Frequently Asked Questions

The virtual Commencement was an online event broadcast on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ET. A link to view the ceremony is posted on the NYU Commencement website. The Class of 2021 will be invited to return for an in-person ceremony when public health guidelines permit us to do so.

The virtual celebration can be viewed through the Commencement website beginning Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ET. 

A video recording of the ceremony will remain on the Commencement website for later viewing.

The virtual Commencement is an all-university event to salute the nearly 19,000 members of the Class of 2021. As such, this ceremony does not individually recognize each of the graduates. Graduates are recognized individually at their school ceremonies.

The Class of 2021 will be invited to return for an in-person Commencement when we are able to re-schedule. Graduates were sent a survey in the early summer to help inform the planning process.

The in-person 2020 All-University Commencement was postponed and will be rescheduled. A survey will be sent to Class of 2020 graduates in early summer to help inform the planning process.

Once a new date is determined for the Class of 2020’s All-University Commencement, we will create a schedule for reserving tickets.

School ceremonies have been scheduled by each school. View the complete schedule on our School Ceremonies page.

The annual cultural and identity-based graduation celebrations were established to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of graduating students of color and LGBTQ+ students. Dates and registration details are posted on the Graduation Events page.

This year, keepsake gowns were available for purchase. This academic attire can be kept and worn at the in-person Commencement ceremony when it is rescheduled. Those who did not purchase gowns at this time will have another opportunity to purchase them in advance of the rescheduled Commencement. More information is available on the academic attire page.

Graduation accessories can be ordered through the Herff Jones website or the NYU Bookstore. These additional accessories are at the graduate’s own expense.

Baccalaureate candidates and graduates, whose cumulative GPA places them in the top 40 percent of their school's graduating class, are named University Honors Scholars, earning them the NYU Founders’ Day Award. University Honors Scholars were notified in early April. They will receive a gold tassel and a personalized certificate, both of which were mailed in the late spring.

Details about Latin honors, including the GPA cutoffs, are on the University Registrar's website. The University does not distribute tassels or cords for Latin honors.

Some schools might distribute cords for certain internal honors. Please reach out to your school with questions about departmental honors.

Students who have up to two courses remaining to complete their degree requirements may request permission to participate in commencement-related activities from their school’s designated academic officer.

Diplomas are mailed to graduates 6-8 weeks after graduation. Be sure to update your mailing address in Albert. For further information, visit the Registrar’s website.

Information about portraits will be posted when the rescheduled Commencement date is determined. For more information, contact the NYU Photo Bureau at photo.bureau@nyu.edu.