Graduating seniors for May 2026, including those who completed requirements in Summer 2025 or December 2025, must complete the Application to Graduate. If you are receiving multiple concentrations or specific interdepartmental concentrations, you will receive an email from the Office of the Registrar in late January, to your brown.edu email address, with instructions on choosing a ceremony location. Important graduation deadlines can be found on the Registrar's website. Visit the College website for information about general undergraduate degree requirements.

Degree Requirements

Graduating seniors must wear regalia for the Baccalaureate Service (gown only) on Saturday and the Commencement ceremonies (cap and gown) on Sunday. Commissioning students and those with military service have the option to wear formal military attire in place of the cap and gown if they so choose and if permitted according to their status with the military. Remember to hang regalia beforehand to avoid that “just out of the package” look. 

If you are unable to pick up your regalia during Grad Fair, you can purchase keepsake regalia from the Brown Bookstore. 

More information regarding regalia is available on the Brown Bookstore website.

Baccalaureate

Because of limited capacity, only graduating seniors, performers and University leaders participating in the Baccalaureate service are invited to the church grounds for the service. Family members and guests may watch the ceremony via livestream from designated locations. Visit the Baccalaureate page for details. Graduating seniors are required to wear their smart wristbands to the service.

Commencement Ceremonies

The College and University ceremonies on Sunday are not ticketed; however, graduating seniors must register online in advance to receive smart wristbands that will grant themselves and their guests access to the College Green area and other event locations.

View a list of events requiring smart wristbands, as well as step-by-step instructions and the wristband registration link, on the Wristband Registration page. Students are encouraged to register by Friday, May 1 to ensure they can print and distribute wristbands in advance of the weekend. Wristbands can be printed at the Grad Fair on May 7 and other designated times and locations.

Wristbands are nontransferable and must be registered and printed by the graduating student. All guests are subject to security screening and bag checks.

Students are advised to register up to eight guests each; seating is on a first-come basis.

Visit the Event Access and Ticketing page for more information about Commencement access.

Departmental Ceremonies

Graduating seniors are encouraged to attend their departmental ceremony on Sunday. All departmental ceremonies are held after the University ceremony concludes. Students should check with their departments for specific access and ticketing guidance for themselves and their guests.

View Departmental Ceremony locations

Guidance for International Guests

International students who want to invite family members to attend Commencement can find information about obtaining a visitor visa on the International Student and Scholar Services website.

Graduating seniors are asked to report, wearing wristbands and full academic regalia, to Angell Street by 9:15 a.m., where they will join the Procession lineup. Seniors may arrive through either entrance on Angell Street, where staff members will check their wristbands, but the best location is at Thayer and Angell streets.

The Procession will step off at approximately 9:45 a.m. Graduating seniors will process through the Van Wickle Gates and follow the Procession route to the grounds of the First Baptist Church for the College Ceremony. Only graduating seniors are permitted on the church grounds; guests may view the ceremony via livestream from the College Green. 

Seniors will then partake in a return procession from the church to the College Green for the University Ceremony, arriving as a group to the green, where they will be guided to their reserved sections.

Guests of graduating seniors should find their seats on the College Green before the Procession begins, to watch via livestream. This will ensure guests can enjoy all the important moments from the Procession, College Ceremony and University Ceremony. Seating on the green is limited; specific seating is reserved only for students. Wristbands are required to access all locations.