Frequently Asked Questions
Commencement 2025
Friday, May 16, at Prudential Center • 25 Lafayette St, Newark, NJ 07102
Information about Graduate Salutes, how to order your graduate cap and gown, how to customize your graduate slide for the Commencement Ceremony, and how to verify the pronunciation of your name for the Commencement Ceremony will be posted on this webpage in the coming weeks and months.
Please check the Berkeley College Commencement Webpage (BerkeleyCollege.edu/Commencement) for the most up-to-date information.
Students’ eligibility to participate in the Commencement Ceremony is subject to satisfactory program completion. Students who have/will have successfully completed their program/degree by April 2025 can participate in the 2025 Commencement.
- Spring 2024 (August 2024 graduates)
- Fall 2024 (December 2024 graduates)
- Winter 2025 (April 2025 graduates)
Please log into Engage and click on Student Self Service. Scroll down to your personal information and click on the header for what you want to update (i.e. click on email to update your email address). Press OK when you are done to save it.
The Commencement Ceremony emails are sent to your Berkeley College email account. If you would like to have those automatically forwarded to your personal email, click for instructions on how to do so.
Once you complete this, your information will be updated; however, it can take up to a week for this to take effect. Please be sure to check BerkeleyCollege.edu/Commencement regularly for the most up-to-date information on the Commencement Ceremony.
If you do not have access to your Berkeley College login information to be able to access Engage or your Berkeley College email account, contact the Berkeley College Information Systems Helpdesk at 973-653-2180.
Yes, the Graduation Fee is charged to all students, whether they intend to participate in the Commencement Ceremony or not. It is used to process your diploma and not for the actual event.
For more information, contact Student Accounts at 973-200-1150 or saonline@BerkeleyCollege.edu.
Please contact Student Development and Campus Life (SDCL) at Commencement@BerkeleyCollege.edu or 973-546-2925 or reach out to the SDCL Office at your location if you have questions.
WOODBRIDGE CAMPUS
James Marshmon
(732) 289-3885
James-Marshmon2@BerkeleyCollege.edu
NEWARK CAMPUS
Suzeana Stewart
(914) 377-5539
Suzeana-Stewart@BerkeleyCollege.edu
NEW YORK CITY CAMPUS
Suzeana Stewart
(914) 377-5539
Suzeana-Stewart@BerkeleyCollege.edu
ONLINE CAMPUS
Heather Eaton-Dwyer
(733) 826-5609
HED@BerkeleyCollege.edu
WOODLAND PARK CAMPUS
James Marshmon
(732) 289-3885
James-Marshmon2@BerkeleyCollege.edu
Friday, May 16, 2025, at 9:00 AM
The Prudential Center is located at 25 Lafayette Street, Newark, New Jersey, 07102.
There is no Commencement Ceremony rehearsal. There will be numerous staff and volunteers to direct graduates during the Ceremony.
Entrances to the Prudential Center are designated as follows:
- Graduates: The tower entrance on the corner of Mulberry Street & Lafayette Street
- Families & guests of graduates: The main entrance to the Prudential Center is located at the tower on the corner of Edison Street and Mulberry Street
ALL graduates are expected to return to their seats after walking across the stage and to remain there until the Ceremony has ended at approximately 11:30 AM. Graduates’ degrees are NOT conferred until the President announces the conferral and graduates flip their tassels at the end of the Ceremony.
There are no cords or sashes provided for graduating with honors. Your name will be recognized in the virtual graduation program indicating the honors you received.
Students in degree programs who achieve an overall 3.50 average will be graduated Cum Laude; students who achieve an overall 3.70 average will be graduated Magna Cum Laude; and students who achieve an overall 4.00 average will be graduated Summa Cum Laude.
Students in SHS certificate programs (MA, PCT, PN, SPT) who achieve an overall average of 3.50 – 3.79 will be graduated with Honors; students who achieve an overall average of 3.80 – 4.00 will be graduated with High Honors.
Graduation with Distinction is awarded to MBA students who have completed all the requirements for graduation with an overall minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.67 and MSN students who have achieved an overall GPA of 3.8.
If you were part of the Berkeley College Honors Program, a National Honor Society, the National Society of Leadership and Success or are a Veteran, contact your organization directly to receive your cord or sash.
Please keep personal items to a minimum and, if necessary, carry only a small bag that can be hidden under your gown (i.e., a drawstring bag, wristlet, or small cross-body bag). Once you walk across the stage, there is no guarantee that you will return to the same seat!
The Prudential Center only allows the following sizes and types of bags:
- Bags up to 12” x 14” are permitted inside.
For more information please visit: prucenter.com/safety
The Prudential Center is a facility that is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and accessible seating is available. For further information regarding guests in need of ADA accommodations please visit: prucenter.com/ada-guide
Berkeley College will not be providing transportation to the Prudential Center. Please allow time for traffic and parking.
Directions prucenter.com/directions
Public Transportation prucenter.com/transit
Parking prucenter.com/parking
Uber prucenter.com/uber-pickup
Yes, visit prucenter.com/area-restaurants for more information about restaurants in the area.
Visit prucenter.com/where-to-stay for a list of hotels near the Prudential Center.
I recently changed my name; what do I need to do to change it on my diploma and my graduation slide?
- Log into Engage and click on the “Student Self Service” icon.
- On the menu on the left, click on “Self Service,” then “Degree Progress/Graduation,” then “View Graduation Status.”
- If you would like a change to your primary name as it appears in Self Service, you can do so by clicking on the “Change name for your diploma” link. You will need to provide the Office of the Registrar with documentation to process the name change.
Please allow up to 48 hours to receive a confirmation from the Registrar’s office.
NOTE: Depending on the time of submission, the name change may not be reflected on your diploma or the graduate slide.
For more information, contact the Registrar’s office at registar@BerkeleyCollege.edu.
It can take up to 6-8 weeks (about 2 months) to receive your diploma. You can follow up with the Registrar’s office at registar@BerkeleyCollege.edu.
Diploma frames can be purchased at the Berkeley College Online Store at berkeleystore.berkeleycollege.edu or diploma frames and personalized invitations can be purchased through Jostens at jostens.com.
Graduate arrival time at Prudential Center is 7:30 AM. Graduates who arrive and check in later than 9:00 AM will be seated with late arrivals after the ceremony has started.
There are no tickets required for the Commencement Ceremony.
The Ceremony starts promptly at 9:00 AM and lasts until approximately 11:30 AM. All graduates are expected to stay until the end of the Ceremony.
NOTE: There are pockets of construction and many road construction projects in and around downtown Newark; please allow extra time to arrive if you are driving.
The Prudential Center does not allow you to bring the following into the arena:
- Food/drink (with the exception of baby bottles)
- Flowers
- Balloons
(Anyone with these items will be required to discard them before they are permitted to enter)
For more information on prohibited items, visit prucenter.com/a-z-guide.
Guests are allowed, and there are no restrictions on the number of guests you can bring.
For more information, visit prucenter.com/safety.
To request invitation letters for international guests, please email commencement@berkeleycollege.edu.
Yes, you may bring small children. However, there will be no childcare available at the Graduation Ceremony. Please be sure you have a guest who can watch your child during the Ceremony. Children are not permitted on the arena floor or to walk across the graduation stage.