Preparation for Commencement

Cap & Gowns

Commencement ceremony regalia (caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels) will be available to order beginning February 28th for undergraduate students and April 1st for graduate students. Non-UC faculty regalia requests must be submitted by April 5th. Graduation Etc. will take orders through graduation day, however, it is best to have student orders placed by mid-May to ensure they have the inventory to accommodate you. Students can order their regalia by going to Graduation, Etc. at Ackerman Union, Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by visiting the Graduation, Etc. website.

MPP, MSW and MURP candidates can see samples of Advanced Degree Academic Regalia at Graduation, Etc. There are two models – one wearing a Master’s hood and the other a Ph.D. hood. Graduation, Etc. will have stations for returning caps and gowns at the Commencement location. Please note: The hoods for each department are different. Be sure to request regalia for your Urban Planning, Public Policy or Social Welfare master’s degree. Urban Planning and Social Welfare Ph.D. candidates order Ph.D. regalia. If you keep your regalia a little longer (for family photo sessions, etc.) you must return them to Graduation, Etc. in Ackerman Union. Deadline for returning caps and gowns is June 20th at 5:00 p.m. or a $50 late fee will be assessed. See the dressing instructions for the academic hood.

Public Affairs B.A. candidates must wear a black cap/mortar board, black gown, and royal blue tassel. Students are eligible to wear honor cords (or, fourragere) if they are graduating with Latin Honors or College Honors, and/or if they are recipients of the Chancellor’s Service Award. Purchase and distribution of honor cords begin in June.

In addition to wearing honor cords, students are permitted to wear sashes, cords, and/or other regalia that programs and student organizations give to graduating students. You can also wear sashes, cords, and leis that are given to you by family and loved ones.

Guest Tickets

All guests are required to have a ticket for entrance. Tickets will be sent digitally directly to the graduates 1-2 weeks in advance of the ceremony from the Central Ticket Office, not the Luskin School of Public Affairs. Graduates are responsible for distributing them to their guests. Your department will let you know how many tickets you will be receiving.

Please be advised that all bags may be subject to search. Use of clear bags may expedite entrance to the venue. We recommend guests arrive at least 30-60 minutes in advance of the ceremony to allow ample time for health and bag checks. Large balloon displays, noisemakers, and confetti poppers will be confiscated.

Undergraduate Commencement Parking

Commencement parking is $16 per day (prices are subject to change). Parking will be in parking structures 4 and 8. UCLA Parking Services will staff lots according to ceremony times and locations. Pre-paid Commencement Parking Permits are available for purchase ($16 per permit) through Bruin ePermit starting in May. Please see Bruin ePermit document for more information on ordering permits. You can pre-purchase parking starting May 1.

Parking Structure 4: 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Parking Structure 8: 555 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095

UCLA Parking Map (pdf) | Interactive Campus Map

Graduate Commencement Parking

Commencement parking is $16 per day (prices are subject to change). Parking will be in parking structures 2 and 3. UCLA Parking Services will staff lots according to ceremony times and locations. Pre-paid Commencement Parking Permits are available for purchase ($16 per permit) through Bruin ePermit starting in May. https://transportation.ucla.edu/campus-parking/commencement-parking. Please see Bruin ePermit document for more information on ordering permits. You can pre-purchase parking starting May 1.

Parking Structure 2: 602 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Parking Structure 3: 215 Charles E. Young Drive North, Los Angeles, CA 90095

UCLA Parking Map (pdf) | Interactive Campus Map

Wheelchair Seating & Sign Language Interpreters

If graduates have questions or need assistance for family members and guests, please contact the Center for Accessible Education at A-255 Murphy Hall or (310) 825-1501 or visit www.cae.ucla.edu. They have limited wheelchairs available for loan (reservations required) and volunteer wheelchair pushers. Pico Rents is offered as an alternative source of wheelchairs for rent. Students who need special assistance may give that information to their graduate advisors and we will make needed accommodations. Signers will also be available to interpret the ceremony for those who are hearing impaired. They will be stationed on the “audience right” (as you face the stage.) Audience members who would like an interpreter should be directed to sit toward the front on the right-hand side of the audience (as you face the stage).

Commencement Day

Arrive Early

MPP, MSW and MURP candidates will assemble in the Royce Hall West Lobby by 8:15 a.m. Candidates for graduate degrees wear their tassels on the left side of their caps before, during and after the ceremony.

Public Affairs B.A. candidates will assemble in the north side of Kerckhoff Hall at the top of the stairs at 1:45 p.m. Class photos will be taken promptly at 2:00 p.m. Candidates for bachelor degrees wear their tassels on the right side of their caps before the ceremony and must move your tassels to the left once conferred.

Please note that you should not bring anything with you that needs to be carried, like purses, jackets, etc. because there is nowhere to secure personal belongings at the venue. All items that you cannot personally carry should either be left in the car or with one of your family members.

Your student advisors and other staff will be there to explain the seating arrangements and to assist you in lining up for the processional. Printed programs will be available on the day of Commencement.

Prohibited items for guests and graduates
Clear bag policy for Royce Hall

Photos

Prior to the processional, you will have the opportunity to take a class photo with your fellow graduates. We have limited time before the processional so this will be your only organized opportunity to take photos as a class. Class photos will be available for download at www.luskin.ucla.edu.

GradImages professional photography will take each graduate’s picture as they receive the scroll and handshake. If you want to receive proofs of your photographs, you must fill out the address information that will be on the back of your name card. Additional cards will be available at the ceremony. Filling out a card and receiving proofs does not obligate you to purchase photographs.

Processional

MPP, MSW and MURP candidates: The order of the march will be the dean and keynote speaker, faculty, Ph.D. candidates, then Master’s candidates. You will be directed to line up inside the Royce Hall West Lobby and proceed through the audience onto the stage.

Public Affairs B.A. candidates: The order of the march will be the dean and keynote speaker, faculty, followed by you- the graduates. You will be directed to line up along the Kerckhoff South Patio and proceed through the audience onto the stage.

Students will sit on the front rows of the main seating area. Please fill in the seats beginning with the first row. School and Commencement staff will be on hand to assist you. If you will not be able to march in the processional, notify your advisor so that other arrangements can be made for seating you.

Presentation of Candidates

Master’s and Bachelor’s candidates will come to the lectern and hand their name card to a person designated to read each name. Do not stand and wait while your name is read. Immediately proceed across the stage to your department chair. While you are shaking hands with your chair face the photographer so your photo can be taken. In order to keep the line moving each row will stand and move forward as the preceding row finishes. Again, School and Commencement staff will be on hand to assist. When returning to your seats, remember to follow the same path as when you were first seated. Please note: you will not receive your actual diplomas at the ceremony.

Recessional

The recessional will follow the same order of march (Dean, faculty, and students). Students will be directed to march through the audience and then they may join their family.

A light reception will be held for graduate students following the Ceremony on Dickson Plaza directly in front of Royce Hall.

A light reception will be held for undergraduate students following the Ceremony at the Wescom Student Terrace.

Diplomas

Diplomas are produced by the UCLA Office of the Registrar. The name that is reflected in your official university record (not your preferred name) will appear on your diploma. If you would like a different name to appear on your diploma, please complete the Name Change or Correction form and submit it no later than the last day in your degree-expected term.

The Registrar’s office will mail out diploma information approximately six weeks after the end of your degree term (Winter graduates will receive their information in June; spring graduates will receive their information in August).

If you would like your diploma mailed to you, click here to download and print out the form. Fill in the required information and send it to the address on the form along with your choice of payment options.

For additional information call (310) 825-2754 or (310) 825-8883. To change your address log into MyUCLA, go to Settings > My Contact Information and make address updates.

Public Affairs B.A. Candidates: For more information about diplomas and graduation procedures, please visit the Public Affairs Graduation & Commencement website

For more information, visit the University web site at http://www.commencement.ucla.edu

You may also contact your graduate advisor or Tammy Borrero at (310) 206-4612 or tborrero@luskin.ucla.edu.

Previous Commencement Speakers

June 16th, 2023 — Michael D. Tubbs, Former Stockton Mayor

June 10th, 2022 — Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives (Undergraduate Ceremony)

June 10th, 2022 — George Takei, Actor, Social Justice Activist, and Author (Graduate Ceremony)

June 11th, 2021 — Patrisse Cullors, educator, artist, activist and author

June 12th, 2020 – John A. Pérez, UC Regent and Speaker of the California Assembly

June 14th, 2019 – Janet Murguia, Civil Rights Activist, President and CEO of UnidosUS

June 15th, 2018 – William R. “Rusty” Bailey, Mayor of Riverside, California

June 16th, 2017 – Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles

June 10th, 2016 – Hilda Solis, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

June 12th, 2015 – Rachel Whetstone, Senior Vice President, Communications and Policy, Google

June 15th, 2014 – Hon. Karen Bass, U.S. Representative, 37th District of California

June 14th, 2013 – Fred Ali, President and CEO, Weingart Foundation

June 15th, 2012 – Hon. Wendy Greuel, Los Angeles City Controller

June 10th, 2011 – Hon. Jane Harman, former U.S. House of Representative, 36th District of California

June 11th, 2010 – Hon. Kevin Johnson, Mayor, city of Sacramento

June 22nd, 2009 – Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and Editor-in-chief, the Huffington Post

June 24th, 2008 – Robert K. Ross, President and CEO, The California Endowment

June 24th, 2007 – Hon. Norman Y. Mineta – former U.S. Secretary of Transportation, UCLA Medal recipient

June 25th, 2006 – Hon. Yvonne Braithwaite Burke – Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

June 8th, 2005 – Hon. Tom Campbell, Director, California Department of Finance, former U.S. Representative, 15th District of California

June 27th, 2004 – Hon. George J. Mitchell – Former United States Senator, UCLA medal recipient

June 25th, 2003 – Hon. Sheila Kuehl, California State Senator

June 20th, 2002 – Hon. Herb J. Wesson, Jr., Speaker of the California State Assembly

June 29th, 2001 – Dolores Huerta, Civil Rights Activist

June 22nd, 2000 – Hon. Michael Woo, Former Los Angeles City Councilmember

June 24th, 1999 – Mark Gearan, Director, Peace Corps

June 17th, 1998 – Hon. Antonio Villaraigosa, Speaker of the California State Assembly

June 11, 1997 – Hon. Michael Dukakis, former Governor of Massachusetts

June 19, 1996 – Constance Rice, Western Regional Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund

June 17th, 1995 – Denise Fairchild, Founder and President, Neighborhood Strategies Group

Commencement Videos

2023: Video from UCLA Luskin’s 2023 Undergraduate Commencement

2023: Video from UCLA Luskin’s 2023 Graduate Commencement

2022: Video from UCLA Luskin’s 2022 Undergraduate Commencement

2021: Video from UCLA Luskin’s 2021 Cohort Recognition and Stage Crossing

2020: Video from UCLA Luskin’s 2020 Virtual Commencement

2019: Live stream from UCLA Luskin’s 2019 Commencement

2018: Live stream from UCLA Luskin’s 2018 Commencement

2017: Video highlights of UCLA Luskin’s 2017 Commencement

2016: Follow graduating student Oriana Luquetta as she navigates through the 2016 Commencement ceremony

2015: Live stream from UCLA Luskin’s 2015 Commencement

2025 COMMENCEMENT CEREMONIES

Keynote Speaker

Nathalie Rayes, Former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, MPP ’99

Graduate Ceremony

Friday, June 13, 2025 at 9 a.m.

Watch the video

View photo highlights by visiting our Flickr album here.

Undergraduate Ceremony

Friday, June 13, 2025 at 3 p.m.