Commencement 2025

Here's some helpful information if you're planning to attend:

• Invitations and Guests

  Graduates may bring up to five guests each. Tickets will be required for this event. If you wish to bring more than five guests, we will have a waitlist, in which you can request additional tickets. This, however, does not guarantee that we can provide you with the requested number of additional tickets. The availability of extra tickets will depend upon how many students RSVP and how many guests each of those students will plan to bring.

  Please note: Any child over the age of two will require their own ticket/seat in order to attend the event and they will count towards your allotted number of guest tickets.

  RSVPs

  Students must RSVP for Commencement through the emailed invitation which will be sent to your Lesley email account in late January to early February. Please RSVP for yourself and the number of guests you intend to have with you by Sunday, April 20, 2025. If you are having trouble accessing your Lesley email account, please reach out to Lesley’s IT department at it@lesley.edu or submit a ticket through the Help Desk.

  Tassel & Stage Pass

  Students will RSVP for Commencement using Tassel, a graduation software that will integrate and incorporate many major Commencement components.

  All graduating students must bring their cell phones with them to the ceremony. When you register for Commencement, you will receive a unique QR Code which, on the day of, a member of the event staff will scan, during the conferral of degrees. This code will generate your name and name pronunciation, when it is your turn to receive your diploma cover on stage. Please prepare ahead of time and charge your phone before arriving or bring a portable charger/power bank. A small number of charging stations will be available for use at the venue as needed.

  Your Stage Pass can be displayed either by using the Apple Wallet or Google Wallet feature or by taking a screenshot of the QR code once you register. You also have the option of printing your Stage Pass if you prefer.

  If you don't have a smartphone, please contact commence@lesley.edu to make arrangements for a paper reader card.

  Additionally, ticketing for guests will be provided through your Commencement registration. You’ll be able to email each of your guests their own ticket to attend. Please keep in mind that each ticket has a unique QR Code, different from all other guest tickets These tickets will either need to be printed or displayed on a smartphone at the gate. Entry will not be allowed if one of your guests does not have a ticket. Tickets are not required for graduating students, only for their guests.

  Students who are registering guests must be aware that each guest will receive their own individual ticket, each assigned its own unique number. Upon arrival at the venue, please make sure each of your guests has their own ticket with their own specific ticket number. Alternatively, tickets can be printed out, and guests can provide those physical copies on the day of the event.

  Pre-Commencement Slideshow

  We will be accepting graduating student's submissions for a slideshow to be displayed on stage prior to the beginning of Commencement. To make a submission, you’ll need to register for the event via Tassel, in which you can there add a quote, shoutout, gratitude, etc. and an accompanying photo which will be shown along with your fellow peer’s submissions to the attending audience. 

  Please note: The Commencement Office will review every submission and validate all approved submissions. Any unapproved/inappropriate submissions will not be used, and the creator of those submissions will be notified. 

• Commencement Regalia and Honors

  Herff Jones organizes all Lesley regalia/cap & gown purchases. To order, please visit http://colleges.herffjones.com/college/_lesley/.  

  The cut-off date to order is Sunday, April 20, 2025. If you happen to miss the cut-off, a small amount of late order gowns will be available only on a first come, first served basis. Please plan ahead to order on time and avoid being charged late fees or miss your opportunity to receive the order before graduation. 

  For questions regarding regalia/cap & gown orders, please email our Herff Jones representative, Brooke Sheerin, at bsheerin@herffjones.com.

  For PhD Doctoral students, custom Lesley regalia can be ordered at Balfour & Co Buildagrad.

  The gowns are made-to-order and require 6 to 8 weeks for completion. The website closing date is Sunday, March 30.

  The university will provide the hoods to all 2025 doctoral graduates. Hoods will be mailed to students who are unable to participate in the ceremony. To verify your mailing address within our records, please contact the Registrar’s Office at degreeaudit@lesley.edu.

  Honors

  Latin Honors are only awarded to qualifying undergraduate students and given out at the ceremony.

  Cords/Stoles

  Cords are awarded by the individual university programs and do not need to be purchased. While stoles are not required, you are more than welcome to purchase one on your own if you prefer. Latin Honors cords are given out in the student line-up the day of Commencement and are only received by undergraduate degree candidates.

• Schedule, Ceremony Details, and Photography

  Schedule

  All undergraduate, graduate, and Threshold students planning to participate in Commencement on Saturday, May 17, 2025 will attend one all-inclusive graduation ceremony, beginning at 10:00 am.

  • All participating students must arrive at 9:00 am
  • Gates will open for guests at 9:15 am
  • Ceremony will conclude around 1:00 pm

  Post-Commencement Reception

  Directly following the ceremony’s conclusion, there will be an open reception held at the Pavilion, inclusive of all graduating students, their families, and their friends. This will be a time where graduates can connect with their peers, their professors, and university dignitaries. Food and beverages will be served. Please join us for this celebratory occasion once the event has concluded!

  Order of Procession

  Candidates will march and receive their degrees within their designated areas of study and in order according to their degree level, with the Bachelors candidates walking first, followed by Masters, then PhDs.

  The order in which students will receive their degrees by area of study will be as follows: Education, Mental Health & Well-being, Threshold, College of Art + Design and Liberal Arts & Business. If you have questions about what area of study you belong in, please view this table.

  Please note: During conferrals, please do not leave any personal belongings in your seat once you are led up to stage, as you will not be returning to the same seat.

  Areas of Study

  When you arrive for Commencement, you will be placed with your fellow peers within your designated area of study. Additionally, the line-up team will place you in order of your degree levels. Among those receiving degrees within either the study of Education or Mental Health & Well-being, PhD recipients will go first (in alphabetical order by last name), followed by those receiving a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study, then Masters recipients, then Dual Degree recipients (receiving both a Masters and Bachelors degree) and finally, Bachelors candidates. For the non-graduate level degree recipients, the conferral order will be Masters degrees followed by Bachelors. 

  If you are unsure of what area of study/degree you fall under, please refer to this table.

  Livestream

  The ceremonies will be livestreamed on Lesley’s YouTube channel and recordings will be made available on YouTube following the ceremonies. Watch the livestream here.

  Photography

  Professional photography company E-lluminations will be on-site to photograph each graduate as you receive your diploma cover and after you exit the stage. Find additional information and order photos at e-lluminations.com. You can place orders before and after Commencement. Each graduate will receive a link that includes access to your photos and the ability to purchase them. 

  Lesley University does not produce yearbooks, however, you can download your program booklet once it’s posted on this site.

  Stageclip

  If you would like to purchase a personalized video clip of you receiving your degree during conferrals, this will be available to buy for $19.99 via Herff Jones, when you purchase your cap & gown.

  StageClip inquiries can be directed to the StageClip Student Support Center.

• Commencement Participants

  Lesley University offers three degree conferral dates: one in September, one in January, and one in May. The May conferral corresponds with our annual Commencement ceremony. However, graduates who receive their degrees in September or January are invited to participate in the May ceremony. May is the only in-person ceremony/graduation that we hold. There are no formal graduation ceremonies for September or January conferrals, as these students will walk in May with all other graduating students.

  To verify your eligibility/graduation status, please reach out to the Registrar’s Office at degreeaudit@lesley.edu.

Planning Your Trip

See information on the venue, accessibility, hotels, parking, and transportation for the 2025 Commencement.

• Hotels

  Hyatt Place Boston Hotel

  295 Northern Ave.
  Boston, MA 02210
  857.328.1234
  2 min walk
  Hyatt Place Hotel

  Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel

  606 Congress St.
  Boston, MA 02210
  617.338.4111
  4 min walk
  Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel

  Seaport Hotel Boston

  1 Seaport Lane
  Boston, MA 02210
  617.385.4000
  8 min walk
  Seaport Hotel

  The Envoy Hotel, Autograph Collection

  70 Sleeper St.
  Boston, MA 02210
  617.338.3030
  14 min walk
  Envoy Hotel

  Hampton Inn Boston

  670 Summer St.
  Boston, MA 02210
  857.356.3033
  14 min walk
  Hampton Inn

• Parking and Public Transportation

  There are a variety of parking options* including:

  EDIC Garage

  373 Northern Ave.
  Boston, MA 02210

  South Boston Waterfront Transportation Center

  503 Congress St.
  Boston, MA 02210
  857.350.4569
  8 min walk
  Parking Reservation

  Seaport Hotel Parking Garage

  1 Seaport Lane
  Boston, MA 02210
  617.385.4530
  8 min walk
  Parking Reservation

  *Anyone requiring special attention or those who have mobility challenges may be dropped off curbside.

  Public Transportation

  Take the MBTA subway, commuter rail or bus to South Station and connect with the MBTA Silver Line Waterfront (one level above the red line, one level below the food court) to the Silver Line Way. The Leader Bank Pavilion is a short walk from this stop.

• Accessibility Support

  Wheelchair Accessibility

  The venue is graded and accessible. There is a wheelchair lift to access the stage for individuals who need assistance. Please allow additional time. The Pavilion has a team of stagehands that operate these lifts and will assist with any needs.

  Disability & Access Services

  Any guest who may need disability-related accommodations (i.e., vision impairment, hearing impairment, or physical disability requiring use of a wheelchair) should contact Disability & Access Services by phone at 617.349.8655, relay 711 or via e-mail at disabilityaccess@lesley.edu.

  Please make requests for disability-related accommodations for the event in advance, by no later than Friday, May 9, 2025.

  Oxygen Sources

  There are two box seats available for oxygen tanks with outlets for oxygen sources.

  ASL Interpretation

  American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be present at Commencement.

• Venue Information, Guidelines and Restrictions

  Family Member Handing Diploma to Student on Stage

  We regret that we are not able to accommodate this request.

  Animals/Pets

  Animals and pets are not permitted within the venue, with the exception of service animals. We regret that emotional support animals/pets are also not permitted.

  Strollers

  Strollers are permitted in the venue, but we ask that anyone with a stroller sit toward the back, on the far left or far right side of the aisles so that the strollers do not obstruct the fire lanes.

  Bringing Children/Family on Stage to Walk with the Graduate

  We regret that we are not able to accommodate this request.

  Venue Policies

  Venue Bag Policy (applies to all in attendance including students, guests, faculty, and staff):

  • The Pavilion only allows a max bag size of 12”x 6”x 12”
  • All bags are subject to search

  
  Late arriving guests may be held at entrance gate before being seated, until the processional is over.

  Due to the proximity of the Harbor and Airport, the Pavilion does not allow balloons or umbrellas inside of the gates.

  Students should carry limited items as the graduates will not go back to the same seat they started with.

  For more information on the venue, please visit the Leader Bank Pavilion website.

Doctoral Draping Ceremony

• Invitations

  Invitations will be sent in mid to late March to the graduate’s Lesley email address. Please RSVP no later than Friday, May 2.

• Guests

  Each attending student will be allowed to bring up to five guests in total. Please make sure to add them to your registration.

• Regalia and Hoods

  Academic regalia is required. You may order standard black regalia from Herff Jones. The deadline to order is Sunday, April 20. Any order placed after this date will incur additional shipping costs and Herff Jones cannot guarantee an on-time delivery. For questions regarding regalia, please email bsheerin@herffjones.com.

  The university will provide the hoods to all 2025 doctoral graduates. Hoods will be mailed to 2025 graduates who are unable to participate in the ceremony.

  If you’d like to verify your mailing address within our records, please reach out to the Registrar’s Office by emailing degreeaudit@lesley.edu.

  Custom regalia

  For PhD Doctoral students, custom Lesley regalia can be ordered at Balfour & Co Buildagrad.

  The gowns are made-to-order and require six to eight weeks for completion. The website closing date is Sunday, March 30 at 11:59 pm.

• Photos/Livestream & Recording

  A photographer will take a photo of each graduate as they receive their hood and directly after.

  The ceremony will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend in person. To view virtually, please use the following link on the day of the event: https://www.firstchurchcambridge.org/stream/. Additionally, the recorded footage will be made available via Lesley’s YouTube Channel post-event.

• Directions and Parking

  There will be limited parking on South Campus. We encourage students and their guests to park on either Porter or Doble Campus. There will be shuttles running regularly from both campuses to South. To view the Lesley shuttle schedule, please click here. If you'd like to be able to track the shuttles on the day of, you can do so by downloading the Lesley Shuttle app.

  Alternative options

  Public Parking: There are several parking lots in the Harvard Square area that are open to the public. Any charges/rates are subject to the garage. We cannot offer free or discounted parking.

  Public transportation: The Harvard T-stop on the red line is closest to South Campus. It is about a 10-minute walk to First Church Cambridge. There are also several MBTA buses that run a route through Harvard Square.

  Walking: It is approximately a 10 to 15-minute walk from Doble to South and a 20 to 25-minute walk from Porter to South. If you do plan to walk from one campus to another, please anticipate arriving ahead of schedule, to give yourself the time to get to South Campus.

  Drop-off: You are welcome to drop off guests at South Campus before parking. The drop-off address is at 10 Phillips Place. There will be signage directing guests to First Church Cambridge from there. Students and their guests are additionally welcome to use a ride-share app to get to South Campus.

  Street parking: There is plenty of available metered street parking in the City of Cambridge. Spots will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Please be aware that most spots come with a fee and time limit. We urge attendees to pay attention to street signage to avoid any ticketing.

  Accessible parking: Handicap parking is available on South Campus also on a first-come, first-served basis. If you know you will need an accessible space, please contact luevents@lesley.edu as soon as possible and we will contact the Public Safety team.

• Restrooms

  Accessible restrooms are available in First Church Cambridge as well as in Sherrill Library and Washburn Hall on South Campus.

• ADA Accommodations

  Any guest needing disability-related accommodations should contact Disability & Access Services at 617.349.8655, relay 711, or via e-mail at disabilityaccess@lesley.edu as soon as possible.

• Pre-draping Ceremonies

  There will be two pre-Draping ceremonies for students and their guests, one for those receiving their degrees within the Education area of study and the other for those receiving their degree within the Mental Health & Well-being area of study.

  The pre-Drapings are smaller, more intimate, area-specific ceremonies held and hosted by the faculty and staff within your academic program.

  During the pre-Draping, more time is dedicated to celebrating you and your colleagues individually, giving each one of you your own opportunity to be congratulated.

  Pre-Draping: Education
  Friday, May 16
  1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
  Sherrill Library, Room 350
  South Campus

  Pre-Draping: Mental Health & Well-being
  Friday, May 16
  1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
  Sherrill Library, Room 251
  South Campus

  If you have questions about the pre-Draping ceremonies, please reach out to Yazmin Colon Garcia for Education at ycolon@lesley.edu or Venise Murphy for Mental Health & Well-being at venise.murphy@lesley.edu.

  The Draping ceremony will directly follow the pre-Drapings. Students and their guests, along with the attending faculty and staff, will walk over to the Church and line up for the formal procession.