Commencement 2024

College of Engineering Graduate Convocation Ceremony
Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Case Center Gymnasium
285 Babcock Street Boston, MA 02215

All students who have RSVPed for Convocation will be emailed their Marching Number the day before convocation. Please remember this number or have the email handy  for check in. If you did not RSVP, you will not be permitted to walk in the ceremony. Please make sure you received a confirmation email after RSVP. 

All University Commencement
Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 1:00 pm
Nickerson Field

For more information on the All University Commencement, please visit: www.bu.edu/commencement

When to arrive and where to go

ALL STUDENTS participating in the convocation ceremony should arrive to Case Center no later than 1:00pm. Please arrive early to ensure that you have time to register and line-up for the processional. If you arrive late, you may not be registered in time to march in the ceremony.

Students and guests will enter using the West Campus Plaza Stairs and head to the Case Center Gym lobby. There will be signs posted around Case Center Gym as well as student volunteers in Engineering shirts to help direct you to the correct place.

Students are asked to carry their robes as they enter the building and to not have any additional backpack or larger purse. We will not have secure storage during the ceremony, and wearing your robes into the building may slow down our security check point.

Once at the Case Center Gym, students should follow signs to the registration area. Guests will be directed to their seats. 

Registration and Check-In

The deadline for convocation RSVP is April 12th.

The College of Engineering has the right to deny anyone the opportunity to walk if they have not submitted an RSVP by the deadline.

Master’s & PhD students checking in:

Students being awarded a degree will be directed to the curtained area of the gym to register and line up.

There will be lines for check-in. You will check in using the number you received for your marching order. To keep the check in line moving, please be prepared to show your marching order number.

The GPO staff will check you in and confirm your Marching Number. You will be directed to your assigned place in the Line-Up. Once you are lined up it is essential you remain in the proper place. This order dictates where you are seated and the order to which you are called to the stage. Students should plan to march with their respective cohort.

PhD candidates should NOT bring the PhD Hood. We will be providing a hood for the ceremony that you will keep and you will not need to bring your own.

Things to remember during check-in:

• Arrive early, no later than 1:00 pm.
• Come ready with your marching number.
• Family and friends will not be allowed in the student line-up area.
• There will be no place to store your items during the ceremony. Please leave any personal items with friends or family before you register.
• If you arrive after 1pm, we will do our best to insert you into the processional, but we make no guarantees that you will be able to march with your peers.

Line-up and Processional

Lining up, proper order, preparing for the processional:

The Marching Number is your number in the line-up and processional. There will be signs as well as staff in the line-up area to direct students to the proper place.

Students will be in order according to the degree they are earning, and then categorized by department.

1. Once you are in line, please make it a point to stay in the proper place in your line.
2. The GPO staff will be available to help students with their regalia and any other questions.
3. Master’s & PhD candidates should plan to be in line no later than 1:00pm.

The ceremony will begin PROMPTLY at 2pm. 

During the Ceremony

The ceremony is expected to last approximately an hour and a half.

When it is time to award degrees, PhD students will go first. Students will be called up to the stage with his or her advisor and will be hooded at the center of the stage. Students will then proceed across the stage to be recognized by Dean Morgan.

Master of Engineering students will follow PhD students and will be called up to stage by degree program and then alphabetical order. Dean Morgan will meet you on stage. Master of Science students will conclude the awarding of degrees and will be called in the same manner that Master of Engineering students were.

We ask that guests and families keep the aisles clear and please stay behind the roped off area for student seating. There will be time after the ceremony to take photos on stage with your friends and families. Professional photographs of your degree being awarded are provided by GradImages.com.

End of Ceremony, Recessional, and Reception

Once the degrees are awarded, Dean Morgan will offer a few closing remarks. She will then lead the recessional, faculty will follow him, then PhD students, then Masters students. The recessional will lead directly into the reception area.

The reception will have appetizers, snacks and beverages. We invite all of our guests and students to attend the reception. This will also provide time for students to take pictures with guests and family members on the commencement stage.

Receiving your Diploma

All diplomas will be mailed after the official graduation date. You should confirm your mailing address on your StudentLink.

The Registrar’s Office will begin mailing diplomas in Mid-June. If you graduated in August or January, you should have already received your diploma.

FAQ