Commencement 2025
How is commencement different from graduation?
Great question! Graduation is the official acknowledgment that a degree is completed and recorded. Commencement is a ceremony—you know, the one with the caps and gowns!—where friends, family, faculty, and staff celebrate the graduates and take a moment to honor this tremendous accomplishment.
Explore this site and get all the details about commencement.
Friday, June 13, to Monday, June 16 | Upper East Field
Schedule
Friday, June 13
9 a.m. – Oakes
1 p.m. – Rachel Carson
5 p.m. – Crown & Merrill
Saturday, June 14
9 a.m. – Stevenson
1 p.m. – Cowell
5 p.m. – Kresge
Sunday, June 15
9 a.m. – Porter
1 p.m. – College Nine
5 p.m. – John R. Lewis
Monday, June 16
9 a.m. – Graduate Division
1 p.m. – Chicane Latiné Year End Celebration
5 p.m. – Baskin Engineering Celebration
Dates and deadlines
Tuesday, May 27 – Purchase commencement parking permits
Wednesday, May 28 – Deadline to order regalia
Here’s what commencement looks and feels like:
ONCE A SLUG, ALWAYS A SLUG
Your connection to UC Santa Cruz doesn’t end after graduation. You are now part of the Alumni Network, which is over 160,000 Slugs strong. As an alum, you have access to events, benefits, services, and connections for life. Stay connected by updating your personal information. Join our alumni LinkedIn, Facebook, and/or Instagram channels, or find a way to give back by volunteering. No matter where you are, you’re always a Banana Slug.