Spring 2023
Master’s degree ceremony
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Hearst Greek Theatre
Webcast & social media
Baccalaureate degree ceremony
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Hearst Greek Theatre
Webcast & social media
Doctoral degree ceremony
Date: Thursday, May 18, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Zellerbach Auditorium
Webcast & social media
Download a printable copy of the Class of 2023 Berkeley Engineering Commencement program (PDF)
Registration for the Spring 2023 ceremonies is now closed. Please email bears@berkeley.edu if you have any questions.
- Tickets for the College of Engineering commencement ceremonies are now on sale. A link to purchase tickets has been emailed to all graduates who have completed their MarchingOrder registration. If you are a registered graduate and have not received a link to purchase tickets, 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.
- 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.
- Notice of filming and photography: Please be aware that by attending this event, you will be entering an area where photography, audio and video recording may occur. By participating, you consent and give the University of California and its successors, assigns and licensees the right to release, publish, exhibit or reproduce such media, without compensation, for educational or promotional purposes and for sharing with external news media, throughout the world in perpetuity.
- 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.
- Assistive listening devices are available on a first-come, first-served basis from Cal Performances at both Zellerbach Auditorium and the Greek Theatre. Please request a device from staff after entering the venue.
- Real time closed captioning will be provided during the ceremony. Translated captions will also be available in Spanish and Mandarin. The captioning service can be accessed on your phone via QR codes posted at the ceremony or through the following links (please select the venue you are at):
- Doors to the venue will open 1 hour before the ceremony start time.
- 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
- 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
- Noise-makers / air horns
- Balloons (may be tied-off at the entrance gates at own discretion)
- Rolls of toilet paper
- Confetti cannons, color bomb cannons and/or poppers
- 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.
- Doors to the venue will open 1 hour before the ceremony start time.
- Prohibited items:
Please note this list is not exhaustive and all bags are subject to search- Large bags or backpacks
- Baby strollers (designated parking is available inside)
- Glass bottles / aluminum cans
- Food and beverages (with the exception of plastic bottled water)
- Coolers / ice chests
- Skateboards / bicycles / scooters
- Musical instruments
- Fireworks
- Noise-makers / air horns
- Balloons (may be tied-off in the lobby at own discretion)
- Rolls of toilet paper
- Confetti cannons, color bomb cannons and/or poppers
- 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
- 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.
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.
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 Engineering and Master of Development Engineering: ORANGE
- Master of Science, Master of Translational Medicine and Master of Molecular Science & Software Engineering: GOLD (from Cal Student Store) or GOLDEN YELLOW (from Herff Jones)
- Doctor of Philosophy: ROYAL BLUE
Student speaker auditions for the Berkeley Engineering commencement ceremonies are now closed.
The 2023 baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral commencement ceremonies will be webcast live on the day of the event; links are posted at the top of this page for each ceremony. Recordings will also be archived online for future viewing.
Engineering commencement ceremony videos from previous years can be found on the Berkeley Engineering YouTube channel.
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.
Leis and floral bouquets will be offered for sale at the Greek Theatre and Zellerbach Auditorium. Guests can pre-order flowers here for pick-up at their commencement venue.
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 21 will be printed in the ceremony program. You can email bears@berkeley.edu between May 19 and June 1 to request your name be included in an updated PDF version of the program.
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.
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.