Graduates throwing their caps into the air.

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.

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. – Chicanx/Latinx

5 p.m. – Baskin Engineering

Dates and deadlines

Wednesday, March 5 – Graduation & Commencement Virtual Information Session

Monday, March 31 – Student registration opens

Tuesday, April 15, and Wednesday, April 16 – Grad Fair

Monday, May 12 – Student registration closes


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 150,000 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.

Last modified: Jan 24, 2025