Last updated: March 18, 2024 at 4:47 PM
Each Commencement ceremony is about 2-1/2 hours long.
Yes, each Commencement ceremony will be streamed live. More information will be available on the Commencement website in May.
The Commencement ceremony is held in the Gosman Arena. All graduates and their six guests are invited to witness/take part in the official conferring of degrees, student addresses, the speaker and much more. All students will walk across the stage to receive their degree.
Department celebratory receptions are specific to a student’s major, and are smaller events geared toward degree candidates, faculty and staff. These receptions are scheduled the week before the Commencement ceremony.
Approximately 1-1/2 hours
Bag Policy
For the safety of our community at Commencement, we have instituted a Clear Bag Policy for both ceremonies. To prepare accordingly, please make note of the following:
All bags are subject to search.
Graduates, faculty, and other official participants will be dressed in academic regalia for both the Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement ceremonies.
Family, friends, and other guests are not required to wear certain attire. Many people choose to wear business attire or business casual attire in honor of the formality of the occasion. While an indoor venue, Gosman Sports and Convocation Center temperature is impacted by the weather outside. We recommend consulting the weather and dressing accordingly.
Commencement guests may park at any university parking lot on Commencement day. Shuttle-bus transportation will be available on campus and from the Charles River Road parking lot, Children's Hospital lot and Sawyer Road lot. On Commencement day, all Gosman Center parking lots will be closed for general use. Visit the Parking page for more information.
Please contact the Registrar to confirm your graduation date. All graduation updates will be sent to the graduate’s Brandeis email.
While it is not required, it is an event filled with pomp and circumstance you won’t want to miss.
Regalia is required to participate in Commencement ceremonies. If you plan on walking across the stage, you will need to plan to have regalia.
Special rates have been arranged at two hotels for families during Commencement weekend. Please visit the Hotels page for more information.
Please ensure you are indicating accessibility needs for your guests in your ticket registration form via Marching Orders. These requests will be reviewed and approved by the Office of Student Accessibility Services.
Yes, all guests in the party will be able to sit in the ADA seating area.
Interpreters will be on stage for ASL interpretation. There will be ADA compliant bus shuttles making loops on campus and from parking lots. During the ceremony, live captioning will be available and visible in the ADA seating section. Assisted listening devices will also be made available for guests. For further accommodations, please indicate your need when you register for your Commencement tickets. Keep in mind, students will have the opportunity to request services for themselves as well as their guests and family members.
There are a number of handicapped parking spaces available across campus. You may park there with a government issued placard. Handicap parking at Gosman Arena is only accessible to those with a government issued handicap placard. Please plan to pack your placard if you are flying and need a rental car.
We recommend leaving extra time for any dining reservations after the Commencement ceremony. Over 6,000 guests will be vacating the arena. Additionally, South Street may be difficult to navigate with a number of folks leaving at the same time.
More information about Senior Week Activities can be found on the Department of Student Engagement website.
Please connect with the ISSO for assistance with a letter. While we do not have a template for students to use to invite family members to attend commencement, the ISSO website lists the details that should be included.
You can follow instructions for requesting an enrollment verification letter and transcript on the Registrar's website.
Yes, graduates are required to pre-register to participate in Commencement and to request guest tickets.
Tickets will be available via Marching Orders on March 15-April 19. Students will receive an email from commencement@brandeis.edu letting them know what the link is and how to secure tickets.
No. There is no assigned seating at the arena for the Commencement ceremony.
Every seat requires a ticket. Children over 2 will need a ticket. If your infant or toddler can be carried or stay on your lap during the ceremony, they will not need a ticket. Please note that strollers are not allowed in Gosman on Commencement day.
All graduates can register for six guest tickets for the ceremony.
We will be exploring the pool of available tickets once the registration deadline has passed on April 19 and any extra tickets will be made available for reserving via Marching Orders between April 24-May 1.
Staff attendance at the Commencement ceremonies can be made possible through volunteering. For more information on volunteering, please email commencement@brandeis.edu.
Faculty are invited to participate in the Commencement ceremonies in celebration of the achievements of Brandeis students. Faculty can find more information including participation registration on the Information for Faculty page. Additional inquiries can be addressed to the Office of the Provost or commencement@brandeis.edu.