Classes of 2020 & 2021 commencement
Baccalaureate & Master’s degree ceremony
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Hearst Greek Theatre
Webcast and social media
NOTICE OF TIME CHANGE: The baccalaureate ceremony previously scheduled for 2:00 p.m. will now take place at 9:00 a.m. in conjunction with the master’s ceremony.
- Registration has fully closed. We are unable to add any participants to this ceremony.
- A link to purchase tickets has been emailed to all registered graduates. There is no limit on the number of guest tickets that can be purchased; the ticket price is $5 each. All guests (regardless of age) must have a ticket to gain admittance to commencement. Graduates must register to participate, but do not need to purchase a ticket.
- All commencement ticket sales are final. No refunds, no exceptions.
- Disability accommodations for graduates and guests: If you or any of your guests require accommodations for disabilities (e.g., wheelchair seating, sign language interpreter, etc.), please fill out the Special Seating Request form. For questions, please contact bears@berkeley.edu.
- Important note regarding seating at the Greek Theatre: All seating is general admission, not reserved, on a first-come, first-served basis, and it is possible that guests may have to climb the steep steps to sit on the grassy hillside above the concrete bleacher seating. Once the concrete bleacher seating area has reached capacity, guests will be directed to the lawn by Greek Theatre staff.
- The Greek Theatre is open to the elements, and you and your guests should be prepared for any kind of weather and a wide range of temperatures. There are no indoor, temperature-controlled areas at the Greek Theatre. It may be very cold on a foggy morning, becoming very hot if the sun comes out. Sunscreen is highly recommended, as are small blankets and/or layered clothing. Guests and students should dress accordingly. Guests, especially those with heat or sun sensitivities, are encouraged to bring factory-sealed bottled water. Commencement will take place rain or shine.
- The Greek Theatre/UCPD will be checking bags at all of the entrance gates. The following items are PROHIBITED inside the Greek Theatre:
- Large bags or backpacks
- Umbrellas
- Noise-makers / air horns
- Balloons (may be tied-off at the entrance gates at own discretion)
- Baby strollers (designated parking is available just inside the gate)
- Glass bottles / aluminum cans
- Alcoholic beverages
- Coolers / ice chests
- Skateboards / bicycles / scooters
- Musical instruments
- Fireworks
- Rolls of toilet paper
- Signs / banners / flags
- Tripods for cameras
- Animals (with the exception of documented service animals)
- Lawn furniture or chairs (small blankets, cushions, and low-backed stadium seats are OK)
- Any items that can be perceived as weapons
Berkeley Engineering is hosting auditions to be the student speaker for the Classes of `20 & `21 commencement. One speaker will be selected for the baccalaureate/master’s ceremony. Your audition video and a copy of your written speech must be submitted here by Friday, April 15. You will be notified if you are selected by April 22.
Your speech should:
- be four to five minutes long
- have an original theme that is forward looking
- be optimistic
- contain some nostalgia about your time at Cal
- be non-technical
- be aimed at family and friends
You do not need to be in regalia in your audition video.
In order to be eligible to audition, you must be registered to participate in commencement and have graduated between December 2019 and December 2021.
Questions? Email bears@berkeley.edu.
The Class of 2020 & 2021 baccalaureate and master’s degree commencement ceremony will be webcast live on Saturday, May 7; they will also be archived online for future viewing. Engineering commencement ceremony videos from previous years can be found on the Berkeley Engineering YouTube channel.
If you wish to invite overseas relatives to come to the United States to attend your commencement ceremony, we recommend that you follow the instructions provided by the Berkeley International Office on how to help family obtain a visitor visa or to come to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program. Berkeley Engineering does not produce letters of invitation for the purpose of inviting students’ family members to visit the United States. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please send us an email at bears@berkeley.edu.
Students are responsible for providing their own regalia, if they would like to wear it for their ceremony. Regalia is not required. Caps and gowns may be purchased from the Cal Student Store. For more information regarding caps and gowns, graduation announcements and ordering yearbooks, please visit their website or store at 2495 Bancroft Way. Store hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.– 6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Watch short videos on how to wear academic regalia on the Berkeley Engineering YouTube channel.
Honor cords
B.S. and B.A. graduates who have an overall Berkeley GPA that ranks them in the top 20 percent of students in their college are eligible to purchase honors cords at the Cal Student Store for this commencement ceremony.
For B.S. degree candidates the minimum overall GPA required for honors (as determined by the Office of the Registrar) is as follows based on the term you completed your degree:
- Summer 2019: 3.745
- Fall 2019: 3.803
- Spring or Summer 2020: 3.753
- Fall 2020 or Spring 2021: 3.802
- Summer 2021: 3.802
- Fall 2021: 3.829
For ORMS-B.A. degree candidates the minimum overall GPA required for honors (as determined by the Office of the Registrar) is as follows based on the term you completed your degree:
- Summer 2019: 3.747
- Fall 2019: 3.757
- Spring or Summer 2020: 3.707
- Fall 2020 or Spring 2021: 3.785
- Summer 2021: 3.785
- Fall 2021: 3.814
To confirm that your cumulative Berkeley GPA meets the cutoff requirement, please visit CalCentral.
Hood colors
The color of the satin lining reflects the University’s official colors. The title of the degree to be awarded (not the subject studied) governs the color of the velvet border. For example, the Master of Science degree in Engineering requires the color of the velvet to correspond to the title of the degree (Science) rather than the subject studied (Engineering).
The color of the hoods are as follows no matter what the field of study:
- Master of Design: BROWN
- Master of Engineering: ORANGE
- Master of Science and Master of Translational Medicine: GOLD (from Cal Student Store) or GOLDEN YELLOW (from Herff Jones)
- Doctor of Philosophy: ROYAL BLUE
EOP graduation gown lending project
The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) graduation gown lending project helps to support first generation and low income UC Berkeley students with free rental of graduation gowns. Please consider donating any black graduation gowns you may own to EOP to help future first-generation and low-income students be the next cohort to celebrate commencement from Berkeley. To see how you can donate, please contact EOP at eop.gglp@gmail.com or (510) 642-7224.
Public parking is available at non-restricted campus lots on May 7. Check posted signs for rates and times. During this time, guests should pay directly at the ticket machines for public parking.
Nearby lots include Upper Hearst and Foothill. The Bowles Lot will not be open. Parking may also be available at the nearby Maxwell Family Field and Stadium Parking Garage; this garage is managed by a third party.
More information, including parking maps, is available from Parking & Transportation.
The College of Engineering has made arrangements with GradImages Photo to photograph every graduate as they cross the stage. For more information about ordering photos, visit the GradImages website.
The names of degree candidates who register for commencement by April 8 will be printed in the print program. After June 1, 2022, if you would like to receive additional copies of the commencement program, email your name, address, and the number of copies you are requesting to bears@berkeley.edu. Upon request, PDF versions of commencement programs from 2012 to the present are also available for download and printing.
The Greek Theatre is an outdoor venue. You will not be required to show proof of a vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter. Face coverings are required indoors (e.g. restrooms), and optional but recommended when seated outdoors during the ceremony. Visit the FAQ for more public health recommendations.
Please note changes may be made to entrance requirements in the months leading up to the ceremony. Please check back for updates.
