Saturday, June 13, 2020, @ 11:00 AM

We look forward to celebrating with you virtually

Update

6/13

• Head over to the commencement website watch and cheer your peers as they premiere live. 
• Check out our first All UCSC Commencement Program 
• Merrill Program https://bit.ly/merrillclassof2020program 
• Read some of the heartfelt messages that staff, faculty, alumni, family, and friends have posted for the Class of 2020. 
  • Or better yet, if you haven’t already, submit a message of your own for our graduates!
• Watch video messages for the Class of 2020 from President Napolitano, Governor Newsom, and more on our website.

5/19/2020

Registered grads check your e-mail for "Create Your UCSC Commencement 2020 Slide" from commencement@ucsc.edu. It is important that you complete the steps laid out in that email and create your slide before Friday, May 22, at 8:00 am. 

 In-Person Commencement

While in-person Commencement Ceremonies are postponed this year, the Colleges are very much still working on a Commencement celebration for students at the end of the year.

Campus sent a survey to graduating seniors asking what you wanted to do for Commencement. Results are in, with 49.91% indicating wanting an in-person Commencement when it is safe to reconvene, and 35.23% wanting both a virtual Commencement and in-person Commencement when it is safe to reconvene.

The Colleges are currently working on what a virtual commencement celebration for June, and working on when we can reconvene for an in-person Commencement at a later date.

Virtual Commencement

The ceremony will run similarly to in-person Commencement within the technical limitations we are able to. A welcome from the Provost, Senior Speeches, the Multilingual Welcome, a Keynote speech, and conferral service will all be present as normal. Since we can't physically walk across a stage, each student participating in the Ceremony will have a 5-second slide with their name, major, photo, and University honors or awards. Crown is also working on a digital Commencement Booklet available for download the day of the event.

Commencement vs. Graduation

Your college commencement ceremony and graduation from UCSC are two separate things and have separate online processes and timelines:

• At UCSC, graduation is the act of conferring an academic degree – receiving your degree or diploma.

• Commencement is a ceremony where you walk across the stage symbolizing the end of your undergraduate career.

Graduation

Apply to graduate (degree completion and diploma) the quarter in which you will be finishing your graduation requirements. DO NOT apply to graduate in Spring if you will be finishing your final graduation requirements in a subsequent quarter.

Apply to graduate via your Student Portal. There is more information about how to apply to graduate on the Registrar’s Office website.

Check-in with your departmental adviser (to have your major requirements reviewed), and on your student portal (to make sure you have reviewed all degree requirements outside of your major, like GE credits, writing component, etc.).

Be sure to consult with an academic adviser at your college if there are discrepancies, or if you have questions about graduation requirements.

Registering for the Merrill Commencement Ceremony is NOT the same as registering with the University to Graduate.

You must meet two conditions to be eligible for participation in the Merrill College Commencement Ceremony.

1. You must have completed at least 150 credits by the end of the Winter Quarter 2020.

2. You must complete all requirements & coursework and graduate by the end of Fall Quarter 2020.