2023 Commencement Ceremony

Only May and August 2023 graduates who are in attendance and walk across the stage will have their names read during the ceremony.
https://livestream.com/wustl/browngraduationceremony2023

Brown School Recognition Ceremony

The Brown School Recognition C​eremony ​will take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 5:00pm at the Athletic Complex Field House on the ​Danforth Campus (no tickets for guests are needed). This ceremony is to honor Brown School May and August 2023 graduates and each degree candidate will cross the stage.

The Recognition Ceremony will feature speeches by Forward Through Ferguson’s Jia Lian Yang and Kasey Springsteen, MSW Candidate ’23, and be led by the 2023 Faculty Marshal, Melissa Jonson-Reid and Student Marshals, Connie Flachs, Tremayne Watterson, Mara Mckown, and Jin Lyu.

Participating graduates will need to arrive between 3:00pm to 4:15 pm in WashU Regalia to the elevated track in Sumers Gym for check in. Further details have been sent by email to May/August 2023 graduates from the Brown School Commencement Team. Contact  commencement@brownschool.wustl.edu if you did not receive this email.

Please note that the ceremony is expected to last approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, so please plan accordingly. After the ceremony, allow time for exiting and meeting up with your graduate/supporters, when considering plans after the event.​ Guests are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle to campus as access to bottled/boxed water may be limited.

All-University Commencement Ceremony and Commencement Festival

The all-university Commencement Ceremony will take place on Monday, May 15, 2023, at 9:00am on Francis Olympic Field. Commencement is a rain or shine event. In the event of rain, ponchos will be available to all graduates and guests. Only in the event of severe weather, such as a forecast thunderstorm, will the event move indoors.

Registration is required for all graduates planning on participating in the university wide Commencement. WashU regalia is required to participate.
Registration link and event details can be found here.

Graduates from all the schools are allowed to attend the all-university Commencement. Family and guests are welcome.

Questions regarding the University-wide Commencement event should be directed to the Commencement Office at 314-935-5985, or visit the Commencement Website.

All-School Commencement Festival

Following the University-wide Commencement, the Chancellor will be hosting the Commencement festival for all WashU graduates and their friends and family. The celebration, including refreshments, games, photo opportunities, and live entertainment, will stretch from Mudd Field to Tisch Park. Click here to learn more.

Bring your food and drinks from the Commencement festival to the Clark Fox Forum to mingle with Brown School faculty, staff, graduates and their guests.

Latine/x & Allies Graduation Celebration

Join Mi Gente in celebrating Brown School Latine/x Graduates of 2023. The ceremony will be on Friday, May 12th from 3:00-5:00pm in Brown Lounge. The RSVP link is now closed, for questions please contact jmpullen@wustl.edu.

Parking

Visitors may park in any area of the university parking lots and garages except for those designated as accessible parking or loading zones. For more information, be sure to look at Washington University’s Maps, Direction, and Parking website.

The best parking for access to the Athletic Complex will be in Snow Way Garage (enter off Big Bend at Snow Way) or the Millbrook Garage (enter off Forest Park Parkway). From the Snow Way Garage, you can easily walk to the Athletic Complex from the top level by following the posted signs. 

The Danforth University Center Garage will be for accessible parking only.

Guests are strongly encouraged to take a hotel shuttle, taxi or rideshare service. Shuttles, Uber, Lyft and taxi drivers may drop off guests in Simon Hall lot (168). The lot may only be accessed via northbound Wallace off of Forsyth. To find this location, search for Simon Hall on our interactive map (D4 on the grid). A secondary drop-off location will be directly in the designated pick-up/drop-off area on the south side of Mallinckrodt (150) To find this location, search for Mallinckrodt on our interactive map (F5 on the grid).

If MetroLink is convenient to your hotel or home, it is recommended that you use it. Exit at the Skinker Station, located just east of the Brookings Hall parking lot, to attend the All-University Commencement Ceremony. Exit at the University City-Big Bend Station, at the corner of Forest Park Parkway and Big Bend Blvd., for a short walk to the Athletic Complex to attend the Brown School Recognition Ceremony. MetroLink information is available at http://www.metrostlouis.org/.

More information on visiting campus in May can be found here.

Accessibility

Parking
Accessible parking is available to those displaying a state issued accessible placard or license plate in the Danforth University Center Garage (DUC)(200).  Accessible parking in the DUC Garage may only be accessed via Forsyth Boulevard and northbound Wallace Drive.

For those needing to drop off guests with accessibility needs, please enter via Forsyth Boulevard and northbound Wallace Drive and follow the posted signage to the designated drop-off location.

Accessible Seating
Entrances into the Athletic Complex, Field House are accessible. Once inside, we have marked several chairs on the floor level for accessible seating

Sign Language
An American Sign Language interpreter will be present during Commencement and during individual recognition ceremonies.

Wheelchair reservations
A limited number of wheelchairs will be available for the all-University Commencement ceremony on Monday, May 15 on first-come, first-serve basis available inside the Danforth University Center. Reservations are now open. If you need further assistance please contact the Commencement Office at Commencement@wustl.edu.

Accessibility maps and information about buildings on campus can be found on our Facilities website. Accessibility information for All-University Commencement can be found here.

Regalia and Photography

WashU Regalia is required to participate in all Commencement ceremonies.  Reservations for WashU Regalia have now closed. For questions, please contact the WashU Campus Store at 314-935-5500.

Photography will be provided by GradImages at the Brown School Recognition Ceremony. Individual portraits of each graduate will be taken as they cross the stage and after they exit the stage. These images will be available for purchase. Graduates who pre-register for photos will save 20% off their purchase of $50 or more.

Social Media

During Commencement, share your experiences on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtags #BrownGrad23 and #WashU23; we want to share your joy.

Diplomas and Transcripts

The Office of the University Registrar will coordinate your diploma shipment once your degree is conferred. Please pay careful attention to the information below to ensure delivery of your diploma.

Diplomas will be shipped to your Diploma Mailing Address in WebSTAC. If you do not have a Diploma Mailing Address listed, your diploma will be shipped to your Home Address listed in WebSTAC.

The university offers certified electronic diplomas to all graduates along with your paper credential. Your certified electronic diploma will be ordered on your behalf and will take approximately 1-2 weeks to arrive. Instructions on how to obtain and download your diploma will be sent to your @wustl.edu email address. Your paper diploma will arrive approximately 4-6 weeks after degree conferral, and you will receive notification once your diploma has been shipped. Any additional questions or comments should be sent to diplomaservices@wustl.edu along with your student ID number.

Inquiries

Please email the Brown School Commencement Team at commencement@brownschool.wustl.edu.