Celebrating your accomplishments.

Boston University is TENTATIVELY planning an all-University Commencement for August 2024, January 2025, May 2025, and August 2025 graduates on Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 1 P.M. on Nickerson Field. Additional information, further details, as well as official dates and times will be posted online here when finalized.

The College of Communication is TENTATIVELY planning our undergraduate Convocation Ceremony for August 2024, January 2025, May 2025, and August 2025 graduates on Friday, May 16, 2025 in Agganis Arena at 9 A.M.

We hope to have more finalized information and official dates and times updated by late in the fall 2024.

COM Commencement Ceremony 2025

The College of Communication is hosting an in-person Convocation ceremony for August 2024, January 2025, May 2025, and August 2025 COM undergraduate graduates on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 9 A.M. at Agganis Arena (925 Commonwealth Avenue).

Doors will open for guests at 8 A.M. Tickets for you or your guests are not required for this event.

Student line-up for the COM Commencement Ceremony will take place at the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center (915 Commonwealth Avenue) on the three course gym on the lower level.  Students will enter the Boston University Fitness and Recreation NOT through the main entrance on Commonwealth Avenue, but rather they will enter through an entrance on Buick Street.  There will be signage outside to direct graduates to that entrance area for line-up. Parents and guest should not accompany graduates to the line-up area. Students who intend to walk in the COM ceremony should arrive beginning at 8 A.M. and must arrive no later than 8:15 A.M. Students who arrive late may not be able to participate in the COM ceremony. 

Please note, as part of the student commencement march from the Boston University Fitness and Recreation Center to Agganis Arena, students will access stairs and walk through the tunnels beneath the arena.  Additionally, as students have their name read to the audience during the COM Commencement Ceremony, they will walk across a stage to be handed their diploma holder and take a photo. The stage has approximately 5 steps students will climb before walking across and then down a set of stairs that leads back to their seat. 

Please be back in touch with us at comugrad@bu.edu by no later than Monday, April 28 if you have any special needs, physical limitation, injury, or disability that will affect your ability to march with your classmates in the manner described or climb the stairs to the stage so we can work on a plan with you for accommodations.  We want to ensure that all of our graduates have a wonderful commencement day.

All students participating in the COM ceremony must be wearing official regalia. Barnes & Noble at Boston University is the approved supplier for caps and gowns to graduates. Further information about ordering a cap and gown is available online here.   

The COM Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony will last approximately 2 hours and will be followed by a reception for the graduates and their guests at the Fitness and Recreation Center (915 Commonwealth Avenue) on the four court gym on the second floor. 

All-University Commencement

The All-University Commencement ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 18 at 1 P.M. on Nickerson Field. Additional information is available online here. 

How to Apply

All students must apply for graduation one year in advance of their projected graduation date. The Application for Graduation is available on the COM forms webpage.  Students should complete the top portion of the form before returning it to COM Undergraduate Affairs via email at comugrad@bu.edu.

Boston University has three graduation dates: August, January and May. There is only one Commencement ceremony held each year in May.

If you are aware that you will be unable to complete your requirements by your anticipated graduation date, please contact COM Undergraduate Affairs (comugrad@bu.edu) as soon as possible.

It’s important to double check your courses against your graduation application to ensure that you will graduate on time.

Latin Honors

Among graduating seniors in each school and college, five percent will be awarded degrees summa cum laude, 10 percent degrees magna cum laude, and fifteen percent cum laude. “Break points,” which are the grade point averages (GPA) corresponding to each of these categories, will be determined for each graduating class in each school and college by applying these percentile ranges to the list of eligible graduates arranged in order of GPA. Students falling in the designated percentile ranges on the basis of their GPA will be certified for degrees with the corresponding Latin honors. In no case will students be awarded Latin honors for grade point averages below 3.0. This is a University-wide policy.

Latin Honors are for undergraduate students only.

Undergraduate Graduation Requirements

  • 128 units
  • Overall GPA of at least 2.0, COM GPA of at least 2.0
  • Completion of all general education requirements
  • Completion of major requirements
  • No more than a total of 16 units of ‘D’ grades
  • Students in the Dual Degree Program (DDP) have additional requirements per the University’s DDP policy.
  • Effective Fall 2021, the College of Communication (COM) will allow up to 4 units of one-unit and/or half unit Boston University courses to count towards the 128 units required for graduation. COM Students enrolled in the Fall 2021 term and forward will have this policy applied to their previous semesters of one-unit and half-unit course work and will be allowed to count up to 4 units to their 128 units required for graduation.