Frequently Asked Questions

This year's commencement concert is scheduled for Friday, May 7, 2021, and the Berklee College of Music commencement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 8, 2021.

If you are nearing the completion of your degree or diploma requirements (semester level six or above/level eight or above for double majors), you were sent an email on October 21, 2020, (check your Spam folder if you did not receive one) inviting you to complete the application for graduation, and indicate whether you would like to participate in the May 8, 2021 ceremony. The deadline to apply for graduation (fall 2020, spring 2021, or summer 2021) and indicate participation in the May ceremony was December 18, 2020.

There are no tickets to our virtual concert and commencement ceremony. Graduates will be emailed a link that they can send to as many family and friends as they would like. Links to the concert and commencement ceremony will also be available on the Schedule of Events page.  

If you complete the application for graduation and indicate that you are planning to participate in the May 2021 commencement ceremony, you will receive additional information via email about the ceremony and how to order a cap and gown. Caps, gowns, hoods, and tassels are provided to graduates at no charge and are yours to keep.

Berklee College of Music's commencement ceremony will celebrate students who are graduating during the fall 2020, spring 2021, and summer 2021 semesters. Students planning to complete all requirements and graduate in the summer 2021 semester must have 16 or fewer course credits remaining (13 credits for diploma students) by the spring 2021 add/drop deadline, and no course sequences that would require future enrollment beyond the summer 2021 semester. See the Requirements for Graduation and Applying to Graduate pages for more information.

We anticipate that the ceremony will last approximately two and a half hours.

This year's commencement honorary degree recipients have not yet been announced.

If your 2021 graduating class application has been approved by the Office of the Registrar, you will receive detailed information via email about how to formally apply to participate in the Berklee College of Music commencement concert. Similar to last year, there will be opportunities for performers, arrangers, and track/mock-up production assistants within the concert, which will pay tribute to the music of the honorees.

To be considered, you must be eligible to participate in the May 2021 Berklee College of Music commencement ceremony. Check the graduation eligibility requirements and commencement participation information, page 64.

The Commencement Speaker Application (login required) will be available until March 18, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET. You must attach a copy of your speech to the form. Your speech must not exceed five minutes in length. The student commencement speaker will be announced in April.  

Personalized graduation announcements that can be sent to family and friends can be ordered online at Balfour.com.

For general questions about commencement, please complete this form (login required) or email studentaffairs@berklee.edu. For questions about graduation requirements, diplomas, transcripts, and how honors are determined, contact gradspecialist@berklee.edu.