Commencement 2026

The following invitation-only events will be held on South Campus.

Threshold Program Ceremony and Celebration

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Washburn Auditorium

Doctoral Draping and Commencement Ceremony

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
St. John’s Chapel

• Invitations will be sent in mid to late March. RSVP deadline is Friday, May 1.
• Each attending doctoral student may bring up to four guests.
• The ceremony will be livestreamed, and recordings will be available afterward.

Pre-Draping Ceremonies

Pre-Draping ceremonies will be held for Education and Mental Health & Well-being students:

Education
Friday, May 15
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Sherrill Library, Room 350

Mental Health & Well-being
Friday, May 15
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Sherrill Library, Room 250

All ceremonies will take place on the South Quad.

• 9:00 a.m. – Mental Health and Well-Being graduates
• 11:00 a.m. – Education, Liberal Arts and Design, Liberal Arts and Business graduates
• 1:00 p.m. – Mental Health and Well-Being and Education undergraduates
• 3:00 p.m. – Liberal Arts and Design, Liberal Arts and Business, and Threshold undergraduates

Ceremony Details

• Graduates must arrive no later than 45 minutes prior to their ceremony start time.
• Guest seating will open 45 minutes before each ceremony.
• Each ceremony will last approximately one hour.
• Late-arriving guests may be held at the entrance gate until the processional concludes.
• Graduates should carry limited personal items, as they may not return to the same seat after crossing the stage.
• Personal belongings should not be left unattended during conferrals.

Graduates may bring up to four guests. Tickets are required for all guests.

Students may request additional tickets through a waitlist during registration. Availability of additional tickets will depend on overall RSVPs and guest counts and is not guaranteed.

Any child over the age of two requires their own ticket and will count toward the graduate’s allotted guest total. Tickets are not required for graduating students, only for guests.

Guest tickets will be distributed through the Commencement registration system. Graduates will be able to email individual tickets to each guest. Each ticket contains a unique QR code and must be printed or displayed on a smartphone at entry. Guests without a ticket will not be admitted.

Students must RSVP through the emailed invitation sent to their Lesley email account in mid-February.

The deadline to RSVP for yourself and your guests is Sunday, April 19, 2026.

If you are unable to access your Lesley email account, please contact IT at it@lesley.edu or submit a Help Desk ticket.

Commencement registration will be managed through Tassel, Lesley’s graduation software platform.

All graduating students must bring a charged cell phone to the ceremony. Upon registration, each student will receive a unique QR code. During degree conferral, event staff will scan this code to generate the graduate’s name and pronunciation as they cross the stage to receive their diploma cover.

Students may:

• Add their Stage Pass to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet
• Take a screenshot of the QR code
• Print their Stage Pass

If you do not have a smartphone, contact commence@lesley.edu to arrange for a paper reader card.

Graduates may submit a photo and a quote, shoutout, or message through Tassel as part of their registration. Submissions will be included in a slideshow displayed prior to the start of each ceremony.

All submissions will be reviewed by the Commencement Office. Unapproved or inappropriate content will not be used, and students will be notified.

Tassel will manage regalia ordering, including doctoral regalia. Additional ordering details will be shared soon.

The university will provide hoods for all 2026 doctoral graduates. Hoods will be mailed to those unable to participate. To verify your mailing address, contact the Registrar’s Office at help@lesley.edu.

Latin Honors are awarded to qualifying undergraduate students and recognized during the ceremony.

Program-specific cords are awarded by individual academic programs and do not need to be purchased. Latin Honors cords are distributed during lineup on the day of Commencement.

Stoles are optional and may be purchased independently if desired.

The order of degree conferral will be shared in advance. Students with questions about their academic area should consult the designated area-of-study table.

During conferrals, graduates should not leave personal belongings in their seats, as they may not return to the same location.

Professional photographers will photograph each graduate during and immediately after crossing the stage. Ordering information will be provided before and after the ceremony. Graduates will receive a link to access and purchase photos.

Information about purchasing a personalized conferral video clip will be shared soon.

Lesley does not produce a yearbook; graduates may download the official program booklet once available on this site.

Following each ceremony, a reception will be held in Washburn Commons or Sherrill Library. Graduates, families, friends, faculty, and university dignitaries are invited. Food and beverages will be served.

Lesley confers degrees in September, January, and May. The May conferral corresponds with the annual Commencement ceremony.

Graduates receiving degrees in September or January are invited to participate in the May ceremony. May is the university’s only in-person Commencement ceremony.

To verify eligibility or graduation status, contact the Registrar’s Office at help@lesley.edu.

Sheraton Commander

16 Garden Street, Cambridge
2–3 minute walk
617.547.4800

Cambria Hotel Boston Somerville

515 Somerville Ave., Somerville
10 minute drive
617.341.9040

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Boston Cambridge

400 Soldiers Field Road, Boston
10 minute drive
617.783.0090

Hotel 1868

1868 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
15–20 minute walk
617.499.2998

Porter Square Hotel

1924 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
15–20 minute walk
617.499.3399

Multiple parking garages are available within walking distance:

• 10 Everett Street Garage
• 52 Oxford Street Garage
• Harvard Square Garage

Additional parking is available at the University Hall Parking Lot on Porter Campus.

Lesley shuttles will operate on multiple loops throughout Commencement. Shuttle schedules and stops will be posted soon.

Metered street parking is available throughout Cambridge on a first-come, first-served basis. Fees and time limits apply.

Guests with mobility challenges may be dropped off curbside at South Campus.

Public transportation via MBTA subway, commuter rail, and bus is available to Harvard Square and Porter Square.

South Campus is fully accessible. A wheelchair ramp is available for stage access. Volunteers will be on hand to assist.

Guests requiring disability-related accommodations should contact Disability & Access Services at 617.349.8655, relay 711, or disabilityaccess@lesley.edu by Friday, May 8, 2026.

ASL interpreters will be present.

Accessible restrooms are available in St. John’s Chapel, Sherrill Library, and Washburn Hall.

• No banners, flags, or signs under the tent or in campus buildings
• Balloons and umbrellas permitted on campus but not under the main tent
• Animals and pets are not permitted, except service animals
• Emotional support animals are not permitted
• Strollers must be left outside the main tent
• Family members may not accompany graduates on stage
• Guests may not hand diplomas to graduates on stage