The Spring 2024 Economics Commencement Ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 15 at 2pm at the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley.  

Please review the 2024 Economics Commencement Program

2024 Commencement Information 

Registration

Economics 2024 Commencement registration is now open.

Students must register by Monday, April 29th, 2024. 

Please click on this LINK to register. 

Graduate Candidate, please click on this LINK to register. 

Commencement Speaker

The speaker for the Spring 2024 Economics Commencement Ceremony is Maurice Obstfeld. 

Maurice Obstfeld is the Class of 1958 Professor of Economics at UC Berkeley. He joined Berkeley in 1989 as a professor, following appointments at Columbia (1979-1986) and the University of Pennsylvania (1986-1989). He was also a visiting professor at Harvard between 1989 and 1991. He received his Ph.D. from MIT in 1979, following degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Cambridge. In 2014-2015 he was a Member of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, and from 2015-2018 he served as chief economist at the International Monetary Fund. Before that, he served as an honorary adviser to the Bank of Japan’s Institute of Monetary and Economic Studies. Among Professor Obstfeld's honors are the Frank Graham Lecture at Princeton, the inaugural Mundell-Fleming Lecture of the International Monetary Fund, the Bernhard Harms Prize and Lecture of the Kiel Institute for World Economy, the L. K. Jha Memorial Lecture at the Reserve Bank of India, and the Richard T. Ely Lecture of the American Economic Association. Professor Obstfeld is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is active as a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Most recently, he has joined the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., as a nonresident senior fellow.

Student Participation

Economics students who have (or will be) completing all coursework in Fall 2023, Spring 2024,  Summer 2024, or Fall 2024 are invited to participate in the Economics Commencement ceremony. We are not able to accommodate graduates from prior years (pre-Fall 2023) or future classes (post-Fall 2024). For students who have questions on commencement participation, please email [email protected]. 

Find more information on graduation requirements on the College of Letters & Science Graduation page here. 

Live Stream

The Economics Commencement Ceremony will be livestreamed on Youtube. Please click on this LINK during the ceremony to view.

Caps & Gowns

Caps and gowns will be available for purchase at the Cal Student Store in the Graduation Department. The Cal Student Store can be reached for questions at 510-229-4703, and is located on 2495 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Honor Cords & Name Cards

Honor cords will be available for students who completed (or have in progress) Econ H195B (Economics Honors Thesis). We will announce the days and hours available to pick up soon.

Economics students participating in the commencement ceremony must also pick-up their name card at 530 Evans Hall. We will announce the days and hours available to pick up soon. Graduates are REQUIRED to bring their name card for entrance into the Greek Theater.

Arrival at the Greek Theater

The Greek Theatre will open for graduates and guests to enter an hour before the ceremony. Graduates and guests are STRONGLY encouraged to arrive early due to commencement day traffic and increased security clearance procedures. 

Additionally, if guests require special seating, please have them arrive at the Greek Theatre no later than 1:00 pm so they can be assisted before crowds arrive. 

The ceremony will last approximately 3 hours. 

There will be no reception following the ceremony. 

The Greek Theatre is open to the elements and graduates and guests should be prepared for varying weather conditions and a range of temperatures consistent with the Bay Area. There are no indoor, temperature controlled areas at the Greek Theatre and guests and students should dress accordingly. Sunscreen is highly recommended, as are blankets and/or layered clothing. 

The commencement ceremony will take place rain or shine.

Security Procedures at Greek Theater

All attendees entering the Greek Theatre will be required to walk through metal detectors at the entrances to the venue; please expect a 20-25 minute wait time to enter the theatre and plan accordingly. The ceremony will begin at 2pm regardless of those waiting to get through security, and we encourage you to arrive early to ensure that you are in your seat and ready for the ceremony on time!

Tickets

Participating graduates are not required to purchase a ticket for the commencement ceremony, and must bring their name card for entrance. 

All guests (all ages) must have a ticket to be admitted into the ceremony. Complimentary tickets for children ages 2 and younger will be available. There is no limit to the number of tickets students or guests may purchase. Tickets will be available for purchase online, by phone, or in person at the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office beginning April 1st. Tickets prices are $10.  Note: the Zellerbach Hall Ticket Office is closed on Mondays.

Tickets will also be available for purchase the day of the ceremony at the Greek Theatre Box Office. The box office will be open from 1:00pm- 2:30pm on the day of the ceremony. Tickets can be bought with either cash or check. Checks should be made payable to "The UC Regents." Please ensure the appropriate number of tickets are purchased, as refunds cannot be processed.


All seating at the Greek Theatre is general admission and is first-come, first-served for guests who are already present (saving seats is not permitted). Guests are also welcome to sit on the grassy hillside above the concrete bleacher seating (note: the steps to the hillside are steep and may not be as accessible for some guests). 

Prohibited Items at Greek Theater

The following items are PROHIBITED inside the Greek Theatre:

  • LARGE BAGS OR BACKPACKS
  • GLASS BOTTLES / ALUMINUM CANS
  • ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
  • COOLERS / ICE CHESTS
  • BABY STROLLERS (designated parking is available inside)
  • SKATEBOARDS / BICYCLES / SCOOTERS
  • MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
  • FIREWORKS
  • NOISE-MAKERS / AIRHORNS
  • ROLLS OF TOILET PAPER
  • BALLOONS (may be tied-off at the entrance gates at own discretion)
  • UMBRELLAS
  • SIGNS / BANNERS / FLAGS
  • TRIPODS FOR CAMERAS
  • ANIMALS (with the exception of documented service animals)
  • LAWN FURNITURE OR CHAIRS (small blankets, cushions, and low-backed stadium seats are OK)
  • ANY ITEMS THAT CAN BE PERCEIVED AS WEAPONS

There is no bag or coat check available. All bags are subject to search.

Parking

We strongly encourage the use of public transportation or carpooling to the ceremony, if possible.  Parking on campus can be limited, and availability and prices may vary.  Please note there is a curbside, drop-off area on Gayley Road just north of the Greek Theatre entrance for passengers with mobility concerns who prefer to minimize the travel distance to the Greek Theatre. 

Payment for parking is CREDIT CARD ONLY - CASH WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Visa, MC, Discover, and AmEx accepted. For more information about parking, see the Parking and Transportation website on Department Commencements here.  Please note that the Economics Department does not manage any event parking.

Accessibility

The Greek Theater is wheelchair accessible. Attendees who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility may be dropped off at the North Gate entrance via the wheelchair ramp in front of the Greek Theatre Ticket Office. Guests should arrive early to ensure seating in designated accessible areas. Wheelchair accessible seating can be found near both north and south side entrances of the Greek Theatre. 

If attendees require accommodation for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Ashley Vera, at [email protected] with as much advance notice as possible.

Live Closed Captions are provided for this event by a Real-Time Captioner. To view the captions, a URL is accessible through the QR Code.


Font size, style, color, and background color can be personally customized from the options at the top of the URL window. Once the event begins, the captions will appear within the window.


To view a transcript after the event, please keep the window open and click on “Transcript” at the top of the screen. Copy and paste the transcript in your preferred word processor.

While the transcription will be entered by a Real-Time Captioner, there will also be an AI translation into Spanish and Mandarin for those who need those. 

Pictures

A professional photographer from GradImages will take pictures of graduates as they receive their scrolls, as well as additional pictures prior to and during the ceremony. There is no obligation to purchase these photos, and information will be available if guests do wish to purchase them from GradImages. The Economics ceremony is not professionally videotaped and no taped ceremony will be available for purchase. 

Diplomas

Diplomas are not given out at the commencement ceremony. Diplomas are mailed about four months after the end of a student’s graduating term. More information on diplomas, graduation verification, etc. can be found on the College of Letters & Science website here and Office of the Registrar website here.

Flowers

The Commencement Group will be the flower vendor at the Greek. They have bouquets and leis for pre-sale plus teddy bears, etc on site. 
Families can pre-order flowers here: https://www.thecommencementgroup.com/uc-berkeley/ and pick the order up when they arrive at the Greek Theatre. 

Lodging

Information on lodging near Berkeley’s campus, and other local accommodations, can be found at Visit Berkeley. For more information on Berkeley campus tours, maps, and directions, please contact Berkeley Visitors Services.

Congratulations from the Department of Economics!