Spring 2023 Commencement
Commencement Date
May 17, 2023 at 2pm
Commencement Sign-up
On-line Registration for Spring 2023 commencement is now closed.
Please contact Shamaya (Maya) Pellum at spellum@berkeley.edu for late registration.
If you are an undergraduate degree candidate, please complete the Exit Survey.
Please Note: You will need to complete the survey in order to pick up your commencement tickets at distribution.
Honors
Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023 and B.A. degree candidates who are eligible to receive honors at graduation will be presented with a medal of honor from the College of Chemistry prior to the ceremony. Eligibility to receive a medal of honor from the College of Chemistry is based upon the degree candidate's overall GPA as of the beginning of the Spring 2023 semester. We are unable to include the Spring 2023 grades in our calculation because the Spring 2023 grades will not be available to us until after commencement.
GPA Requirements
Minimum GPA requirements for college honors for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 degree candidates in the College of Chemistry are:
- Highest Honors: 3.980
- High Honors: 3.904
- Honors: 3.801
Honors for Distinction in General Scholarship for the College of Letters and Science
For Fall 2022 and Spring 2023 degree candidates receiving a B.A. in Chemistry (in the College of Letters and Science), minimum GPA requirements are:
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Highest Honors: 3.986
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High Honors: 3.931
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Honors: 3.805
Should I purchase an honor cord?
Please note that there are absolutely no exceptions to these minimum requirements. Although you may choose to purchase an honor cord at the The Student Store, it will not be necessary to do so. Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 B.S. and B.A. degree candidates are not eligible to receive a medal of honor from the College of Chemistry at the May 2023 commencement ceremony; however, they will be eligible to purchase an honor cord at the The Student Store.
Directions & Parking
Directions
Campus Parking
There are several commencement ceremonies on campus scheduled for the same day. Parking will be available for a fee on a first-come, first-served basis at many of the campus "S" permit parking structures. Specifically, commencement parking will be available at the Dana/Durant Lot, on Dana Street between Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue, and at the RSF Garage, on Bancroft Way at Ellsworth Street. Drivers must purchase a dispenser ticket to display on the vehicle's dashboard. In addition, the City of Berkeley Sather Gate Garage, located on Durant Avenue just west of Telegraph Avenue, is available to the public. For more information, please contact the Special Events Coordinator in the Parking and Transportation Office at (510) 642-5401 or check the Parking and Transportation website.
Public Transportation
AC Transit (the Alameda County bus system) has several bus lines that come to the campus from surrounding communities. BART, the San Francisco-Bay Area train system, can help you get to the campus if you are coming from other Bay Area cities. The Berkeley BART station is one block from the west side of the campus. Zellerbach Auditorium is on the south side of the campus. For more information for either of these public transportation systems, including schedules and fares, please visit the San Francisco Bay Area Transit Information web site.
Degree Candidate Instructions
Arrival Time
On the day of the ceremony you must arrive in Zellerbach Auditorium no later than 12:30pm. Roll call will take place after announcements are made. If you are late it is possible that your name will not be announced during the ceremony. Only participants will be admitted to the pre-ceremony meeting in Zellerbach Auditorium at 12:30pm.
Line Up
After the pre-ceremony meeting, degree candidates will line up on the Lower Sproul Plaza. The order of the procession will be: Faculty, Ph.D. degree candidates, M.S. degree candidates, B.S. degree candidates, and B.A. (chemistry) degree candidates. Signs indicating where each degree group should gather will be held for the lineup. You will need to fill out your name card (legibly) while in line to be handed when it is your time to cross the stage.
Processional
The first person in line for each degree group will be given instructions regarding where to sit and how to approach the stage. B.S., and B.A. degree candidates will occupy the first rows of the orchestra section. Ph.D. and M.S. degree candidates will be seated on the stage. When you arrive at your seat, remain standing until the Dean indicates that you should sit down.
Receiving Your Scroll
The following procedures are extremely important! When your degree group is announced, the whole group should stand up and walk towards the north end of the stage in one continuous line (A to Z with appropriate spacing). When your name is called, walk across the stage, approach the Dean to receive a scroll and exit at the other end (south end) of the stage. Ph.D. degree candidates will be hooded on stage before proceeding to the south end of the stage to receive a scroll. When returning to your seat, approach your seat from the opposite end of the same row you left. Remain standing until after your degree group has been granted a degree by the Dean. Grad Images will take a picture of each degree candidate just before the degree candidate walks across the stage and again as the degree candidate receives a scroll from the Dean, and each Ph.D. degree candidate while the degree candidate is hooded. Be sure to space yourselves and smile!
Tassel
Your tassel should be on the right side of your cap prior to the ceremony and on the left side after your group has been granted a degree by the Dean.
If you have any questions about these instructions, please contact Shamaya Pellum at spellum@berkeley.edu. Thank you for your cooperation and congratulations!
Ph.D. Candidates Instructions
Additional Commencement Ceremony Instructions for Ph.D. Degree Candidates Only
1. Each Ph.D. degree candidate will be hooded by their thesis professor (or Associate Dean Arnold in the absence of the thesis professor) as part of the commencement ceremony. Therefore, it is crucial that the information you submit on the commencement registration form be complete and accurate.
2. During the line-up prior to the ceremony, you should line up by research group under the name of your thesis professor, and alphabetically by your last name within your research group. A staff member will be present to place you in the correct order.
3. When your name is announced during the ceremony, your thesis title will be read and you should approach the front of the stage. Your thesis professor will present you with your hood. If your thesis professor is absent, you will be hooded by Associate Dean Arnold. Once you have received your hood, walk toward the south end of the stage to receive your scroll from Dean Clark. Then, walk behind the chairs to return to your seat on the stage.
4. Your hood will be supplied by the College of Chemistry; therefore, you need NOT rent a hood. We will be collecting hoods at the reception in Lower Sproul Plaza after the ceremony. Your name will be checked off when you return your hood. Degree candidates who do not return their hoods by the conclusion of the reception will be responsible for replacement.
If you have any questions about these instructions, please contact Shamaya Pellum at spellum@berkeley.edu
Commencement FAQ's
Visit our FAQ page for more details about commencement.
