All Rausser College students who graduated or will graduate in the following semesters are invited to participate:

  • Summer 2023
  • Fall 2023
  • Spring 2024
  • Summer 2024
  • Fall 2024

Students who participated in the Spring 2023 ceremony are not eligible to participate in the Spring 2024 ceremony.

If you require an accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please fill out the following Accommodation Request form by Friday, May 3rd.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

All student participants must register by Friday, March 29th, to be eligible for two complimentary tickets for their guests.  

Student participants may continue to register between March 29th - April 26th but will not be eligible for complimentary tickets.

No additional registrations will be accepted after April 26th.

There are different registration forms for undergraduate and graduate students.  The registration form takes 5-10 minutes to complete.  Please fill out the appropriate form below.

For more information about tickets, please visit the Ticket website.

REGALIA

Students are expected to attend the commencement ceremony in UC Berkeley regalia. Regalia is available for purchase at the Cal Student Store

Bachelors students should purchase the Bachelor's cap, gown, and tassel combo. 

Masters students should purchase the master gown, cap, and tassel combo along with a masters hood. Hood color for Masters of Forestry is Russet. Hood color for all other Masters of Science is Gold. 

PhD students should purchase the doctor gown, tam, and hood combo. PhD hood color should be PhD Blue.

CORDS FOR ACADEMIC DISTINCTION

Cords for Distinction in General Scholarship are available through the Cal Student Store. The Cal Student Store has a list of all RCNR students eligible to purchase Cords for Distinction based on their GPA at the end of Fall 2023 and their academic standing on either the Spring or Summer 2024 degree list.  Please note that these are different than Honors Program cords, which are provided to Honors Program participants at the Honors Symposium.

Distinction in General Scholarship is awarded at graduation, and a notation of such will appear on your final transcript and diploma. To earn distinction, you must:

  • Complete a minimum of 50 semester units at the University of California.
  • Complete at least 43 of the 50 units for a letter grade.
  • Complete at least 30 of the 50 units at Berkeley.
  • Possess a GPA that ranks you at the top of your graduating class:
    • within the top 3 percent for highest distinction (Highest Distinction for 2023-2024 is 3.987)
    • within the top 7 percent for high distinction (High Distinction for 2023-2024 is 3.929)
    • within the top 10 percent for distinction (Distinction for 2023-2024 is 3.869)

Only those students who meet the requirements above upon graduation will receive a notation on their final transcripts and diplomas.

LETTERS FOR GUEST TRAVEL VISAS

Students with guests travelling from abroad that need verification letters for travel visas may email commencement.rcnr@berkeley.edu to request a letter.  If the name that appears on CalCentral is different than your legal name, please communicate your legal name in your email request.

COMMENCEMENT AND DEGREE CONFERRAL

Commencement and degree conferral are two separate entities. Commencement is a ceremony, a celebration for you and your family of the completion (or near completion) of your college years. Participating in Commencement does not mean that you have graduated. 

Degree Conferral is the process by which you receive a degree from Berkeley. Transcripts and diplomas are managed by the UC Berkeley Office of the Registrar.  For more information, please see the Registrar's website: Transcripts & Diplomas.

DAY-OF INSTRUCTIONS

“Day-Of” instructions will be emailed to all registered participants on Wednesday, May 8th.  These instructions will include information about:

  • Parking
  • Arrival Time, Location, and Instructions
  • Things You Should Bring
  • List of Prohibited Items
  • Instructions for Degree Conferral

QUESTIONS

Please direct any questions to commencement.rcnr@berkeley.edu.  This website was last update on 3/13/24.