For Graduates

The College provides cap, gown, and hood at no charge to all degree candidates which will be distributed from  Campus Center, room 105, during the week of Commencement. Please note that all bills must be paid to Student Financial Services and all library books returned before you can sign out regalia.  Bryn Mawr requires all graduates participating in-person at the ceremony wear academic regalia.

A.B. Candidates only:  Your sign-out time needs to be scheduled through a Sign Up Genius appointment; five students at a time can be accommodated in 15 minute time blocks.  The link is in the email sent the second week of April.  Gowns should be worn closed, caps are worn level on your head and tassels are worn over the right front of the cap (you will learn at rehearsal when to turn the tassel to left side).

Masters Candidates only:  Your dates and times to sign out regalia are Tuesday 5.13 from 4:30pm to 6pm and Friday 5.16 from 11am to 2pm.  Tassels are worn over the left front of the cap.  

Ph.D. Candidates only:  Your dates and times to sign out regalia are Tuesday 5.13 from 4:30pm to 6pm and Friday 5.16 from 11am to 3pm.  Tassels are worn over the left front of the cap.  If you have purchased your own regalia, please let us know.  Ph.D. candidates are hooded on stage during the ceremony so we want to make sure you get your own hood.  

All Candidates:  you will receive your tickets at the time you sign out regalia.  It is much preferred that you sign out your own regalia, so that the length of your gown is appropriate and that the cap fits. 

The College lists in the Commencement program book information about stoles that students wear over their gown and hood.  The College recognizes this visible expression of identity and culture and wants to acknowledge publicly each with a short description. If you are a leader of a group that plans to wear a stole, please send an email to collegeevents@brynmawr.edu by Thursday 5.2  that includes a sentence describing the stole and the affinity group and culture/identity it represents.

Regalia must be returned after your Commencement ceremony. There is a hefty fee for regalia not returned ($350).

• Tickets are required for family or friends for your Commencement ceremony.
• A.B.degree candidates who will be participating in person will be eligible for up to eight tickets for guests for the Saturday ceremony. 
• Masters and Ph.D. candidates who will be participating in person will be eligible for up to twelve tickets for the Friday night ceremony. 
• Tickets will be available for pick-up by the degree candidate when regalia is picked up.
• The seating area will open at 4pm for the Graduate ceremony on Friday and at 12:30pm for the undergraduate ceremony on Saturday.  Tickets are required for all guests to enter the seating area.

The College will contract with Legacy Photographics to take a picture of each degree recipient as s/he/they accept their scrolled letter from President Cadge. The company will email you with information about how to purchase that picture. There is no obligation to do so.

Family and friends will not be able to come down the center aisle to the front of the stage or to either side of the tent to take photographs; please let them know.

GSSWSR Graduates only:  Please return to the stage as soon as you have exited the tent to gather for a group photograph.

View accessibility map (PDF)

If you or one of your guests has a disability and requires accommodation for events during the weekend, a Request for Accommodation Form needs to be completed by the degree candidate; request the form by emailing collegeevents@brynmawr.edu.

A Request for Accommodation Form for special parking will need to be completed even if the car has handicapped-accessible license plates; demand far exceeds supply for the accessible spaces that currently exist on campus.

If sign language interpreters are needed, please let us know by Friday, 18 April.  Also, if a senior needs an early Garden Party Circle pick, please let us know by Friday, 18 April as well.

We can mail one invitation to parents/guardians or the guests/family members as chosen by the degree candidate.  Thanks to all those who completed the form in Bionic. Please note that the invitation is not the same as a ticket. Parents/guardians or guests/family members will not get an invitation unless the information is completed on the diploma form in Bionic; please don't forget!

International students in F-1 or J-1 visa status:  we recognize that your parents, guardians and family members living in countries outside the U.S. may be planning to attend your graduation in May.  If they can make arrangements to travel, they do not need a letter of invitation to apply for a visitor's visa.  The U.S. Department of State does not require an invitation and has requested that we do not issue them.  If you prefer, you may write an invitation to your parents/guardians or guests and provide them with a copy of your I-20 which indicates your program end date.

Extra invitations will be available in the Conferences and Events office beginning Monday April 14 to pick up and mail.  The supply, however, is limited. 

All students participating in Commencement are expected to attend rehearsal unless they notify their respective Dean's office (Janet Shapiro for GSSWSR students, May Cheng for GSAS students and deansoffice@brynmawr.edu for A.B. candidates) by Friday, May 2.

If religious reasons or a similar conflict prevent you from participating in your Commencement ceremony (Friday for graduate students, Saturday for undergraduate students), you may receive your degree at the other graduation ceremony being held during the weekend.  The College offers this option out of respect for students' various faith traditions and to accommodate rare personal exceptions.  Please contact your dean by Friday, May 2 to request this exception.

We plan for all eligible students to participate in their Commencement ceremony.  If you are unable to attend the ceremony (and mandatory rehearsal) please notify your respective dean by Friday, May 2.  

At rehearsal and Commencement, students will line up alphabetical by department/major and then alpha within the department/major.  Marshals will have the list to place students in the exact spot at both rehearsal and ceremony.  Line-up is on Taylor Drive for both ceremonies and inside the lower level hallways of Old Library if raining.  

Friday Reception Following Graduate Ceremony

A reception will be held on the back lawn and terrace of Wyndham (or inside Wyndham proper if bad weather) immediately following the ceremony.  All guests who received an invitation to the ceremony also received an invitation to this reception.  The tables and chairs on the front lawn of Wyndham are for the guests at Garden Party following Saturday's ceremony for the undergraduates.

Saturday Garden Party Following Undergraduate Ceremony

Garden Party is the traditional outdoor party/reception that follows the undergraduate Commencement ceremony and takes place on Wyndham Green (in good weather); it becomes an indoor party held in various locations in bad weather. Graduates invite family, friends, faculty, and classmates to join or visit them to celebrate, and they (or their Garden Party student) set up a circle of chairs and small cocktail table in advance for their party. The College provides an afternoon garden party menu:  tea sandwiches, assorted tea cookies, petit fours dessert pastry, tea, and lemonade. Some families and graduates choose to bring additional food and drink, but this is completely up to you.

In prior years, seniors have invited an undergraduate to be their Garden Party student, who may decorate the circle with balloons, ribbons, etc. and pick up the food and beverages for the circle of guests.

There is a procedure in place to claim both an outdoor and indoor location – this is necessary so that a list of where each Senior will be is made available to all attending.  Many faculty attend Garden Party to congratulate students with whom they have worked, and this list is very helpful to guests (and fellow students) in finding graduates and their families. Seniors will go on-line on Wednesday April 30 at 7:00pm to pick both their outdoor spot in front of Wyndham and their rain site location among 7 options. The link to the on-line form will be sent directly to the seniors.

Commencement this year will be on Saturday, May 17, 2025.

At rehearsal and at the ceremony, degree candidates will line up alpha by major and alpha within major.  If two or more majors, it is still alpha (e.g., Literatures in English and Anthropology will line up as Anthropology and Literatures in English).  Marshals will help get degree candidates into the correct place in line as the lines will be in reverse alphabetical order (Transnational Italian and Spanish walk first, Anthropology walks last).  

Thursday

1 to 3 p.m. Rehearsal. Please bring cap and gown. Attendance is required!
4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Senior Award Ceremony

Friday

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Rehearsal for M.A. and M.S.S. candidates. Please bring cap and gown. Attendance is required.
5 to 6:30 p.m. Academic Procession and Conferring of Graduate Degrees
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Performance of the Bryn Mawr Haverford College Chamber Singers

Saturday

1:15 p.m. Assemble for Procession on Taylor Drive (inside Old Library if raining)
2 to 4 p.m. Academic Procession and Conferring of Undergraduate Degrees
4 to 5:30 p.m. Garden Party
4 to 6:00 p.m. Return of Regalia 

Sunday

Noon: Residence Halls close for the academic year

Important: If you are unable to attend any part of the weekend, please contact your dean directly.

Commencement this year will be Friday, May 16, 2025.

At rehearsal and Commencement, degree candidates will line up by department on Taylor Drive.  The marshals assigned to organize the graduate students will have the order of procession.  Names will be in reverse alphabetical order by department.

Ph.D. degrees are awarded first, then Master of Arts and then Master of Social Service.

Friday

2:00 to 2:20 p.m.:
Shuttles for Masters candidates will depart from the parking lot at the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research; the last van will depart no later than 2:20 p.m.  Shuttle service for degree recipients back to the parking lot will begin at 6:15 p.m. and continue until the reception ends at 7:30 p.m.

2:30 to 3:30 p.m.:
Rehearsal: please assemble on Taylor Drive (inside Old Library if raining)
Please bring cap and gown
Attendance is required!

4:30 p.m.:
Assemble for Procession on Taylor Drive (inside Old Library if raining)

5 to 6:15 p.m.:
Academic Procession and Conferring of Degrees, Merion Green

6:15 to 7:30 p.m.:

Graduate Reception for all degree candidates and guests, Wyndham Terrace and Back Lawn
Return of regalia, Campus Center

8:30 to 9:30 p.m.:
Performance by the Bryn Mawr and Haverford College Chamber Singers, Great Hall

Saturday

2 to 4 p.m.:
Academic Procession and Conferring of Undergraduate Degrees, Merion Green

Important: If you are unable to attend any part of the weekend, please contact your Dean (May Cheng or Janet Shapiro).

Commencement this year will be Friday, May 16, 2025.

Degree candidates will line up by department.  The order of procession will be with the marshals assigned to the graduate students.  Names will be in reverse alphabetical order by department. 

Ph.D. degrees are awarded first, then Master of Arts and then Master of Social Service.

Friday

3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.:
Rehearsal: please assemble at front of stage under tent
Please bring cap and gown
Attendance is required!

4:30 p.m.:
Assemble for Procession between Old Library and Taylor

5 to 6:15 p.m.:
Academic Procession and Conferring of Degrees, Merion Green

6:15 to 7:30 p.m.:
Reception for all graduate degree recipients and guests, Wyndham
Return of regalia, Campus Center

8:30 to 9:30 p.m.:
Performance by the Bryn Mawr and Haverford Chamber Singers

Saturday

2 to 4 p.m.:
Academic Procession and Conferring of Undergraduate Degrees, Merion Green

Important: If you are unable to attend any part of the weekend, please contact your Dean (May Cheng or Janet Shapiro).