2025 Commencement, Graduation, and More!

Planning to participate in Commencement and Graduation ceremonies this May?

The Graduate Life team put together this post to help you plan for the big day, including important deadlines, alumni resources, and Penn-specific terms and practices (like the difference between Commencement and Graduation)! 

Important Dates and Deadlines 

Commencement & Graduation Ceremonies 

Graduation Updates for PhD, MA, and MS students

Purchasing Regalia for Graduate & Professional Students
 

Important Deadlines and Dates 

Sign up for Graduation (deadlines vary by program) - Graduation applications become available for different student populations and terms throughout the year. The information on the registration page is updated often to reflect school and division application dates and deadlines.

Note: All students will need to apply for graduation (link above) in order to receive their degree and diploma from the University. Beyond that, you may also need to apply for a graduation ceremony or complete other graduation-related tasks within your individual school and program. 

Order regalia and related items on the Grad Express website - You may purchase your regalia at the Penn Bookstore during “Grad Fair.” or you can order it online through the Grad Express website by placing an order before March 31.

• How to wear your PhD regalia
• How to wear your MS regalia

ASAP: Check University Commencement details & make any travel arrangements - Students enrolled in each of the 12 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs at Penn are welcome to participate in the commencement event. The Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Monday, May 29, 2025.

ASAP: Check School Graduation ceremony details and make any travel arrangements - Each school also organizes a ceremony specifically for its enrolled students. At these ceremonies, students will have their names announced as they walk across the stage. For details regarding the school-specific ceremonies, please refer to the School Ceremonies page.

See more information about PhD & Research Master's Graduation requirements.
 

Graduation Information for PhD, MA, and MS students

Sign up for May 2025 graduation for PhD, MA, and MS students is open! Students planning to graduate this spring should take time now to review all requirements and deadlines. 

• April 23 is the final ay to apply for spring 2025 graduation 

• Research Master's programs (MA & MS only):

  • through May 5: schedule a thesis deposit appointment

  • Review all resources and requirements for graduating research master's students 
     

• PhD programs 

  • Schedule a dissertation deposit appointment 

    • through April 6, schedule regular deposit here 
    • April 7-May 5:  schedule peak period deposit appointment here (formatting appointment required at least one week prior to deposit)
      **The last day to sign up for a deposit appointment is April 23

  • Get formatting support (required before all peak deposit appointments):

    • In-person: Thursdays from 3pm to 5pm at the Graduate Student Center | 3615 Locust Walk | Third Floor, Room 301

    • Virtual: use the "schedule a formatting appointment" link on the Grad Degrees contact page 

  • Review all resources and requirements for graduating PhD students 

Visit the Graduate Degrees website for more information, including graduation checklists, deposit instructions, and to review the dates and deadlines on the May 2025 graduation calendar. 

Questions about graduation requirements and policies for PhD and research master’s degree students should be directed to the Graduate Degrees office. Questions about graduation requirements and policies for students in other degree programs should be directed to the corresponding program and school administrators.
 

Commencement & Graduation Ceremonies 

Students Graduation Ceremonies are the school or division events at which students process across a stage to receive their degree. Penn graduate & professional schools also organize ceremonies specifically for students graduating from their programs. At these ceremonies, students will have their names announced as they walk across the stage. 

• 2025 Graduate and Professional School Graduation Ceremonies will be held May 15-19, 2025. Visit the School Ceremonies webpage for full details. 

Penn Commencement is the University-wide ceremony in which all degrees are officially conferred by schools (professional degrees) and the Provost (research degrees). Students enrolled in each of the 12 undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs at Penn are welcome to participate in the Commencement Ceremony.

• The 2025 University of Pennsylvania Commencement Ceremony will be held on Monday, May 19, 2025. Visit the Commencement webpage for full details. 
   
• Commencement Procession: On the day of Commencement, graduating students line up early in the morning and process along Locust Walk into the stadium according to degree type: undergraduates in order by college, professional students by school, and research degree students from all schools together

Summer graduates

Students graduating in summer 2025 may be able to participate in spring ceremonies, depending on your school policies and guidelines.  However, all degrees conferred after May 2025 will be listed in the 2026 University Commencement program.

Guests & Family

• Philadelphia has a large number of colleges & universities, so hotels and home rentals fill up very quickly for this time of year. We recommend making hotel/accommodation reservations as early as possible. More information to help guests plan their visit can be found here.
• Those unable to travel to Philadelphia can view the official livestream of the Penn Commencement Ceremony.
   

Purchasing Regalia for Graduate & Professional Students

Standard Regalia (black cap & gown)
Masters and PhD candidates who plan to participate in Commencement have a few options for purchasing standard (black) regalia

• Purchase regalia online now and have items shipped to your home (shipping fees apply). The final deadline for online purchases is March 21: we recommend submitting orders earlier to allow for any potential shipping delays or disruptions.  

• Purchase and pick-up caps & gowns, as well as other items such as diploma frames, class rings, and gifts at the Penn Bookstore on March 19-21. Graduates will be able to purchase and pick up their Commencement regalia on the second level of the Penn Bookstore near the textbook department during the store’s normal operating hours. Use this opportunity to try on your gown, ask staff members questions, and get excited for the big event! 
   

Special Instructions for Doctoral Students: Traditional vs Custom Doctoral Gowns

• Most graduates choose traditional doctoral regalia. Traditional regalia includes a black robe (with adornments that correspond to colors associated with your degree) along with a mortar board, and tassel. You can pick up your traditional regalia package at the Penn Bookstore during Grad Fair or order online by March 29, 2025.
   
• Custom Regalia is typically chosen by Doctoral candidates who plan to frequently participate in academic ceremonies requiring such unique attire in the future. Many universities will purchase custom regalia for new faculty for use in official ceremonies, so graduates may also opt to delay purchase until after graduation.  
  • Please keep in mind you are not required to purchase custom regalia and, with few exceptions, graduates most often choose traditional doctoral regalia. Custom regalia robes are red and blue, individually sized, and made of lightweight wool blended fabric with lined bell sleeves. If you plan to wear Custom Doctoral regalia, please note that the order date is much earlier as these items are made-to-order.
  •  If you plan to purchase Custom Doctoral regalia, you should order it online by March 7 and have it shipped directly. More information on ordering your regalia is available on Grad Express.
     

Costs for regalia (Cap, Gown, Hood & Tassel) vary by degree level and type:

• Master’s: $105.00 plus tax
• Doctoral traditional: $126 plus tax
• LLM,LLCM, ML:  $117 plus tax
• DMD, DScD (with tam): $186 plus tax
• Custom Doctoral: approx. $915 plus tax

Questions should be directed to the Campus Express team, within the Division of Business Services.