The Cooper Union’s 161st Commencement takes place on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 10am.

Watch here live.

See the program.

This Commencement ceremony honors graduates of both the 2020 and 2021 graduating classes!

This year's commencement speaker is Wangechi Mutu A’96.

Cooper Union’s Commencement provides both an in-person and a virtual experience for our graduates and their guests. The events on campus will be live-streamed and a compiled and edited Commencement video will be released in mid-June. For those joining us remotely, links to watch the live activities will be sent out on Tuesday, May 25, 2021. See the schedule for details.

Graduates attending in person will be greeted by President Laura Sparks and Board Chair Malcolm King, walk across the Great Hall stage to be congratulated by their school’s dean, pose for photos, and receive their official diploma. They may then attend a celebration at the Bowery Hotel. These in-person activities will be staggered by school and/or by department based upon your specific academic program. There is no formal in-person program except the walking across the stage.  All speakers and formal remarks will all be recorded and delivered virtually.

For graduates who are not able to attend the in-person, we will offer a number of virtual Commencement options. All on-campus activities will be livestreamed and off-site graduates are encouraged to sign into a virtual space to join in the events of the day. Those joining remotely will be featured on the Great Hall screens and will become part of the overall virtual Commencement video.

For more, see the commencement page.