Spring 2023
Master’s degree ceremony
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Hearst Greek Theatre
Register here
Baccalaureate degree ceremony
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Hearst Greek Theatre
Register here
Doctoral degree ceremony
Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Zellerbach Auditorium
Register here
Registration for the Spring 2023 ceremonies is open and will close Friday, April 21.
Please check your email for registration instructions or register via the links listed above.
Note: Only eligible graduates (Summer ’22 through Fall ’23) will be able to complete registration.
- Tickets for the College of Engineering commencement ceremonies are not yet available. A link to purchase tickets will be emailed on or before April 7 to all graduates who have completed their MarchingOrder registration. If you are a registered graduate and have not received a link to purchase tickets by April 10, please contact bears@berkeley.edu.
- Graduates may purchase a maximum of 10 guest tickets ($5/ticket). All guests (regardless of age) must have a ticket to gain admittance to commencement. Graduates must register to participate, but they do not need to purchase a ticket.
- All commencement ticket sales are final. No refunds, no exceptions.
- Tickets and ticket sales for the College of Engineering commencement ceremonies are separate from the May 13 campuswide commencement.
- 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 Accommodations 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.
- Weather: 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.
- Prohibited items: 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
- Accessibility: The accessible entrance to the Greek Theatre is located on the North Side of the building. It is at the end of a series of cut back ramps starting at street level. For more information and photos, see the Disability Access & Compliance website.
- Prohibited items:
- Glass bottles / aluminum cans
- Food and beverages (with the exception of plastic bottled water)
- Coolers / ice chests
- Baby strollers (designated parking is available inside)
- Skateboards / bicycles / scooters
- Musical instruments
- Noise-makers / air horns
- Fireworks
- Rolls of toilet paper
- Balloons (may be tied-off in the lobby at own discretion)
- Signs / banners / flags
- Tripods / monopods / selfie sticks
- Animals (with the exception of documented service animals)
- Lawn furniture or chairs
- Packages
- Any items that can be perceived as weapons
- Please note this list is not exhaustive and all bags are subject to search
- Accessibility: Zellerbach Hall’s main accessible entrance is located on the east face of the building. To reach the entrance an individual must travel to the southeast portion of building to take the ramp and reach the door. For more information and photos, see the Disability Access & Compliance website.
Students are responsible for providing their own regalia. 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.
Graduation regalia may also be found at the following locations:
- Fall Rush Berkeley
- Herff Jones
- Amazon
Watch short videos on how to wear academic regalia on the Berkeley Engineering YouTube channel.
Honor cords
Summer and Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 B.S. and B.A. degree candidates who have an overall Berkeley GPA that ranks them in the top 20 percent of students in their college will be eligible to purchase honors cords at the Cal Student Store for the 2023 commencement ceremony. Check back soon for the minimum overall GPA required for honor cords.
For B.S. degree candidates the minimum overall GPA required for honors (as determined by the Office of the Registrar) for Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 is 3.854 and for Summer 2022 is 3.829. For ORMS-B.A. degree candidates the minimum overall GPA required for honors (as determined by the Office of the Registrar) for Fall 2022 or Spring 2023 is 3.848 and for Summer 2022 is 3.814.
Due to pending grades, Summer and Fall 2023 B.S. and B.A. degree candidates are not eligible to purchase honors cords for the 2023 commencement ceremony.
To confirm that your cumulative Berkeley GPA through the Fall 2022 semester 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 Analytics: DRAB
- Master of Design: BROWN
- Master of Development Engineering: ORANGE
- 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
Berkeley Engineering is currently hosting auditions for the May 2023 commencement student speaker. One speaker will be selected for each of the baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral ceremonies.
Your audition video and a copy of your written speech must be submitted by Friday, April 7. Learn more and submit your audition materials here.
The 2023 baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral commencement ceremonies will be webcast live on the day of the event; links will be posted on this page prior to each ceremony. 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.
Parking: During commencement, visitors may park in designated daytime campus parking lots on a first-come, first-served basis, for $11. Parking is also available in the surrounding city public parking lots on the south and west sides of campus; rates and hours vary. Please read all parking signs carefully
Note: Payment for all on- or near-campus parking has moved from cash to credit card ONLY. Rates for non-UC garages (noted with an asterisk) may differ from campus rates.
- Greek Theatre: The closest campus parking lots to the Greek Theatre are the Foothill Lot (Hearst at Highland Ave.) and Lower Hearst Structure – Level 2 (enter from Scenic Ave.). The Stadium Garage* (the corner of Stadium Rim Way and Gayley Road) is also nearby.
- Zellerbach Auditorium: The closest campus parking lots to Zellerbach Auditorium are the Lower Sproul Garage (Bancroft Way near Telegraph Ave., under Zellerbach Hall) and the Telegraph-Channing Garage* (Durant Ave. or Channing Way, near Telegraph Ave.).
Disabled Parking: Disabled parking is available at the listed lots and rate on a first-come, first-served basis to those with a valid DP placard or plate.
- Greek Theatre: There is a curbside drop-off area on Gayley Road just north of the Greek Theatre entrance for passengers with mobility challenges who prefer to minimize the travel distance to the Greek Theatre.
For more information about parking, see the Parking and Transportation website.
The College of Engineering has made arrangements with GradImages Photo to photograph every graduate at the moment the scroll is given. For more information about ordering photos, visit the GradImages website.
Orchid leis and floral bouquets will be offered for sale the days of commencement in front of the Greek Theatre and Zellerbach Auditorium.
Commemorative scrolls, not diplomas, are given out at commencement. Diplomas for undergraduate and graduate students will be mailed free of charge approximately four months after the end of the term to your diploma address. You can update your diploma address in CalCentral under Profile > Contact Information > Address (click on Add) > Diploma Address. If you have any questions or need more information, please visit the website for the Office of the Registrar.
You can purchase your copy of the Blue & Gold Yearbook, Berkeley’s official historical record, at the Blue & Gold website.
The names of degree candidates who register for commencement by April 14 will be printed in the ceremony program. After June 1, 2023, you can email bears@berkeley.edu to request your name be included in an updated PDF version of the program.
In accordance with CDC and city recommendations, UC Berkeley strongly recommends that masks be worn indoors (e.g. Zellerbach Auditorium and restrooms at the Greek Theatre). We cannot guarantee that all guests attending our commencement events have been vaccinated.
This policy may be updated at any time and changes to local and state health regulations may alter event plans. Changes may be made to entrance requirements in the months leading up to the ceremony. Please check back for updates.
Visit the FAQ for more public health recommendations.