Commencement

Commencement at Towson University

Commencement ceremonies occur at the end of the spring and fall terms and degree candidates are invited to participate in the college ceremony in which their degree program falls. 

Winter 2021 Commencement 

College	Date and Time
College of Health Professions  College of Business Economics	Wednesday,  December 22
Fisher College of Science and Mathematics  College of Education	Wednesday, December 22
College of Fine Arts and Communication College of Liberal Arts	Thursday, December 23

About TU’s Commencement Ceremonies

Commencement is a traditional university ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of our degree candidates. Academic degrees date from the second half of the 12th century. The present ceremony recognizing scholarly achievement retains all the essential features of its ancient predecessors. 

Towson University awards academic degrees at the bachelor’s, master and doctoral levels. The university also awards post-baccalaureate certificates and certificates of advanced study. Degrees are symbolically conferred during Commencement, and candidates completing all degree requirements successfully receive their diplomas four to six weeks after the ceremony.

• The doctoral degree is the most advanced earned degree conferred by American institutions. There are two distinct types: the practitioner's degree and the research degree.
• The master’s degree is an academic honor bestowed upon candidates who have successfully completed work beyond the bachelor's degree. A thesis and an oral examination are usually required.
• The bachelor’s degree represents the completion of a four-year course of college-level study and is the oldest academic degree awarded by American institutions of higher learning. The Maryland State Normal School, which later became Towson University, awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 1866.