Campus Dance

One of Brown's best-loved Reunion and Commencement traditions, Campus Dance brings people to Brown to dance the night away under a sky lit with over 600 paper lanterns on College Green. The evening joins together graduating seniors and their families, alumni of all ages and Brown faculty and staff. Everyone enjoys meeting old classmates, seeing favorite professors and being with friends. All family members and guests are welcome to attend. Tickets are required for all attendees and will be available through the Campus Dance website when the online box office opens this spring.

Weekend Forums 

Led by faculty, alumni and distinguished guests, these academic and topical colloquia are an integral part of Commencement and Reunion Weekend. All family members and guests are welcome to attend and forums do not require a ticket. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Baccalaureate 

Baccalaureate is a multifaith ceremony for undergraduates that incorporates the many spiritual and cultural traditions of the Brown community. The ceremony starts on College Green with a procession that leads graduating seniors to the First Baptist Church in America. Due to limited seating capacity, only seniors are allowed into the church. All guests and family members are invited to watch the ceremony from Front Green, where the event is livestreamed. Graduating seniors must wear regalia (gowns only).

University Procession

The University Procession is a joyous celebration. Candidates for degrees march across College Green and through the Van Wickle Gates, which are opened only twice each year. Undergraduate alumni who have returned for Reunion march with their classes. Once the last person is through the Van Wickle Gates, the Procession inverts and undergraduates continue down College Street with each participant applauding the others; doctoral students and medical students also process to their respective ceremony locations, with participants and spectators applauding the graduating students.

College Ceremony

The senior class assembles on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in America for the official conferral of undergraduate degrees at the College ceremony. After the ceremony ends, the seniors walk up the hill and take seats on College Green for the University Ceremony.

Master's Ceremony

The Master’s Ceremony celebrates the academic achievements of graduating master’s students and includes an invocation, student speaker, awards presentation, conferral of degrees and benediction. The Master’s Ceremony is available to view via livestream. Faculty should plan to arrive at 3 p.m. to seat themselves in the reserved faculty section on College Green near the front of the stage. 

Doctoral Ceremony

Doctoral students process to Pembroke Field for the Doctoral Ceremony. The Doctoral Ceremony celebrates the academic achievements of students receiving their Ph.D.s and includes an invocation, student speaker, awards presentation, conferral of degrees and benediction. Both the University Procession and Doctoral Ceremony are available to view via livestream.

Warren Alpert Medical School Commencement Ceremony

The medical school adjourns to the First Unitarian Church at 1 Benevolent Street for their ceremony. Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences Dr. Mukesh K. Jain presides. The ceremony includes a faculty and class address and degree conferral.

University Ceremony

Undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and medical students unite on College Green for this ceremony. President Christina H. Paxson presides, senior orations are delivered and honorary and symbolic degrees are awarded.

Departmental Ceremonies

All degrees are symbolically conferred during the University Ceremony. Separate departmental ceremonies for each academic department follow the main ceremony and provide a more intimate atmosphere for families and graduating students. Many departments also welcome master’s and doctoral students.