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.

Berklee will continue to monitor and follow the guidelines and recommendations set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and state and local governments in order to make decisions related to the May 2021 commencement concert and ceremony for December 2020, May 2021, and August 2021 graduates.

Berklee will update graduates, students, and their families as more information becomes available.

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 is December 18, 2020.

The number of tickets available to each graduate for the concert and invitations for the commencement ceremony will be determined in February 2021. Students scheduled to participate in the May ceremony will receive emails this spring with information on the ticket/invitation distribution process.

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 at no charge to graduates and are yours to keep.

Berklee College of Music's commencement ceremony will be held May 8, 2021, and 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 for approximately two and a half hours.

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

Emails will be sent in spring 2021 to students who applied and were qualified for graduation (fall 2020, spring 2021, or summer 2021) with instructions for how to apply to participate in the concert.

To be considered, you must be eligible to participate in the May 2021 Berklee College of Music commencement ceremony. Commencement eligibility requirements are on page 28 of the Policy Handbook for Students.

The Commencement Speaker Contest Application will be available by March 1, 2021. You will 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, how honors are determined, or transcripts, contact gradspecialist@berklee.edu.