It’s the start of the local commencement season, and we’re beginning at the top.
The University of California, Merced, will celebrate the accomplishments of more than 1,500 students during its Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies, to be held this weekend, May 16 -18, on the UC Merced Recreation Field. The ceremonies will recognize graduates from all academic schools over three days of celebration.
Next week, more than 1,260 Merced College students will be eligible to walk the stage with commencement ceremonies in both Los Banos and Merced, on Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23, respectively. After that, the local scene gears up for middle school and high school graduations in the first week of June.
The festivities at UC Merced begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 16, with the Graduate Division ceremony, honoring 120 students receiving master’s and doctoral degrees. On Saturday, May 17 at 9 a.m., the School of Engineering and the School of Natural Sciences will jointly recognize 600 graduating students. The final ceremony, on Sunday, May 18 at 9 a.m., will celebrate 800 students from the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts.
All commencement ceremonies will be held outdoors, and guests are encouraged to arrive early. Attendees should allow at least 30 minutes for parking, walking to the venue and ticket scanning. Guest seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and all guests must be seated prior to the beginning of the processional to ensure a smooth and respectful experience for all in attendance.
Accessible parking will be available for vehicles displaying a valid ADA placard or sticker. Security measures will be in place at all ceremonies. All guests will pass through metal detectors upon entry, and some may be subject to additional screening and bag checks.
To ensure a safe and respectful environment, the following items are strictly prohibited at the commencement venue:
• Air horns, beach balls, signs, umbrellas, or other items that may obstruct views or cause distractions
• Balloons or inflatables of any kind
• Alcohol
• Any type of smoking or tobacco products
• Illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia
• Weapons of any kind, including firearms and knives
• Drones (UAS – Unmanned Aircraft Systems) or other model aircraft
• Animals, except for service animals
• Backpacks (diaper bags and medical necessity bags are allowed)
For additional details about the ceremonies, parking, accessibility and security guidelines, guests are encouraged to visit the commencement webpage. For those unable to attend commencement ceremonies in person, a livestream of each ceremony will be available online: ucmerced.edu.