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Berkeley Public Health Commencement

Monday, May 19 2025
Hearst Greek Theatre

On May 19, 2025 at 2:00 pm, we will celebrate the Baccalaureate, Masters, and Doctoral degrees of the School of Public Health Class of 2025 with an in-person ceremony at the Hearst Greek Theatre. Following the ceremony, there will be a “light reception” taking place at the Campanile Esplanade from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Graduating students eligible to participate in the ceremony will begin registering online through the Tassel/Marching Order website beginning on March 12. Additionally, more detailed information will be shared in the coming months.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at bph-commencement@berkeley.edu. We are happy to assist. Go Bears!

Eligibility for Participation

All Berkeley Public Health undergraduate and graduate students graduating in 2025 are eligible to participate in the Berkeley Public Health Commencement Ceremony at 2 pm on May 19, 2025, at the Greek Theatre. This includes those who graduated in fall 2024 and those who intend to graduate in spring 2025, and summer 2025.

Ticketing, Seating, and Guest Information

Graduates must first register with their respective BPH Program Managers beginning in January 2025. Following this, online registration to participate in the commencement ceremony will open in March 2025 through the Marching Order/Tassel website.

Once registered and upon completing the exit survey, graduates will receive four (4) complimentary ceremony tickets. Ticket pickup will begin in April 2025. Additional ceremony tickets will also be available for purchase on this website starting in April for $15 per ticket.

If you or any of your guests require accommodations for disabilities (e.g., wheelchair seating, sign language interpreter, etc.), please complete the Special Seating Request Form with your contact information and special seating request. Kindly be advised that special seating requests are not guaranteed and will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event. Contact bph-commencement@berkeley.edu with any questions.

Caps, Gowns, and Regalia

The Cal Student Store will be your one-stop-shop for students looking for their:

  • Regalia (Caps, Gowns, Tassels, Hoods)
  • Stoles
  • Honor Cords
  • Diploma Frames/Covers

Starting in mid-February, we will be offering all of the above-mentioned regalia both in-store and on our website. To find student regalia online, you can visit our website at: calstudentstore.berkeley.edu.

Tassels:

  • Undergrad, Masters: Blue & Gold
  • Doctoral: Gold

Hoods:

  • MPH and DrPH: Salmon
  • MS EHS & Epi: Gold
  • MA Biostats: White
  • PhD: Blue

We are happy to have available a lending library of previously worn regalia to loan out for this year’s BPH Commencement graduating students! Please note this service is first come, first served. More information about this service will be posted soon.

Transportation to Commencement

​​We highly recommend taking public transportation. Reserved parking is not available for commencement. If you choose to drive, please consult the campus map for directions. Paid hourly parking may be available in campus parking lots on a first-come, first-served basis.

Find more spring 2025 commencement parking information on the Berkeley Parking and Transportation website.

Program

A printed program will be available on-site on the day of the event. A digital version of the commencement program will be available for download and printing.

Commencement Speaker

Xavier Becerra

Xavier Becerra was born in Sacramento to immigrant parents—a construction laborer and a clerical worker—and was the first in his family to graduate from a university and become a lawyer. He served 12 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and wasCalifornia’s attorney general from 2027 to 2021, where he led efforts to protect Californians’ privacy and consumer rights and hold large corporations and the opioid industry accountable. He defended both the Affordable Care Act and the DACA program for Dreamers all the way to the Supreme Court and won.

In 2021, Becerra became the 25th secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Under his leadership, America achieved the highest level of healthcare coverage in history. He successfully led the first ever negotiations to lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries and successfully executed the Biden Administration’s campaign to end the COVID pandemic, which was killing thousands of Americans every day and ravaging our economy at the close of the Trump Presidency in January 2021.

Stay Safe

The Greek Theatre is an outdoor venue. You will not be required to show proof of a vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to enter. Face coverings are required indoors (e.g., restrooms), and optional, however recommended, when seated outdoors during the ceremony. Visit the Berkeley Commencement FAQ for more public health recommendations.

Please note changes may be made to entrance requirements in the months leading up to the ceremony. Please check back for updates.

Request Additional Information

Email bph-commencement@berkeley.edu with additional questions.

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