Commencement

• 1-3 p.m. | MC/MPA Mason Certificate Ceremony | HKS Campus, John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum
  
  The certificate ceremony is a joyful celebration to recognize the achievements of our graduating MC/MPA Mason Fellows. A reception with light refreshments will follow in the HKS Courtyard (Wexner Commons in case of rain). All attendees must wear their HKS Commencement wristbands.
   
• 3-5 p.m. | Doctoral Program Reception | HKS Campus, Malkin Penthouse
  
  PhD graduates and their guests are invited to celebrate with faculty members and mark this exciting milestone together. Light refreshments will be served. All attendees must wear their HKS Commencement wristbands.

• 9-11:30 a.m. | Class of 2026 Awards Ceremony | John F. Kennedy Memorial Park ceremony tent | Livestream  
  
  Celebrate the Class of 2026 in this time-honored tradition. Graduating students, their guests, and HKS faculty and staff come together to honor recognized members of the graduating class, hear from student speakers, and reflect on their collective achievements. All attendees must wear their HKS Commencement wristbands.
   
• 3 p.m. | Address to Graduates | John F. Kennedy Memorial Park ceremony tent | Livestream
  
  Graduating students, their guests, and members of the HKS community are invited to this special address. The speaker will be announced in Spring 2026. All attendees must wear their HKS Commencement wristbands.
   
• Directly following Address to Graduates – 6 p.m. | Degree Programs Reception | John F. Kennedy Memorial Park reception tent
  
  Graduating MPP, MPA, MPA/ID, and MC/MPA students and their guests gather to celebrate each other and their HKS journeys on the eve of Commencement. Light refreshments will be served. All attendees must wear their HKS Commencement wristbands.

• 6:45 a.m. Guest seating opens for Morning Exercises | Harvard Yard
   
• 9-11:45 a.m. | Morning Exercises | Harvard University campus, Tercentenary Theatre | Livestream
  
  This is a University-wide ticketed celebration. Each graduating student receives two (2) guest tickets. Selected students deliver orations, and Harvard’s Commencement speaker addresses graduates and guests. All graduating Harvard University students participate and sit with their schools. Each school is presented by its dean to President of Harvard University Alan Garber, who confers degrees en masse. Diplomas are awarded individually at the HKS Diploma Ceremony.
   
  Morning Exercises are livestreamed on the University's Commencement website and on the HKS campus in the JFK Jr. Forum and HKS Café. The HKS campus viewing space offers a comfortable alternative to the festive but very crowded Morning Exercises, where guests are unlikely to see their graduates. At HKS, guests have easy access to restrooms and food/drinks for purchase at the HKS Café, and can secure seats earlier in the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park ceremony tent for the HKS Diploma Ceremony, where graduates cross the stage to receive their diplomas. Learn about Morning Exercises on the University's Commencement website.
   
• 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | HKS Café open | HKS Campus, Wexner Building ground floor
  
  A limited selection of food and beverages will be available for purchase. 
   
• 11 a.m. | Guest seating opens for HKS Diploma Ceremony | John F. Kennedy Memorial Park
  
  All guests must pass through security and show their HKS Commencement wristbands to enter the park. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that some seating and standing areas are not covered by the tent.
   
• 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Pre-purchased lunch pick up | John F. Kennedy Memorial Park reception tent
  
  Guests with pre-purchased lunch tickets may pick up their meals in the JFK Memorial Park reception tent between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Please present your lunch ticket at pick up. Learn how to purchase a guest lunch for Commencement Day. 
   
• 12:45-1 p.m. | Graduate procession to HKS Diploma Ceremony
   
• 1-3 p.m. | HKS Diploma Ceremony | John F. Kennedy Memorial Park ceremony tent | Livestream
  
  Held directly following Morning Exercises, this joyful ceremony is livestreamed on the Harvard Commencement website and in the JFK Jr. Forum and HKS Café. Graduates are recognized individually and receive their diplomas on stage at this special celebration. All attendees must wear their HKS Commencement wristbands.

HKS does not limit the number of guests a graduate may bring to Commencement Week events. For security purposes, however, all graduates and guests must wear HKS Commencement wristbands to enter these events.

• Graduates will receive their guests’ wristbands in May when they pick up their tickets to the University-wide Morning Exercises.
   
• Before each event, HKS staff will be in the Wexner/Sunshine Lobby and at the JFK Memorial Park entrances to assist guests who still need wristbands.
   
• Guests must show their wristbands to enter HKS campus buildings and events in JFK Memorial Park.
   
• Wristbands must be worn until all Commencement Week events have ended. Supplies are limited and replacements may not be available.
   
• Wristbands are designed for durability. When putting on the wristband: do not move the black tightener until the wristband is on the wrist. Once the tightener is moved at all, it cannot be loosened or removed.

The University-wide Morning Exercises take place on Commencement Day morning (Thursday, May 28) and is a ticketed event. Each graduate receives two (2) guest tickets.

• HKS Commencement wristbands do not grant entry to Morning Exercises.
   
• Children 3 years old or younger who sit on an adult's lap do not need a ticket.

Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programming and activities.

Graduating HKS students will be asked to submit a form in March 2026 to request accessible seating and other accommodations for their guests. The University will make every effort to secure services, but they are subject to availability.

Live captioning is provided at the Class of 2026 Awards Ceremony, Address to Graduates, and HKS Diploma Ceremony.

Graduates and their guests often wear business casual attire or traditional clothing from their home countries or regions.

The Degree Programs Reception and Morning Exercises take place on grass, so please plan footwear accordingly. Waterproof shoes are recommended in case of rain. 

Graduates must wear required Harvard regalia for all Commencement Day events.

The schedule of events will indicate whether food and refreshments are provided.

Guests’ lunch on Commencement Day

Graduates may purchase grab-and-go lunch tickets for their guests in advance by (deadline to be confirmed). Lunch tickets are $25 each, are available in meat, vegan, or kosher options, and include a beverage and dessert. Guests pick up their lunches 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the JFK Memorial Park reception tent, before the HKS Diploma Ceremony. 

Guests may also purchase food/drinks at the HKS Café on Commencement Day.

Purchase Commencement Day lunch ticket(s) for guests by (deadline to be confirmed).

Children are welcome at all Commencement Week events. Stroller and child-friendly details as well as information on baby changing stations and lactation rooms are listed below. 

Tuesday, May 26

• MC/Mason Certificate Ceremony
  Space in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum is limited; strollers are not recommended.

Wednesday, May 27 | HKS Class Day

• Class of 2026 Awards Ceremony 
  Strollers are not permitted in the JFK Memorial Park ceremony tent. Staff in red t-shirts will direct guests to the designated stroller parking area.
   
• Address to Graduates
  Strollers are not permitted in the JFK Memorial Park ceremony tent. Staff in red t-shirts will direct guests to the designated stroller parking area.
   
• Degree Programs Reception 
  Strollers are welcome in the JFK Memorial Park reception tent. Lawn games and other toys will be set up along the Charles River-facing side of the reception tent. Children must be supervised at all times.

Thursday, May 28 | Commencement Day

• Morning Exercises
  Children three years old or younger who are comfortable sitting on adults’ laps may attend without a ticket.
  - Backpacks of any type are prohibited
  - Bags must be 12"x12"x12" or smaller
  - Strollers are permitted only within the Old Yard and may not be brought into Tercentenary Theater
   
• HKS Diploma Ceremony
  Strollers are not permitted in the JFK Memorial Park ceremony tent. Staff in red t-shirts will direct guests to the designated stroller parking area. A children’s area with lawn games will be available in JFK Memorial Park next to the information tent. Children must be supervised at all times and stay in the guest areas.

Baby changing stations 

Baby changing stations are available in these HKS campus bathrooms:

Littauer Building

• Ground floor, men's bathroom, in accessible stall
• Ground floor, women's bathroom, in accessible stall
• 1st floor, single-user bathroom (all genders)
• 1st floor, men's bathroom off the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, in accessible stall
• 1st floor, women's bathroom off the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, in accessible stall
• 2nd floor, single-user bathroom (all genders)

Belfer Building

• 2.5 floor, single-user bathroom (all genders)

Lactation rooms

Lactation rooms are available throughout the University. To access a lactation room during Commencement Week, open the "Registration" drop-down menu and complete the lactation room registration form.

Prayer and meditation space is available on the HKS campus in the Littauer Building ground floor (L-G28). The meditation room with an attached ablution facility provides space for quiet reflection, meditation, and prayer throughout the day. HKS welcomes all practices and faiths in this space. 

The safety of our graduates, guests, and the HKS community is our top priority, including during events impacted by severe weather. Continue to visit this page for any potential weather-related impacts to HKS programming during Commencement Week.

Guests who will attend Commencement Week events in person are strongly encouraged to sign up to receive Harvard University's MessageMe text alerts.

Text HARVARDALERT to #333111 to enroll.

MessageMe text alerts will be used to communicate changes in programming due to severe weather as well as other important information in case of an emergency.

Air travel

This Commencement, HKS asks that you consider buying carbon offsets to mitigate the negative climate and health impacts of air travel if you are flying into Cambridge.

The School’s Sustainability Leadership Council has identified two platforms, Atmosfair and Wren, that provide a way to calculate your greenhouse gas emissions impact from air travel and purchase carbon offsets. There are many other ways to offset the climate impacts of your air travel. Harvard University does not endorse any provider of carbon offsets or other vendor.

HKS will purchase carbon offsets for the Class of 2026 Address to Graduates speaker.

Food-related

Harvard uses more than 250 local farmers to supply food for our campuses’ events and community members throughout the year. We select our menus based on seasonal availability to make sure we are able to provide more climate-friendly foods for our community.

Harvard University Dining Services partners with the local nonprofit, Food For Free, to collect and donate leftover food to distribute to more than 100 food donation programs for the food-insecure.

Plastic/water-related

HKS has been working to reduce plastic waste in our on-campus operations, limit the amount of plastic that arrives on campus, and collaborate with our vendors to change their purchasing practices to more climate and health-friendly products with less plastic.

HKS no longer serves individual plastic water bottles at Commencement. Instead, we offer water trucks in John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, where compostable cups will be available. We also encourage you to bring your own reusable water bottles.

The forks, knives, spoons, plates, and napkins at this year’s Commencement are 100 percent compostable. Please use the green compostable bins to reduce our waste streams.

Landscaping

Harvard’s campuses are part of a larger, interconnected ecosystem, and the actions we take have ripple effects on our natural environment.

Harvard helps to protect and enhance the ecosystems and green spaces that our University owns, manages, and impacts to enhance regional biodiversity and personal wellbeing. The majority of Harvard’s landscaped areas use an organic landscaping program free of pesticides.

Paper

Harvard Commencement is reducing its paper use to save trees. We are printing fewer materials and moving more information online to reduce our paper footprint.