2026 Graduate Studies Commencement

Bard’s photographer will take candid photographs throughout the Commencement festivities, which will be uploaded to the Bard website as soon as possible following the event. Genesee Photo Systems will take formal photos of graduates receiving their degrees. Graduates will be contacted by Genesee to purchase these more formal images.

We ask that all visitors register here so we can account for an approximate number of attendees. Tickets are not issued for Commencement. Doors will open at 10 am and seating in the Fisher Center’s Sosnoff Theater is first come, first served. We suggest that you arrive as early as possible.

Sosnoff Theater has a finite number of seats. To provide the most enjoyable experience for all guests, we request limiting each party to six individuals.

We recommend you check with your Graduate Studies student. Some guests arrive on Friday, while others arrive on Saturday.

Lineup is at 10 am in front of the Fisher Center. The procession begins at 10:30 am. Everyone must be seated in the Sosnoff Theater by 11 am. Commencement ends at approximately 12:30 pm. There will be a reception immediately following the ceremony, located on the portico in the front of the Sosnoff lobby.

Campus Security will direct guests to designated parking areas. Once parked, we recommend you use your phone to pin your car’s location, if possible, so you can more easily locate it after the ceremony or later that evening.

Accessible parking is available, and there are wheelchair-accessible paths between the parking lot and the theater. Golf carts are also available to transport patrons between the parking lot and the theater. Please note that golf carts cannot run during lightning storms or other dangerous weather conditions. If the carts are not running, please request assistance from a parking attendant; the attendant will then ask a staff member to escort patrons to the theater lobby or seating area. Alternatively, drivers may drop off any guests with accessibility needs at our designated drop-off point, located directly in front of the Fisher Center (on Manor Road, by the large glass signs), and parking attendants will likewise ask staff to escort patrons into the building while drivers park. The path from the drop-off point to Sosnoff Theater is shorter and flatter than the path from the parking lot, and it is also wheelchair accessible.

Wheelchair-accessible seating is available for patrons with accessibility needs and up to three guests. There is an elevator to each level of Sosnoff Theater, and a wheelchair lift allows access to front-row wheelchair seating. Please reserve accessible seating in advance using the registration form.

Yes, a livestream of the Graduate Studies Commencement ceremony will begin at 10:30 am on Saturday, May 23, 2026. Click here to watch.

Shuttles will not be available between campus and hotels. Saturday’s shuttles will pick up passengers at the Amtrak station in Rhinecliff. The pickup schedule will be posted on the College’s transportation website, blogs.bard.edu/transportation (under “Special Schedules”). Guests are responsible for making their own return travel arrangements.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services provides a list of helpful tips, which can be found here.

Graduate Studies students must pre-purchase their barbecue tickets online by May 4 and pick them up at the event. To purchase tickets, please click here. When you arrive at Blithewood, please visit the table beneath the Mansion’s east portico for assistance. If you did not register in advance, a limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the door (while supplies last).

We make every effort to accommodate dietary needs. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available at the post-Commencement barbecue and at Kline Commons.

All requests for refunds must be submitted by May 4.

Yes! Find a spot on the lawn and enjoy. Fireworks begin at dark, around 9:15 pm.