Commencement

Class of 2023

Commencement 2023 – Information for Families and Guests

We are looking forward to celebrating with you at Commencement 2023.

Commencement Exercises for the Class of 2023 begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 13. Seating is available starting at 8 a.m. and is first-come, first-served. Please note that the ceremony takes place outdoors under a large white tent in a grassy area, rain or shine. Please prepare accordingly.

Tickets are not required for the Commencement ceremony, and there is no limit to the number of guests who may attend.  The ceremony will also be live streamed the morning of Saturday, May 13 for anyone to enjoy online.

Each of The Claremont Colleges holds graduation on the same weekend, and accommodations for out-of-town guests are sometimes scarce. It is best to make reservations early.


Keynote Speaker

Nadia Murad
(Photo credit: courtesy of Nadia’s Initiative)

Nadia Murad, 2023 Pitzer Commencement Keynote Speaker

Pitzer College’s Class of 2023 is honored to welcome 2018 Nobel Peace Prize co-recipient Nadia Murad as this spring’s commencement speaker. Murad is the founder and president of Nadia’s Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating for survivors of sexual violence. In 2014 Murad and other women and girls in her village in Northern Iraq were forced into sexual slavery by ISIS. She escaped and fled to the West to become a global activist, an ordeal that she describes in her New York Times best-selling memoir The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State.

Read more here about Nadia Murad’s participation during Pitzer’s 2023 Commencement.


Helpful Information

Announcements and Diplomas

Commencement Forms

Commencement Participation Policy (PDF)

Commencement Week Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

Hotel Accommodations

Intent to Participate Form due April 3, 2023

Regalia Order Form for the Class of 2023 due March 15, 2023

Student Marshals & Honored Guest Nomination Form due March 15, 2023


Additional Information

For additional information regarding Commencement, please contact:

Office of Student Affairs
[email protected]

For information regarding transcripts, diplomas, references, and questions or concerns related to your graduation status, please contact:
Email Address: [email protected]
Transcript Questions: [email protected]

For information regarding financial aid
Please contact the Financial Aid Office: [email protected]