Ceremony Information
Academic and Alumni Processions Canceled ONLY
Due to the weather, the academic and alumni processions have been canceled. The STUDENT procession across campus will continue as planned. The Commencement ceremony will begin as scheduled in Franklin Field at 10:15 a.m. The gates will open at 8:30 a.m. for parents and guests.
- Graduating students will assemble in Hamilton Village at 8:45 a.m. Students may choose to wear rain gear over the academic regalia.
- The academic procession and alumni procession will assemble in the Weightman Hall Gymnasium, located on 33rd Street near Spruce Street, at 9:45 a.m. This includes the trustees, the honorary degree recipients, the faculty, special guests and dignitaries, and members of the 25th and 50th reunion classes.
If you have any questions, please seek the assistance of a University Commencement Marshal, who can be identified by a marshal tag.
Schedule of Events
To learn more about a particular event, click on one of the links below.
Baccalaureate Ceremony
Sunday, May 13, 2012, 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Irvine Auditorium, 34th and Spruce Streets
The Baccalaureate Ceremony is a 50-minute interfaith program that includes music, readings, prayers, and a guest speaker. Two consecutive ceremonies will be held in Irvine Auditorium, in order to accommodate all those who wish to attend. Students whose last names begin with A through K are invited to attend the 1:30 p.m. ceremony. Students whose last names begin with L through Z are invited to attend the 3:00 p.m. ceremony. Tickets and academic regalia are not required. The Baccalaureate speaker will be Nipun Mehta, founder of ServiceSpace.org.
Commencement Ceremony
Monday, May 14, 2012, Franklin Field
The University of Pennsylvania's 256th Commencement will be held on Monday, May 14, 2012, in Franklin Field, located at 33rd and South Streets. The ceremony will be held rain or shine. Students should report to Hamilton Village (Superblock), 39th and Locust Walk, no later than 8:45 a.m.
The gates to Franklin Field will open at 8:30 a.m. for guest seating. Guests will be seated in the southeast, east, and northeast stands of the stadium. Guests should enter at the southeast gate (corner of South Street and Convention Avenue). The procession of degree candidates will enter the field at about 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will begin at 10:15 a.m. upon the arrival of the academic procession (the President's party and the faculty) and will conclude at approximately 12:00 noon. The ceremony will feature the conferral of degrees, the awarding of honorary degrees, greetings by University officials, and our Commencement speaker, Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer, Harlem Children's Zone, Inc., Educational Innovator and Advocate. Tickets are not required for admission.
Candidates for degrees in May, as well as graduates who completed degree requirements in August or December of 2011, are encouraged to attend Commencement and to march in the student procession. Academic regalia is required.
Family members and friends who are unable to attend the Commencement ceremony may view the ceremony live over the internet. Please visit www.upenn.edu/commencement/webcast.html to learn more about the webcast.
