2021 Commencement

Following the recent general announcement, we are delighted to share the news that the university has received approval to have guests at our commencement ceremonies! Each in-person student participant will receive 2 guest tickets to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences ceremony. Details regarding ticket distribution are still being finalized.

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is pleased to announce the commencement ceremonies for the class of 2021 will be held in-person.*

Graduate Ceremony: 1 p.m. on Friday, May 14 at UB Stadium, North Campus

Undergraduate Ceremony: 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 15 at UB Stadium, North Campus

The outdoor ceremonies will require mandatory mask-wearing, physical distancing and compliance with UB’s weekly testing requirement. Note that all participants must be in full cap and gown. The deadline to purchase regalia is April 2. Visit UB’s cap and gown website for more information.

A number of details are still being coordinated, including how to register for the event and other frequently asked questions. We ask for your patience as we work through these critical components. We will post updates as soon as they are available, so be sure to check your UB email and visit this website frequently.

A decision on whether guests will be permitted to attend the ceremonies will be made by the university at a later date in consultation with the county and state departments of health. All ceremonies will be live-streamed.

*If changing health guidelines make is necessary for safety, the university is prepared to convert to a virtual ceremony.

To ensure graduating students can meet the 72-hour turnaround time required for participation in each commencement, UB has designated specific hours on the days listed below during which those who are graduating may get tested. These collected samples will be marked as “priority” and receive expedited processing at the lab. Testing sites are in the following locations: Student Union, Greiner Hall, Allen Hall and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences building.

This ceremony is intended and scheduled for the Class of 2021, SEAS undergraduates who have applied for graduation (degree conferral) indicating one of the following graduation terms:

• Summer 2020 (Sept. '20 degree conferral)
• Fall 2020 (Feb. '21 degree conferral)
• Spring 2021 (June '21 degree conferral)

Students should check with their academic advisors to make sure all degree requirements have been met. The printed program lists degree conferral candidates for this current academic year.

Summer 2021 Grad Term (Sept. '21 Degree Candidate)
Students graduating Summer 2021 are officially a degree candidate for next academic year (Class of 2022). However, if you would prefer to participate in this year's ceremony instead, you can. If you apply for Sept. '21 degree conferral and register for this year's ceremony, your name will be announced when you cross the stage; however, your name will not be included in the printed program.

Candidates for Degrees Conferred Later Than Summer 2021
Please join us for a future ceremony, based on the date of your degree conferral. There are no exceptions.

Combined BS/MBA Degree Candidates
Students are invited to the undergraduate SEAS ceremony, but are permitted to wear their MBA regalia.

Combined BS/MS Degree CandidatesStudents conferring the BS degree first are eligible to attend this undergraduate commencement ceremony. Students conferring both BS and MS degrees at the same time should participate in the graduate ceremony on Friday May 14.

It is recommended that students currently outside the U.S. who are considering returning for commencement should reach out to ISS to review their situation before making plans. Students will need to adhere to the CDC, NYS and UB requirements.

Students earning baccalaureate degrees (including those awarded as part of combined degrees) are eligible to receive Latin honors based on their UB cumulative grade point average (GPA) on the following scale:

Average (based on 4.0=A)

• 3.20 — cum laude
• 3.50 — magna cum laude
• 3.75 — summa cum laude

To receive the Latin honors designation in commencement program books, and to be eligible to wear the honorific gold cord (cum laude, magna and summa) at the time of ceremonies, candidates for the June degree conferral date must:

• Qualify based upon their UB cumulative GPA through the winter intersession of that year, and projected UB credit hours through the spring semester of that year; standings for Latin honors may change once final grades are posted or degrees conferred.
• Present a minimum of 60 credit hours of UB undergraduate coursework, at least 54 of which must be graded credits (i.e., not grades of 'P', 'S' or 'U').

This recognition is only intended for students who will have their degrees conferred in June, or have had their degrees conferred in the previous February or September.

The gold cords are available for purchase ($12) thru the University Bookstore on North Campus. Qualifying students may purchase their cord at the store; please bring UB ID. Students will also have the option to contact the University Bookstore (716-636-6290 ext. 12) and make their purchase over the phone; in this case, add $7.50 for home-shipping.

Register now for the undergraduate commencement ceremony. The participation options are as follows:

• In-Person: Graduates who participate in-person will have the opportunity to walk across the stage while their name is announced.
• Virtual: Graduates who participate virtually will submit a slide with personal information and a photo. During the ceremony, each virtual participant’s name will be announced as their slide is shown onscreen both in the UB Stadium and on the live stream.
• Slide only: Students who do not want to participate in the ceremony, either in-person or virtually, can still create a slide to share with family and friends.

To participate, please complete your registration/provide information for your personalized slide no later than May 7. As part of the registration process, you will be able to indicate how your name is pronounced. Names will then be pre-recorded and activated on the day by a unique QR code.

Please note that the university has contracted two technology companies to help facilitate our hybrid ceremonies this year: Full Measure and NameCoach. Any email communications you receive from these companies are related to UB’s official commencement events.

Each in-person student participant will receive 2 guest tickets to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences ceremony. Details regarding ticket distribution are still being finalized.

International students who would like to invite their parents to celebration their accomplishments should use the template on the ISS website. Guest will need to adhere to all CDC, NYS and UB requirements. 

This ceremony is intended and scheduled for the Class of 2021, SEAS graduate students who have applied for graduation (degree conferral) indicating one of the following graduation terms:

• Summer 2020 (Sept. '20 degree conferral)
• Fall 2020 (Feb. '21 degree conferral)
• Spring 2021 (June '21 degree conferral)

Students should check with their academic advisors to make sure all degree requirements have been met. The printed program lists degree conferral candidates for this current academic year only.

Graduate students who have extenuating circumstances are handled on an individual basis. Permission of your major professor and/or department is needed for early participation (summer 2021 graduates). Students unable to attend the Commencement for their year are granted a one-year extension to participate the following year, if they ask to do so. However, we cannot guarantee that students who ask to defer their participation will be able to do so, it will depend on our capacity next year.

Combined BS/MBA Degree Candidates
Students earning a combined BS/MBA are invited to participate in the SEAS undergraduate ceremony.

Combined BS/MS Degree Candidates
Students conferring their MS degree or both BS and MS degrees should participate in this ceremony.

It is recommended that students currently outside the U.S. who are considering returning for commencement should reach out to ISS to review their situation before making plans. Students will need to adhere to the CDC, NYS and UB requirements.

Students earning a baccalaureate degrees as part of combined BS/MS degree are eligible to receive Latin honors based on their UB cumulative grade point average (GPA) on the following scale:

Average (based on 4.0=A)

• 3.20 — cum laude
• 3.50 — magna cum laude
• 3.75 — summa cum laude

To receive the Latin honors designation in commencement program books, and to be eligible to wear the honorific gold cord (cum laude, magna and summa) at the time of ceremonies, candidates for the June degree conferral date must:

• Qualify based upon their UB cumulative GPA through the winter intersession of that year, and projected UB credit hours through the spring semester of that year; standings for Latin honors may change once final grades are posted or degrees conferred.
• Present a minimum of 60 credit hours of UB undergraduate coursework, at least 54 of which must be graded credits (i.e., not grades of 'P', 'S' or 'U').

This recognition is only intended for students who will have their degrees conferred in June, or have had their degrees conferred in the previous February or September.

The gold cords are available for purchase ($12) thru the University Bookstore on North Campus. Qualifying students may purchase their cord at the store; please bring UB ID. Students will also have the option to contact the University Bookstore (716-636-6290 ext. 12) and make their purchase over the phone; in this case, add $7.50 for home-shipping.

Register now for the graduate commencement ceremony. The participation options are as follows:

• In-Person: Graduates who participate in-person will have the opportunity to walk across the stage while their name is announced.
• Virtual: Graduates who participate virtually will submit a slide with personal information and a photo. During the ceremony, each virtual participant’s name will be announced as their slide is shown onscreen both in the UB Stadium and on the live stream.
• Slide only: Students who do not want to participate in the ceremony, either in-person or virtually, can still create a slide to share with family and friends.

To participate, please complete your registration/provide information for your personalized slide no later than May 7. As part of the registration process, you will be able to indicate how your name is pronounced. Names will then be pre-recorded and activated on the day by a unique QR code.

Please note that the university has contracted two technology companies to help facilitate our hybrid ceremonies this year: Full Measure and NameCoach. Any email communications you receive from these companies are related to UB’s official commencement events.

Each in-person student participant will receive 2 guest tickets to the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences ceremony. Details regarding ticket distribution are still being finalized.

International students who would like to invite their parents to celebration their accomplishments should use the template on the ISS website. Guest will need to adhere to all CDC, NYS and UB requirements.