Commencement 2021

On Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Chancellor Kim A. Wilcox announced that UC Riverside will be holding limited, in-person Commencement activities for the graduating class of 2021 and 2020, consistent with public health guidance, assuming local SARS CoV-2 infection data do not worsen significantly between now and the end of Spring Quarter. Click here to see the Chancellor's full announcement. Graduates from the Classes of 2021 and 2020 will be provided the opportunity to sign up for blocks of time to walk cross a stage individually as their name is read, have their photo taken in academic regalia on stage, and exit the opposite side of the venue. This activity will take place Saturday, June 5 and from Saturday, June 12 through Monday, June 14. Please see the full schedule under "Schedule of Ceremonies" below.

Per Chancellor Wilcox's latest announcement on Friday, May 7, 2021, we are pleased to announce that the Chancellor is granting an exception to our current campus policy prohibiting visitors to allow each student to bring no more than two guests with them into the venue. Once inside, students will remain at all times with their guests, who will cross the stage with them and join for a professional photograph. These activities will still be livestreamed for family and friends to watch online. Click here to see the latest Chancellor's announcement made on May 7.

As previously described, participants will line up with households socially distanced and all individuals wearing face coverings, as required by campus and public health guidelines. To protect the safety and health of fellow students and guests, as well as staff and volunteers who assist with the events, all participants must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination at check-in, with a completed COVID Vaccination Record Card issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Unvaccinated individuals must arrive with a negative result from a SARS CoV-2 PCR test, performed no more than 48 hours prior to arriving on campus.

Consistent with California Department of Public Health guidance anyone who tests positive, is feeling ill, has symptoms of COVID-19, or has potentially been exposed to someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, may not attend the graduation event and should follow public health recommendations.

Any student or guest traveling or visiting from outside California and who is not vaccinated should self-quarantine per public health guidelines. All travelers who test positive or develop symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate and follow public health recommendations.

Any student or guest who is not vaccinated and who has come in contact with anyone with COVID-19 must quarantine per public health guidelines. Any student or guest who has symptoms of COVID-19 on the day of the event will not be able to attend the event, whether vaccinated or not. All attendees are expected to wash hands often or use hand sanitizer per CDC guidelines on the day of the Commencement activity.

The formal ceremony will remain as a virtual event, with remarks and greetings by university, Academic Senate, alumni, and student leadership delivered as a prerecorded program of approximately 30 minutes and released at the beginning of commencement weekend. Students and their families may watch this at a convenient time and enjoy a tassel-turning or hooding moment with their loved ones at home.

Students eligible to participate have been e-mailed their Intent to Participate form which confirms that you will be participating in this year's Commencement activities.

Commencement 2021

Welcome to the official Website for UC Riverside's 67th Commencement.

If you are a graduating student, congratulations on your achievement! You have worked hard to get to this point in your life and UC Riverside is honored to have been part of your journey.

Making this day a memorable occasion for you and your proud family members and friends is very important to UC Riverside, so we have developed this website for everything Commencement.

Class of 2020 graduates: Click here for more information regarding participation in the Class of 2021 and Class of 2020 in-person graduate recognition and name-reading event.

Getting Started

Step 1: Apply to Graduate

If you are a UC Riverside student who graduated Fall 2020 or are expected to graduate in Winter 2021 or Spring 2021, you are eligible to participate in the Class of 2021 Commencement. If you expect to graduate Summer 2021, you may be approved to participate if you submit your Summer graduation application by the early deadline.

In order to graduate from UCR, all students must submit a graduation application via R'Web. In addition to this, Bachelor's degree students in CHASS, CNAS, and School of Business must also complete your College graduation application.

For Advanced degree candidates and Teaching Credential candidates, please complete the appropriate paperwork on time and receive approval from the Graduate Division and Teacher Education Program office.

For instructions on how to file your graduation application, please visit the Registrar's Guide to Graduation Website.
Step 2: Check out our Class of 2021 Commencement checklist to stay on track with the various requirements and deadlines relating to your participation

Review the Class of 2021 Commencement checklist for deadlines relating to the Intent to Participate form, and other important information regarding Commencement participation.
Step 3: Submit your Intent to Participate form for the Class of 2021 Commencement

The Intent to Participate form confirms that you will be participating in the Class of 2021 Commencement. The form will open on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, and login and instructions will be e-mailed to eligible students that afternoon.

All eligible graduates may participate in the UCR Class of 2021 Commencement and will have a graduate slide published. If you would like to select how your name is displayed and your name is announced, you must register through the Intent to Participate form beginning Wednesday, May 5, 2021. In addition, you will have the opportunity to upload a photo and add a personal message if desired.

Please check the Class of 2021 Commencement checklist for important deadlines relating to the Intent to Participate form.
Step 4: Let us know your plans after graduation!

You've made it to graduation, but what's your next destination? Tell us your next step now!

Schedule
Tradition & Symbols
A Look Back

Schedule of Virtual Ceremonies

School of Medicine Virtual Commencement and Hippocratic Oath Ceremony

Friday, June 4, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
M.D. degree recipients
Location: Zoom Webinar
Click here for more information.

Class of 2021 Virtual Commencement Ceremonies by College

Friday, June 11, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.

Graduate Division Hooding Ceremony
All Ph.D. degree and M.F.A. degree candidates
Location: Link will be added to this site

School of Business
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Link will be added to this site

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Link will be added to this site

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Group 1
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates in the departments of Anthropology, Economics, History and Political Science
Location: Link will be added to this site

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Group 2
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates in the departments of Art, Art History, Asian Studies, Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, Creative Writing, Dance, English, Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Global Studies, Hispanic Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies, Latin American Studies, Liberal Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Middle East and Islamic Studies, Music, Religious Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Theatre, Film & Digital Production
Location: Link will be added to this site

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Group 3
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates in the departments of Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology
Location: Link will be added to this site

Graduate School of Education and School of Public Policy
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Link will be added to this site

Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Link will be added to this site

Schedule of In-Person Graduate Recognition and Name-Reading Events

Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.

School of Medicine Photo Op
M.D. degree recipients
Location: University Theatre
Click here for more information.

Saturday, June 5, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.

Graduate Division
All Ph.D. degree and M.F.A. degree candidates
Location: University Theatre
Livestream link will be added to this site

Saturday, June 12, 2021

School of Business | 9:00 a.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences | 4:00 p.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

Sunday, June 13, 2021

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Group 1 | 9:00 a.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates in the departments of Anthropology, Economics, History and Political Science
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

Graduate School of Education and School of Public Policy | 1:30 p.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering | 5:00 p.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

Monday, June 14, 2021

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Group 2 | 9:00 a.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates in the departments of Art, Art History, Asian Studies, Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, Creative Writing, Dance, English, Ethnic Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Global Studies, Hispanic Studies, Multidisciplinary Studies, Latin American Studies, Liberal Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Middle East and Islamic Studies, Music, Religious Studies, Southeast Asian Studies, Theatre, Film & Digital Production
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS) Group 3 | 4:00 p.m.
Master's and Bachelor's degree candidates in the departments of Philosophy, Psychology and Sociology
Location: Student Recreation Center North, main gymnasium
Livestream link will be added to this site

Tradition & Symbols

The UCR Pipe Band

The UCR Pipe Band performs on the campus and surrounding community at formal and informal events, including parades, memorials, highland games, athletic events, alumni events, Chancellor's events and Commencement. The band encompasses a diverse group of musicians and performers offering a wide variety of Celtic music played on bagpipes and drums. Visit their website to find out more about the UCR Pipe Band.

The Regalia

In 1895, American Universities adopted a code for uniformity in academic dress. These codes, handed down from European academic ceremonies, represent different degree levels, field of study, and the institution from which the degree was earned. Each color, worn on tassels, hoods, velvet and satin trimmings, represents a specific educational discipline:

Arts, Letters, Humanities: white
Commerce, Accountancy, Business: drab
Economics: copper
Education: light blue
Engineering: orange
Music: pink
Philosophy: dark blue
Public Administration: peacock blue
Medicine: green
Science: golden yellow
Theology: scarlet
Social Work: citron

The Seal of the University of California

The present seal, designed by Tiffany and Company, has been used since 1910. The seal incorporates symbolic icons and phrases that represent the image of the University. Symbols used include:

The open book, which symbolized the accumulation and dissemination of knowledge.
The letter "A", representing the beginning of wisdom.
The five-pointed star above the book represents the discovery and sharing of knowledge.
The University motto, "Fiat Lux", or "Let There be Light", displayed on a scroll, represents the coming of light and knowledge in to the world.

The Chancellor's Medal

The Chancellor's Medal is worn at ceremonial observances as a part of the chancellor's regalia. At the center is the University of California seal. The back of the medal displays the names of the campus' chancellors and year he or she was inaugurated.

The UC Riverside Mace

The academic mace, first used in the 14^th century, is descended from the club of Hercules. The scepter on the mace stands for lawful power and regal authority, and was carried by Zeus, the Greek God of moral law and order.

Most academic maces take the same general shape. At the top is an ornament placed on a bulbous head; ring-shaped enlargements are found on the shaft; and the base is a round, foliated ornament.

The UC Riverside Mace was first suggested by Ramon J. Rhine, Chair of the Academic Senate, to represent the dignity and history of the campus. Professor Emeritus George Helmkamp designed and constructed the ceremonial mace, with Eugene L. Ethridge of the Chemistry Department contributing metal work.

The UC Riverside mace was hand crafted with inlaid woods, with the head and shaft made out of Hawaiian Koa wood. The light inlaid wood is Yellow Fir from Canada, and the dark inlays are Desert Ironwood collected by Professor Helmkamp throughout Southern California. The mace has ornaments at the top and the base. The base is in the shape of a citrus fruit, representing UCR's Citrus Experiment Station. The top ornament is the bear of the State of California. Seals of California and the University are mounted on opposite sides of the mace's head. Below the seals are the mottos of California and the University, respectively, along with the years 1850 (the year California was admitted in to the Union), and 1868 (the year the University of California was founded).

UC Riverside Alma Mater

Professor of Music Byron Adams joined the UCR faculty in 1987 and was dismayed to discover that the university did not have a school song. To promote school spirit and engender institutional pride, Adams held an informal competition for the text of the song and selected the verses written by the late Bob Wild, a beloved physics professor. He then set forth to create "Hail Fair UCR".

"I sat down one beautiful winter afternoon and, inspired by the hills surrounding the university, the bell tower and the orange groves, composed Hail Fair UCR," he said. "It is meant to be sung in full - every word and every note - at Commencement and other solemn, and not so solemn, university events."

A Look Back

Relive the pageantry and excitement of UCR’s Commencement ceremonies. Watch videos of the keynote and student speakers from each of the ceremonies as well as the remarks from our Chancellor and Deans of the Colleges.

Get Started

Commencement 2021

Celebrate UCR's 67th Commencement

Important Deadlines

Commencement 2021

Getting Started