 18th: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CKrCNAV6BnLZORCwdDy2dLxLcIcoyV1k38l5eiEDuSs/preview
Commencement FAQ
Detailed information will be provided as updates become available.
WHEN WILL I KNOW THE IB COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY DATE? The department typically identifies the commencement ceremony date by late in the Fall semester. If you do not see this website updated by January, check in with the Graduate Program Manager to see if the date has been identified.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMENCEMENT CONVOCATION AND DEPARTMENTAL COMMENCEMENT? The Commencement Convocation and the IB Commencement Ceremony are two different events. The Convocation celebrates all majors who are graduating at UCB and the IB Commencement Ceremony is restricted to IB majors only. The following information pertains only to our departmental ceremony.
DO I NEED A TICKET FOR MYSELF? Graduates do not need a ticket; your ticket is your name card. IMPORTANT: Please bring the name card that will be inside the envelope we give you with your tickets. If you wish to receive proofs of the professional photos taken, fill in the info on the back with your contact information. Anyone who misses the opportunity for the free tickets, you can still pick up the envelope with your name card and information about the ceremony. Tickets for sale: Additional tickets will most likely be on sale through Cal Performances beginning in April. More details to follow. All seating, regardless of what the tickets say, is General Admission - no designated seats.
WHAT TIME SHOULD I ARRIVE? Graduates will line up outside of Zellerbach Auditorium in Lower Sproul Plaza, and should plan to arrive to Lower Sproul no later than 8:15 AM in their cap and gown. You will receive additional instructions when you pick up your tickets. The ceremony will be approximately two hours in length. IMPORTANT: We ask that you turn off your cell phones and refrain from using them for the duration of the ceremony. We also ask you to stay seated until the very end of this celebration. Each student is on stage for only a brief moment, and we want to make sure that their fellow students and loved ones can hear their names being called. Please extend the same courtesy to the families and friends of the students at the end of the list that you would want to have extended to you.
WHERE SHOULD I GET MY REGALIA? You are welcome to buy or rent your regalia. Information will be sent to the IB listserv as it is received. Please plan in advance.
HOW DO I GET MY DIPLOMA? Diplomas will be sent to all graduating seniors for no charge. If you have not already done so, please log onto CalCentral to designate a specific address for your diploma.
VISITOR INFORMATION AND PARKING: Visitors from out of the Bay Area may wish to contact UC Berkeley Visitors Services at 642-5215. Information on local accommodations can be found at the Berkeley Visitors Bureau. Information on the campus's Disability Access Services. In general, during commencement ceremonies, visitors may park in lots that are typically designated for student parking (s permits). Parking and Transportation will SELL parking spaces near Zellerbach. Fees and parking information can be found at the Parking & Transportation website here. Please observe and obey parking signs and regulations. Each campus lot will display the most up-to-date information on the sign at the entrance.
GUESTS WITH SPECIFIC NEEDS: Guests with specific needs (mobility issues, etc) are eligible for the special seating. Special seating is the available in Zellerbach. The area will be roped off and guests will be directed to designated areas when they arrive. For guests needing to be dropped off at Zellerbach, drivers will be able to pull into a nearby parking lot up to the entrance to the Auditorium to unload. Drivers will be directed to find parking elsewhere on campus.
Related Links and Resources