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Students at UC San Diego Commencement

Students

Commencement will be here before you know it. Please take a moment to review the information below to ensure you have everything you need to participate in commencement weekend events with your classmates. Remember, official graduation and participating in commencement are two separate things.

Clear Bag Policy

UC San Diego has implemented a clear bag policy for Commencement weekend to enhance public safety and streamline the screening and entry process. For additional details, exemptions, and a list of prohibited items, please consult the Transportation and Security webpage.

Eligibility

Graduates may participate in only one Commencement year and are encouraged to attend both All Campus Commencement and their undergraduate college, professional school, or Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs ceremonies.

Graduates who are eligible for any other ceremony are also eligible to attend All Campus Commencement. All graduates are encouraged to attend All Campus Commencement to celebrate with peers, friends, family and faculty.

Registration for college commencements is open to undergraduate students with 135 units by the end of winter 2025 who are completing their degree in fall 2024, winter 2025, spring 2025, summer 2025 or fall 2025. For more information on how to file for your degree, visit this website.

Exceptions

If you choose to participate in an undergraduate college ceremony, you must attend your home college’s ceremony, unless you have a preapproved exception. Check the list below for possible exceptions.

If one of the circumstances below applies and you are unable to attend your college ceremony, you may request to participate in another college’s ceremony by filling out this exception request form or emailing commencement@ucsd.edu. This is called an “exception request.”

How to submit an exception request:

Please fill out the exception form to request an exception by midnight on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. You will be asked to include the supporting documentation described below.

You will be notified of the committee’s decision via email. Supporting documents will be kept confidential and will be securely disposed of after a decision is made.

While awaiting your decision, we ask that you register with your home college. If you receive an exception, your registration will be updated to your requested college ceremony by the reviewing committee. Your request for a specific ceremony is based on availability and not guaranteed.

Exceptions considered by the committee:

  • You have worked or lived in a college neighborhood other than your home college for two years.
    Provide documentation on campus letterhead from the Residential Life Office or college supervisor confirming the two-year period.
  • You have served as a resident adviser, orientation leader or intern at a college other than your home college.
    Provide documentation on campus letterhead from the Dean of Student Affairs stating the college position you held.
  • An immediate family member is graduating from an elementary, middle or high school, or a college or university at a time that conflicts with your home college’s ceremony.
    Provide documentation on official letterhead from the school’s principal or dean stating the date and time of the conflicting school’s graduation.
  • Religious law prevents you from attending your home college’s commencement ceremony.
    Provide documentation on official organizational letterhead supporting the exception request.

Eligibility exception request:

If you do not have the 135 units that are required to participate in commencement by the end of winter 2025 or if you are requesting to participate in commencement in a different year in which you were previously eligible, you will need to submit an eligibility exception request. Please contact your college, either in person or via the VAC, to obtain the necessary documentation to submit your exception request to be considered for approval.

Registrations for the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs commencements are open to graduates who have completed their graduate degree in fall 2024, winter 2025, or who plan to complete in spring or summer 2025.

Contact Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs with questions and find more information at Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs.

Registration for the Rady School of Management commencement is open to graduates who have completed their graduate degree in fall 2024, winter 2025, or who plan to complete in spring or summer 2025.

For more information, please visit the Rady School of Management website.

Registration for the School of Global Policy and Strategy commencement is open to graduates who have completed their degree requirements in the 2024-2025 academic year.

For more information, please visit the School of Global Policy and Strategy website.

For more information, please visit the School of Medicine website.

For more information, please visit the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences website.

Registration for the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health commencement is open to graduates who have completed their graduate degree in fall 2024, winter 2025, or who plan to complete in spring or summer 2025.

For more information, please visit the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health website.

International students requesting an invitation letter or VISA information can contact the International Services and Engagement Office.

Graduation vs Commencement

Official graduation and participating in the Commencement ceremony are two separate things:

  • Graduation is the term used to describe when a student has completed all requirements, and their degree has been officially posted to the academic record. Undergraduate students, click here to learn how to file for your degree. Graduate students, click here for degree filing instructions.
  • Commencement is the annual ceremony in which eligible students participate. Participation in the commencement ceremony does not constitute official graduation from the university.

Senior Class Gift

As a Class of 2025 graduate, we encourage you to make a gift of $20.25 to commemorate your graduation year. Your gift will pay it forward for future generations of Triton students and alumni.

Contribute $20.25

Volunteer Opportunities

For anyone interested in volunteering during commencement weekend, please complete this formDeadline to sign up is Sunday, May 18, 2025.

Sign Up Here!