Congratulations to the Class of 2023! The Columbia University Commencement ceremony of the 269th academic year will take place Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. (EDT), in-person for ticketed guests and also via web broadcast.

The University Commencement Ceremony will be broadcast here.

History of University Commencement 

The Commencement ceremony dates back to 1758 and has been held outdoors on the Morningside campus since 1926.

It is a centuries-old tradition in which the President of the University grants degrees en masse to graduating students from eighteen schools, colleges, and affiliate institutions. During this ceremony, remarkable members of the Columbia community and special guests are also recognized through the conferring of medals, awards, and honorary degrees. It is Columbia tradition that the University Commencement address is given by the President of the University.

While each school holds an individual graduation ceremony, the University President is the only person who can confer the actual degrees. As part of the ceremony, each dean steps forward to request that the President confer degrees on the school's candidates; this tradition has become a memorable part of the ceremony. After the University President has conferred all degrees, cheers, applause, and celebration ensue as the class officially graduates.

With thousands of degree candidates, participants, and guests in attendance, the ceremony is an unforgettable, grand-scale celebration that appropriately marks the academic achievements of the University graduates. No degree candidate officially graduates until the University Commencement ceremony concludes.

We encourage graduating students to visit the CAA website to learn more about their alumni benefits and opportunities to get involved with the alumni network. In addition, please visit the SPS Alumni website to learn about additional SPS alumni resources, events and volunteer opportunities.

Looking to send a gift to a recent graduate? Visit the Columbia University Bookstore for things like diploma frames, apparel, office accessories, and much more!

Marching Order is a software we use during the SPS Graduation ceremony to display graduate information on the screen as their names are read aloud. Graduation information that appears is their name, academic information, a photo, hometown, and post-graduation career plans.  

A graduate may view their individual card and download it for keepsake purposes by simply entering the graduate name in the search bar below, clicking the graduate card and if you wish to download it, clicking the download icon located at the bottom of the slide. 

For questions about SPS Graduation, please contact the Office of Student Life at sps-studentlife@columbia.edu. For questions about degree completion and/or diploma information, please contact your academic advisor.