President Biddy Martin will host a virtual celebration for the class of 2020 on Sunday, May 31 at 11 a.m. EDT. The event will be live-streamed here on this page and will not require on-camera participation from graduates. Additional information is available in the FAQ section below.
(Total running time is under an hour.)
In the spring of 2021, Amherst College will hold two distinct commencements, one for the class of 2021, and an in-person Commencement for the class of 2020. Confirmation of the exact date will be shared with families as soon as possible.
We are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that you can all be here to celebrate — and be celebrated —together. Learn more in President Martin’s letter to the Class of 2020.
Read President Biddy Martin’s letter to the Class of 2020 announcing a virtual celebration on May 31, 2020, and an on-campus celebration in 2021.
On May 31, the College will recognize and honor this year’s graduates from afar in a virtual Celebration of the Class of 2020. Here are some facts and figures about the students and the event.
The virtual celebration for the class of 2020 will be live-streamed here on this page (shortcut: Amherst.edu/go/2020), and a recording of the event will be posted within a few days. The live stream will be publicly viewable (no log in required).
We are saving the reading of names for the on-campus event in spring 2021, however, the names of the class of 2020 will scroll on the screen at the conclusion of the event so that each graduate can note their individual achievement.
Regalia for the class of 2020 will be provided when graduates return to campus for the 199th Commencement in spring 2021. A mortar board (graduation cap) and tassel will be mailed to all seniors for the celebration of the class of 2020 on Sunday, May 31, to the address provided for their diploma.
Graduates will receive their diplomas in late June to the mailing address they provided to the Registrar's Office using NameCoach. The diplomas will be dated May 31, 2020.
Herff Jones has been authorized to offer personalized announcements and diploma frames for graduating Amherst seniors. Additional information can be found at www.herffjones.com/graduation. Amherst College diplomas are 10"x13".
The exact date has not been determined, but we are planning to hold the on-campus Commencement for the Class of 2020 in spring 2021. We will determine the exact date as soon as we can.
Congratulate your Amherst grad with a fun lawn sign from the College’s own Campus Print and Mail service.
On June 6, join our virtual celebration of our graduating first-generation seniors and their families!
Austin Huot, Commencement director, and the staff in the office of conferences and special events (CASE) coordinate the annual Commencement activities. Please contact CASE at (413) 542-2845 or events@amherst.edu if you have questions about Commencement.
Find speeches, photos and multimedia from previous years in our Commencement archive.
2021: Sunday, May 23
2022: Sunday, May 22
2023: Sunday, May 21
