Guidelines for Harvard Commencement Day

An update from the Commencement Office

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Morning Exercises

Degree candidates will receive a set number of tickets. Parents and guests must have tickets to enter Tercentenary Theatre. Seating is limited, not guaranteed, and cannot be reserved; there is standing room on the Widener steps and at the rear and sides of the Theatre. The sale of Commencement tickets is prohibited. For details, visit https://commencement.harvard.edu.

  • A limited supply of tickets will be made available to all other alumni/ae on a first-come, first-served basis through the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) at https://alumni.harvard.edu/annualmeeting.
  • Alumni/ae and guests are urged to view the Morning Exercises on large-screen televisions in the Science Center and at most of the undergraduate Houses and professional schools. These locations have ample seating, and tickets are not required.
  • Alumni/ae attending their College reunions (25th, 35th, 50th) will receive tickets at their reunions. Alumni/ae in classes beyond the 50th may obtain tickets from the HAA by calling 617-496-7001, or through the annual Tree Spread mailing sent out in March (RSVP by April 15).

Afternoon Program

The HAA’s Annual Meeting, which includes remarks by the president of the HAA, Overseer and HAA election results, the presentation of the Harvard Medals, and remarks by President Drew Gilpin Faust and the Commencement speaker, convenes in Tercentenary Theatre on Commencement afternoon at 2:30 p.m. For tickets (which are required, but free), visit https://alumni.harvard.edu/annualmeeting, or call 617-496-7001.

~The Commencement Office

You might also like

Harvard Graduate Student Union Authorizes Another Strike

The University warns this walkout may not be protected by labor law, an assertion the union disputes.

FAS Readies for Administrative Transition

Faculty leaders say layoffs will yield $20 million in annual savings.

Trump Administration Asks Appeals Court to Restore Harvard Funding Cuts

The government’s lawyers homed in on a jurisdictional argument for its authority to to terminate federal grants. 

Most popular

Harvard Weathers a Year of Turmoil

The federal government has launched unprecedented actions against the University. Here’s a guide.

Lafayette’s Unexpected Gift to George Washington: Pheasants

The two birds will be on display at Harvard this summer.

Trump Administration Will Investigate Alleged Visa Fraud at Harvard

The announcement comes two days after a federal appeals court heard arguments about an international students ban.

Explore More From Current Issue

Caricature of a young man in front of red doors, wearing a green striped sweater.

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

A flooded office scene with computers, a woman working, and a pink sunset backdrop.

A College student’s attempt to recapture the romanticism of the workplace.

Runners compete on a track, with a Harvard athlete in the foreground and others behind.

After a historic 2025-26 season, athletes eye NCAA championships.