Commencement

Commencement is one of life’s milestone occasions — and a time to celebrate your accomplishments.

Ceremonies recognizing candidates' completion of doctoral, master's, and baccalaureate degrees occur in the spring and winter each year.

Spring Commencement

Watch the Ceremonies

Spring Ceremony Schedule

Spring 2023 commencement ceremonies celebrating the accomplishments of Towson University degree candidates who are approved to graduate at the end of the spring or summer semesters will take place in SECU Arena.

Wednesday, May 24

  • 10 a.m. College of Business & Economics (CBE), University Commencement
  • 3 p.m. College of Liberal Arts (CLA)

Thursday, May 25

  • 10 a.m. College of Education (COE)
  • 3 p.m. College of Health Professions (CHP) 

Friday, May 26 

  • 10 a.m. College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC) 
  • 3 p.m. Fisher College of Science & Mathematics (FCSM) 

Shavuot begins at sunset on Thursday, May 25 and ends at sundown on Saturday, May 27. Towson University will work with degree candidates to ensure those who are observant and their families can celebrate their accomplishments. Degree candidates who would like to participate in an alternate ceremony or make another request related to their observance of Shavuot may email the for assistance.

Download the Commencement guide for details about when to make restaurant reservations after the ceremony, flower and gift vendors, programs, tassels, tickets, accessibility, and more.  

Get the Event App

Participating in Commencement

Degree candidates who have been approved to graduate as a result of completing all of their degree requirements in the Minimester or Spring semester are permitted to participate in a May Commencement ceremony.

Degree candidates who have been approved to graduate as a result of completing all of their degree requirements in the Summer or Fall semester are permitted to participate in a December Commencement ceremony.

Learn more about Ceremony Eligibility.

keepsake programs

Greening Commencement

TU is committed to addressing climate change and creating a more sustainable future. In an effort to honor our mission to reduce waste, the Spring 2023 Commencement program will be provided in a digital format at the ceremony. Candidates approved to graduate this Spring may submit an online request (TUID log-in required) by May 15 for up to two complementary printed programs  for delivery shortly after Commencement.

About Commencement at TU

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 1935. From 1866-1934, graduates earned two-year or three-year diplomas, based on the customary length of teacher training programs in that time period.