Please note the room block at the Westin-Waltham has been sold out. Another option is the Hilton Garden Inn:

Hilton Garden Inn
450 Totten Pond Road
Waltham, MA 02451
t: 781-890-0100  (Hit extension 2 for Sales to book a guestroom over the phone)
Click here for 20% discount

Once the booking page pulls up, adjust the current dates to your desired dates and hit the "Update" button to adjust to the rate. 

Graduates must petition to graduate with the Registrar’s Office. If you have yet to petition, please contact the Registrar at registrar@bentley.edu.  

Once you petition to graduate with the Registrar's Office, RSVP and provide your name pronunciation through our Tassel vendor portal. Please use the email address the Registrar has on file, likely your Bentley email. If you are unsure what email is on file, contact registrar@bentley.edu.

Graduates can purchase their regalia from Oak Hall. If you have any questions about regalia, please contact them at customercare@oakhalli.com or 800-223-0429.

Students earning both an undergraduate and graduate degree this year (i.e. Advanced Standing programs) should order master's regalia.

PhD candidates, please complete this form.
 

Graduates may decorate their caps as they wish. They may also wear stoles or cords to accompany their robes. Those are all organized and ordered through the various groups on campus who decided to wear them.

If you have earned or will earn both an undergraduate and graduate degree this academic year (i.e. Advanced Standing programs), you are encouraged to order a master’s gown as it is the highest degree earned. 

While support letters and invitations are not required for the visa process, below are templates, if interested:

Support Letter Template from CISS

Graduate and PhD Commencement Invitation

Undergraduate Commencement Invitation

If you need a status letter which includes your dates of attendance and expected graduation date, please complete this form, and email it to the Registrar's Office at registrar@bentley.edu. 

Bentley University is committed to providing an accessible, equitable and inclusive learning environment. If you or someone you are attending with has accessibility needs, please complete this form by Thursday, May 1.

Graduate students participating in the May 16 ceremony may apply to be the student speaker. Visit this website for details and requirements and the deadline is Sunday, March 2.

Your response to the Pulsifer Career Development Center survey helps strengthen the value of your Bentley degree. If you complete this survey by May 31, you will be entered in a raffle to win a diploma frame.

Undergraduates Conferred in September 2024 or January 2025: Please complete this survey. A separate survey will be available in April for those conferred in May 2025.

Graduates Conferred in September 2024, January 2025 and May 2025: Please complete your survey using the unique link that was (or will be) emailed to you with the subject line Bentley Career Plans Survey: Post Graduate. May 2025 conferrals will receive their email and unique link in April.
 

Yes, in the spring there will be a guide that explains what to bring, graduate expectations, stage-crossing instructions, and more. 

Yes, in the spring we will post a ceremony map to help guide graduates and guests.

Graduates may bring as many guests as they wish and there are no tickets required. Please note that seating is first-come, first-served. 

The ceremonies will be both livestreamed and recorded. The livestream will be accessible on our Commencement webpage and recordings will be available on our Bentley University YouTube Channel a few days after the ceremonies. The ceremonies will also be livestreamed on campus. 

The university will have a professional photographer at the ceremonies and those pictures will be available through Grad Images after the Commencement Ceremony. Photos will be available on the Grad Images website within a 5 to 7 days after the ceremony, but should there be any questions, please contact GradImages at 800-261-2576 or ecc.giservice@gradimages.net. Graduates and guests may not bring their own professional photographers. 

Guests of graduates should park on main campus and all lots will be open. General parking will not be available on lower campus by the ceremony site. Shuttles will also be available that day from main campus to the ceremony site. Please note traffic will be heavy. 

There will be options for grab-and-go food and drink items for purchase. 

Backpacks, large bags, large signs/flags, balloons, air horns and umbrellas are not permitted. Guests may bring small bags, but they will be checked upon arrival. In case of rain, ponchos will be available the day of the ceremony. If you notice something suspicious, please contact University Police immediately at 781-891-3131. 

As a reminder, Commencement is a ceremony that recognizes and celebrates graduates’ many years of hard work and sacrifice. For many, it is the culmination of their academic journey to this point in their lives. Out of respect for graduates and their families, many of whom travel long distances to attend, anyone who disrupts commencement will be removed so the ceremony can continue honoring the graduates.

The Commencement speakers will be announced in the spring.

Yes, a light reception for graduates and their guests will follow the ceremony 

Diplomas will be mailed to graduates following the ceremony. Please note it may take approximately seven weeks to receive your diploma depending on your location. For additional questions, contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@bentley.edu.  

If you have a question about yearbooks, please contact yearbook@bentley.edu.  

If students have questions about the Bahamas trip, please contact GA_Bahamas@bentley.edu.  

Students must move out of the dorms on Saturday, May 17 in the afternoon following the Commencement ceremony. If you have additional questions, please contact housing@bentley.edu.