Frequently Asked Questions

The 2024 Commencement will be held the weekend of June 14 – 16, 2024. The main Commencement ceremony will be held in Stanford Stadium on Sunday, June 16 and begins at 9:30 a.m.

Commencement is the main ceremony in Stanford Stadium where all graduating seniors and advanced degree graduates gather from all schools with their families. This main ceremony includes the procession, President's address, keynote speaker addresses and degree conferrals. The ceremony from processional start to recession of the stage members lasts approximately two hours. Graduates do not have their names called, walk across the stage or receive diplomas at the main ceremony. This occurs at their individual school or department ceremonies. School and department ceremonies generally happen after the main Commencement ceremony and at various locations across the campus. Many ceremonies are followed by a reception.

No tickets are required for the main Commencement ceremony or Baccalaureate Celebration and there is no limit on the number of guests who may attend.

Some events, including some department ceremonies, may require RSVP or tickets, or restrict the number of guests due to maximum venue capacities. It is recommended to contact that school or department directly for information about these events.

Yes, the main Commencement ceremony will be livestreamed on the Commencement website. You may also listen to live broadcast on Stanford’s radio station KZSU 90.1FM and on kzsu.stanford.edu. A complete recording of the event will be available on the Stanford YouTube channel shortly after the ceremony.

Baccalaureate at Stanford is a multi-faith celebratory gathering for graduating seniors, graduate students, and professional students, as well as their families and friends. The ceremony serves as a bookend to the Opening Convocation held four years earlier and is a time to acknowledge the spiritual contribution to the education of the whole person.

Baccalaureate will be held in Frost Amphitheater on Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.

You are automatically eligible to participate in the main Commencement ceremony if:

• you have previously conferred a degree in Summer 2023, Autumn 2023, or Winter 2024
• you are expected to confer your degree in Spring 2024 or Summer 2024
• you are a coterm student who began your undergraduate degree program in Autumn 2020

If you do not fall into the eligibility criteria above, complete the Commencement Participation Request form when it is published in 2024 to request an exception to participate in this year’s ceremony. If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you do not need to complete the form.

This eligibility criteria only applies to the main Commencement ceremony. If you would like to participate in your school or department ceremony, please check with them directly for their eligibility criteria and any actions you may need to take to confirm participation in that ceremony, including walking across the stage and having your name called out or included in the program.

Note that the Commencement Participation Request is only to determine eligibility to participate in the main Commencement ceremony. Please see the following question for more information.

To graduate, you must have filed your graduation application by the required deadline (see the academic calendar for dates). Instructions for applying to graduate, as well as a graduation checklist, can be found on the Student Services website. If you are planning on conferring more than one degree — for example, an undergraduate and graduate degree, a PhD and master's degree — a separate application to graduate must be submitted for each degree.

Eligibility to participate in the university's Commencement ceremony is based on a student’s actual OR expected graduation term. Expected Graduation Terms are based on matriculation year (e.g. 4 years after matriculation for an undergraduate student).
Note: Expected Graduation Terms are calculated differently for graduate students. Graduate students should plan to apply to graduate or request an exception if they want to participate.

Each department has different eligibility requirements and processes to make requests to participate. Please check directly with your department regarding eligibility for their ceremony.

Please complete the Commencement Participation Request form when it is published in 2024 to request an exception to participate in this year’s main Commencement ceremony.

Most school and department ceremonies generally occur around the same time on Sunday afternoon following the main Commencement ceremony (except GSB, Law and Med which happen on Saturday). We recommend checking with both departments to confirm their planned schedule and see if it would be possible to coordinate attending both, however you may need to choose which to attend.

Up-to-date information about Stanford’s health and safety guidance can be found on the Health Alerts website. 

You may email commencement@stanford.edu for information regarding visa letters of invitation. Invitations are only addressed to the student, not family or guests. When requesting a letter of invitation, please include your full legal name and your degree program/school. Please note: Bechtel International Center does not provide Letters of Invitation.