Graduation & Commencement

IB Graduates

IB Grad 2022 Commencement RSVP:

If you have filed your dissertation sometime during Fall 2019-Fall 2021 or plan to file your dissertation this Spring or Summer 2022, you are eligible to participate in the 2022 IB Graduate Commencement Ceremony.

To RSVP, please complete the commencement survey here by April 22, 2022: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_S69wedlUUd2L8I1IPsGozdc9_K5IFHNJ_5EybfykSAQOPg/viewform.

Commencement Information:

The IB Commencement Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 17, starting at 9amin Zellerbach Auditorium (reception to follow at Lower Sproul Plaza).

Keynote Speaker: TBD

IB Graduate Students receive 4 complementary tickets.

General timeline for sign-up and tickets:

April 22 - 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 13 - Ticket distribution will end. All tickets not picked up will be available at the ceremony.

May 16 - Tickets may be on sale at the Zellerbach Auditorium (if any remain).

If you would like to attend the Commencement Convocation, tickets can be purchased here: http://graduation.berkeley.edu

Commencement FAQ

Detailed information will be provided as updates become available.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMMENCEMENT CONVOCATION AND DEPARTMENTAL COMMENCEMENT? The Commencement Convocation 2022 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 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.