The University of Wisconsin–Madison will celebrate the Class of 2021 graduates as part of special May ceremonies. Graduates are invited to join in-person, and families and guests can join virtually.

The in-person ceremonies are open to all Spring 2021 graduates. Graduates will be asked at a later date to register to indicate their interest in attending.

You must have a green Badger Badge. Badger Wellness Ambassadors will be monitoring the entrances at Camp Randall Stadium to ensure everyone has a green badge to enter. There will be no exceptions. You should test at an on campus testing site either May 5 or 6 and receive a negative test result. Please check your Safer Badgers app for location and hours of testing sites.

Two Ceremonies will be held for graduates only on Saturday, May 8. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed.

Saturday, May 8, Noon 
Bachelor’s Degree Candidate Ceremony
Keynote speaker: UW alumnus and Broadway star André De Shields

Saturday, May 8, 4 p.m. 
Graduate Degree Candidate Ceremony (including Doctoral, Law, Medical, Professional, and Master’s Degree Candidates)
Keynote speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: groundbreaking psychologist John Gottman, PhD

Your Badger Badge must show Evergreen to prove that you have been vaccinated. UHS will need proof that you have received the final dose in a vaccine series on or before Saturday, April 24, 2021.  This includes the following: 

o    Single dose Johnson and Johnson OR 

o    Final dose of two dose Pfizer or Moderna OR 

o    Final dose of internationally approved vaccine OR 

o    Final dose of trial vaccines administered in the United States 

If you receive your final dose in a vaccine series after April 24, your Badger Badge will not be Evergreen and you will need to test negative for COVID-19 on campus May 5 or 6 in order have a green Badger Badge.

You must have a green Badger Badge. Badger Wellness Ambassadors will be monitoring the entrances at Camp Randall Stadium to ensure everyone has a green badge to enter. There will be no exceptions. You should test at a campus testing site the week of May 2 and receive a negative test result. Please check your Safer Badgers app for location and hours of testing sites.

Graduates who are unable to participate in-person are invited to join virtually and celebrate from wherever they are. More details will be provided on virtual ceremony details at a later date.

Reserve your cap and gown through the University Bookstore (click on the graduation tab).

Programs will be available at the ceremony. Copies of the Commencement program will be made available in the Office of the Registrar (333 East Campus Mall, 10th Floor). There is no charge.

Commencement is a cause for celebration, and family and friends are an important part of this tradition. Inviting guests to join virtually is the best way to allow a safe, in-person Commencement experience for our graduates.

The safety and well-being of the campus community led to this decision. It was made in close consultation with UW Health, University Health Services, and Dane County, which has guided our successful COVID-19 response for the past year. CDC guidelines recommend that people avoid travel because of the continued pandemic across the U.S. and globe.

The in-person ceremonies are contingent on continued progress in controlling COVID-19 on campus and in the community. Health and safety requirements will include physical distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Participating graduates will need to be part of the Safer Badgers testing program and show a green “access granted” Badger Badge on their Safer Badgers mobile app for entrance to Camp Randall. “Access granted” signifies adherence to campus safety protocols, including having a recent negative COVID-19 test result on file.  Limiting in-person ceremonies to graduates only allows us to use our proven public health strategy to ensure a safe Commencement celebration.

The commencement ceremony will be streamed live online. The ceremony will be streamed through the University’s YouTube channel. A YouTube display will appear on the commencement home page about 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony. Archived video of the ceremony will be available shortly after commencement weekend.

• You should download the Safer Badgers app.
• UW-Madison has been using the Safer Badgers app spring semester to test students and staff for COVID-19. It manages and tracks COVID-19 test results and allows students and staff with green badges to gain access to campus spaces. A green Badger Badge will allow you to enter Camp Randall Stadium and participate in the commencement ceremony.
• If you are an undergraduate student, you should test May 5 or 6 at a campus testing location and receive a negative test result.
• If you are a graduate student, you should test the week of May 2 at a campus testing location and receive a negative test result.
• It is a saliva-based test. The testing process should take several minutes. Results will be available within 24 hours. They will be provided to you on the Safer Badgers app and via the myUHS portal.
• Your Safer Badgers app will be used by Badger Wellness Ambassadors outside the entrances to prove you have tested negative for COVID-19 or are fully vaccinated.
• If you do not have a green Badger Badge, you will not be allowed in to Camp Randall Stadium to participate in the commencement ceremony. There will be no exceptions.

Commencement ceremonies involve thousands of graduates. Due to the scale of these events, the best way to ensure the safety of our students and campus is to host in-person ceremonies for graduates only, while guests join virtually. In accordance with CDC guidelines, travel to Madison is strongly discouraged to minimize the risks of COVID-19.

Two Ceremonies will be held for graduates only on Saturday, May 8. Both ceremonies will be livestreamed.

Saturday, May 8, Noon 
Bachelor’s Degree Candidate Ceremony
Keynote speaker: UW alumnus and Broadway star André De Shields

Saturday, May 8, 4 p.m. 
Graduate Degree Candidate Ceremony (including Doctoral, Law, Medical, Professional, and Master’s Degree Candidates)
Keynote speaker and Honorary Degree Recipient: groundbreaking psychologist John Gottman, PhD

We anticipate each ceremony to last approximately an hour.

Graduates will be asked to indicate their interest in participating, which will be used to determine the details of each ceremony. Once graduates have responded to the request, campus organizers will finalize plans for the best arrangements for graduates that allow for proper physical distancing.

Physically distancing seating and requiring masks are just some of the ways that we ensure a safe event for all. In addition to limiting in-person ceremonies to only graduates, those who participate will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing.

The in-person ceremonies are contingent on continued progress in controlling COVID-19 on campus and in the community. Health and safety requirements will include physical distancing and the wearing of face coverings. Participating graduates will need to be part of the Safer Badgers testing program and show a green “access granted” Badger Badge on their Safer Badgers mobile app for entrance to Camp Randall. “Access granted” signifies adherence to campus safety protocols, including having a recent negative COVID-19 test result on file.  Limiting in-person ceremonies to graduates only allows us to use our proven public health strategy to ensure a safe Commencement celebration.

No, Class of 2021 graduates will receive their diplomas and diploma covers by mail 6-8 weeks after grades have been entered.

Please refer to this document which outlines what you may bring in to Camp Randall. Items permitted: Bags no larger than 8.5” x 11”, binoculars, cameras, blankets, jackets, items related to a medical condition, chairbacks (not more than 16” wide), flowers (with no glass vase) and diaper bags (with child). Items prohibited (including, but not limited to): Bags larger than 8.5” x 11” (including backpacks), food, beverages, containers, strollers, baby carriers, umbrellas, laser pointers, banners, flags, signs, noisemakers, nooses, ropes, weapons, replicas of weapons, inflatables, laptops, video recorders, monopods, tripods, selfie sticks, drones or any items deemed dangerous or inappropriate. All items and spectators are subject to search. Storage facilities are not available for checking prohibited items. Items left at gates will be disposed of accordingly.

We are still working on the details of the stadium seating and will provide more details soon.

No, due to the size of the event a stage walk will not be possible.

No, traditionally the Camp Randall ceremony does not read names. Graduate degree candidates who traditionally participate in the Kohl Center ceremony, who are attending Camp Randall this year, will not have their names read.

The ceremonies will take place rain or shine. If severe weather is forecast, graduates will be notified of any changes in the schedule such as a delay in the start time. Ceremonies may also be condensed in response to severe weather.

While every effort is being made to celebrate in person in May 2021, there is a possibility that we may have to postpone or cancel due to on-going public health conditions. If any changes are made, we will update graduates via email and on our website.

Graduates will have the opportunity to register to attend and seating will be assigned once attendee numbers are finalized. Graduates will be provided staggered arrival times and assigned sections and/or seats.

Accommodations will be handled per request and all requests need to be submitted by April 23 for consideration. Please contact our office at commence@chancellor.wisc.edu with as much detail regarding the request as possible.

Graduates, families and guests can request a printed program to be mailed to them in June.

The only in-person Commencement activities will be the official graduation ceremonies. In past years, schools and colleges often have held their own events to honor graduates in addition to the campus-wide ceremonies. This spring, however, any additional celebrations will be virtual, not in-person.

The ceremonies on May 8 will be only for 2021 spring graduates. The university is planning an in-person celebration for all 2020 spring and winter graduates for this upcoming fall. More details on the fall celebration will be released as plans come together.

Please contact the commencement office at commence@chancellor.wisc.edu by April 21, 2021 for policy and procedure information.

UW will be continually monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, and all plans are subject to change based on the public health outlook in each community. The university is committed to keeping campus and our community safe and will communicate directly with graduates if plans change.

If you test positive for COVID-19, the app will note that you are in isolation and your access to campus buildings will be denied for that period, including attendance at the ceremonies. If you are not experiencing any symptoms within the last 24 hours of your isolation, you will be able to once again access campus buildings and will be exempt from testing for 80 days.

We are identifying alternative protocols to ensure that you can participate in the ceremony, please contact us directly so that we can provide you with the necessary information when it is available: commence@chancellor.wisc.edu

Even if infection rates in communities across Wisconsin decline, large gatherings on campus increase the risk of infection for everyone. The best way to ensure a safe, in-person Commencement celebration for our graduates is to operate within the same controlled environment that has allowed UW to safely keep its campus open since the fall.

Students who have exemptions in place for the current semester with the Safer Badger testing program should contact us directly for information on how they can participate in the ceremonies: commence@chancellor.wisc.edu

Yes, academic attire is required for participation in the ceremony. Graduates who are unable to attend the in-person ceremonies can also reserve attire to use for the virtual commencement, and for photo opportunities. Please see the University Book Store’s May Graduation Timeline for information on reserving your attire.

PhD, DMA and MFA degree candidates have the option to invite a faculty advisor to serve as their escort. The faculty member would need to also be following the Safer Badger protocols and display a green Badger Badge at point of entry to the ceremony. If the faculty member abides by those protocols, they can attend with the degree candidate.

Only graduates will be permitted in the Camp Randall area. Tailgating, camping, and accompanying graduates to the ceremony site will be prohibited. Commencement 2021 will be attended by graduates only, and families and friends will be able to watch the ceremony online, at a link that will be provided before Commencement weekend. To help ensure everyone’s safety, travel to Madison by graduates’ families and friends is strongly discouraged.

Graduates who are completing their degree requirements within one semester of Spring 2021 can participate in the ceremonies. Complete your Apply to Graduate and indicate when you are completing your degree and that you would like to participate in the Spring 2021 ceremonies in order to be included in the program and receive all of the necessary information.