2025 Convocation

The Bloomberg School of Public Health holds its convocation ceremony every year in May. All Academic Year (August, December and May) graduates will be invited to participate. The 2025 ceremony will be held on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at 9am at Homewood Field on the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus.

The University Commencement ceremony and the Bloomberg School's Convocation ceremony are separate events, for which candidates will receive separate invitations.

All academic year graduates across all university divisions  are invited to the University Commencement ceremony. At the University ceremony, undergraduates and doctoral graduates will walk across the stage. Master's graduates are recognized in groups by division.

Only School of Public Health candidates are invited to the Bloomberg School Convocation ceremony. All graduates walk across the stage at the School's ceremony.

Tickets are not required for family and guests of graduates to attend the ceremonies. There is no limit to the number of guests graduates can invite.

Graduates should plan to report to Robert Scott Gym (within the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center) on the Homewood campus by 7:15AM to allow time to check in and be seated on the field.

Graduates will need to pass through security before entering the gym to check in. Large bags, backpacks, umbrellas, balloons, posters, banners, flags, and noise makers or amplification are among the items that are not permitted in the gym or in the stadium. A full list of prohibited items can be found on the university’s Commencement website.

All graduates and guests should have a photo ID available.  All purses and other small bags will be searched. This will slow entry into the gym and into the stadium so please plan accordingly.

Gates will open for guests at 8:00AM.

Graduates who have RSVP'd that they intend to participate in the May 21st Convocation ceremony will receive detailed information by email no later than May 15th.

Participating graduates should plan to report to Robert Scott gym (within the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center) by 7:15AM on May 21st to check in.  

Graduates will need to pass through security before entering the gym to check in. Large bags, backpacks, umbrellas, balloons, posters, banners, flags, and noise makers or amplification are among the items that are not permitted in the gym or in the stadium. A full list of prohibited items can be found on the university’s Commencement website.

All graduates and guests should have a photo ID available.  All purses and other small bags will be searched. This will slow entry into the gym and into the stadium so please plan accordingly.

You will receive your "readers" card with your name. This is the card that will be handed to the reader  when it is your turn to cross the stage. Do not lose this card.

Master's student may sit in any seat within their degree group. Doctoral within their department group for the hooding ceremony. Seating charts and staff will be available to help seat graduates.

Captions will be available on the livestream of the ceremony. An ASL interpreter will be located in front of the accessible seating area.

Any graduate or guest requesting ASL should contact the Commencement Office, commencement@jhu.edu, by April 18.

In all situations, a good faith effort (up until the time of the event) will be made to provide accommodations.

The ceremony will have a designated seating area for persons needing ADA seating. Seating is available for the individual with the disability and one companion on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wheelchairs are not available at Homewood Field. For more information or to arrange a wheelchair rental for the event, please call Northern Pharmacy & Medical Equipment at (410) 254-2055.

A limited number of large-print copies of the Convocation program will be available at the accessible seating area. The program will also be posted to this site in PDF format which can be enlarged.

Graduates can obtain a Consulate Letter of Invitation by opening a SEAM case under Records and Registration -> Inquire or apply for graduation topic area. Please include the names and relationship of each invitee in your request.

Yes, the ceremony will be live streamed. The link to the live stream will be available on this page on the day of the ceremony.

Guests will have access to the stadium bleacher seats on a first come first served basis. Graduates will be seated from approximately the 40 yard line forward (toward the stage).

Please note: Guests, including children, will not be permitted on the field during the ceremony.

All students will pass through security before entering Robert Scott Gym (within the Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center) to check-in. Students, faculty, and guests will go through magnetometers upon arrival and are recommended to arrive early to make it through security. Students and faculty should carry their regalia with them as they enter the magnetometers to speed up the process. 

It is recommended that you leave personal items at home or at your accommodation. All bags and purses will be searched upon entering the gym and stadium, and restrictions are as follows:

• Bags and purses larger than 13” x 15”, including luggage, are not permitted. Diaper bags are permitted.
• Backpacks and luggage are not permitted. Please plan to have your large bags or luggage stored at your hotel/accommodation if you need to check out prior to the ceremony. Bags that do not meet the requirements will not be permitted into the stadium and bag check will not be provided.
• Wrapped gifts and balloons are not allowed.
• Signs, posters, banners, and flags will not be allowed inside the stadium for safety reasons.
• Umbrellas are not permitted inside the stadium. In case of rain, please bring a rain jacket. If needed during the ceremony, ponchos will be provided.
• Food and drinks are allowed in the stands but may not be brought onto the field.  Only water will be permitted on the field.
• Alcohol, drugs, and tobacco are strictly prohibited, including e-cigarettes.
• Pets are not permitted in or around Homewood Field with the exception of Service Dogs.
• Knives, fireworks, laser pointers, lighters, or weapons of any kind are not permitted.
• Firearms are not permitted (including non-uniform law enforcement officer and concealed carry permit holders).
• Horns, cow bells, whistles, or any artificial noisemakers are not permitted
• Laser pointers are not permitted

Guests are permitted to bring an unopened water bottle, and a seat cushion or seat back.

Children are not permitted on the field with the graduates during the ceremony. Only graduates are permitted on the field. If you are graduate attending with small child(ren), please make sure you have another adult with you who can supervise and sit with your child(ren). 

Yes, graduates are required to wear appropriate regalia in order to participate in the school-specific and University-wide Commencement ceremonies. 

The regalia order site closed on April 4. Participating graduates who missed the April 4 deadline to order regalia should contact the JHU Bookstore for information about placing a late order

Doctoral students should return the full regalia (gown, tam and hood) to the Homewood Barnes and Nobel by 7pm on Friday May 23, 2025. Masters graduates may keep their regalia or return it to be recycled.

Students who are expecting to graduate in Spring 2025 and who missed the February 21, 2025 deadline should open a SEAM case as soon as possible to request to be added. Once added, students will have access to the application via SIS Self Service (Registration -> Program of Study Information) to review their name selection and diploma address. Students are encouraged to review this information as soon as possible.

Graduates in the MPH/MBA program should purchase both the MBA and MPH hoods. 

Graduates in the DNP/MPH program can wear their their doctoral regalia to both ceremonies.  They should also purchase the MPH hood to wear for the Bloomberg School Ceremony. They should contact the JHU Bookstore to order the MPH hood. If they are only attending the Bloomberg School ceremony and want a less expensive option, they can order the MPH master's set.

Note to dual degree graduates earning both a doctoral and a master's degree from the Bloomberg School: you will participate as a doctoral student and should order the doctoral rental.

The regalia order site closed on April 4. Participating graduates who missed the April 4 deadline to order regalia should contact the JHU Bookstore for information about placing a late order

Students who missed the RSVP deadline should email BSPH_graduation@jhu.edu immediately. We will do our best to add you to the ceremony but last minute requests may not be accommodated

Participating graduates who missed the April 4 deadline to order regalia should contact the JHU Bookstore for information about placing a late order.

If you make no other selection,  your Diploma Name will default to Legal Name on your SIS record. If you added a Chosen Name to your student record via the the my.jhu portal, you may elect to have that name appear on your diploma. You can see both names in SIS Self Service under the Personal Info menu.

You can select either your Legal or Chosen Name to appear on your diploma via the graduation application in SIS Self Service under Registration -> Program of Study Info.

Updates to your Legal Name can be made by logging into SIS Self Service. Under Personal Info -> Summary. You will see a link to the Identify Management form at the top of the page. Click and follow the instructions to submit the proper documentation to update your Legal Name.

Updates to your Chosen Name can be made by logging into the my.jhu portal and follow these directions.

Both updates may take a few days to appear on your record.

Updates to Diploma Name must be made no later than Friday, May 16, 2025 to ensure the correct name shows on your diploma.

No. The School and University-wide graduation ceremonies are held once a year in May. August and December graduates will be invited to participate in the next May's ceremonies.

Diplomas are not distributed at the ceremonies - all diplomas are mailed directly from the vendor and will be mailed to the Diploma Address listed in SIS Self Service under Personal Info -> Summary. Graduates should verify their Diploma Address is correct no later than the last day of the term prior to conferral to ensure the vendor receives the desired information.

Orders are placed about two weeks after the conferral date. Diplomas shipped to domestic addresses take 6-8 weeks to arrive and  8-12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their diploma has been mailed. The email includes instructions on accessing the electronic diploma

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their diplomas held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their diploma. 

***The vendor uses USPS to mail diplomas to students. Based on our experience, delivery to international addresses is extremely unreliable. We will therefore request that paper diplomas bound for international destinations be shipped to our office. These diplomas will then be sent out via FedEx.

Depending on when confirmation of completion is received, certificate diplomas will post to the transcript between one and four weeks after the conferral date. Certificate diplomas are ordered after the conferral notations have been posted to student transcripts. Certificate diplomas  shipped to domestic addresses take 6-8 weeks to arrive and  8-12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their certificate diploma has been mailed. 

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their certificate diploma held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their certificate diploma.  

We expect the ceremony will be two and a half to three hours long. We ask all participants to remain until that last graduate's name is read and faculty have left the stage.

After the ceremony Doctoral students should return the full regalia (gown, tam and hood) to the Homewood Barnes and Nobel by 7pm on Friday May 23, 2025. Masters graduates may keep their regalia or return it to be recycled.

Out of respect for all members of the graduating class, all participants are expected to stay until the last student's name is called and the Chief Marshal closes the ceremony. However, if it is necessary to leave early, we ask you to move quickly and quietly to an exit to avoid disrupting others. Please do not gather in the area of the field behind student seating (it is distracting to speakers on the stage). Please note there is no re-entry upon leaving the stadium.

The ceremony will be held if the forecast is for light rain or sprinkles. Guest seating is not under cover. Guests should come prepared if these conditions are forecast.

Any decision to postpone the ceremony to the rain date of May 22 at 6PM will be made by 5:30AM on May 21. Notification will appear on this page as well as though the Student, Faculty and Staff listservs.

Please visit the Parking and Transportation page for complete details on parking and other transportation options for the ceremony.

We expect to have degrees posted to transcripts by May 30, 2025.  Unofficial transcripts are available in SIS Self-Service under Registration -> My Grades. Official transcripts can be ordered via the National Student Clearinghouse.  For more Information go to the Transcripts and Official Documents page.

Yes, GradImages® will take a photo of each graduate as they cross the stage.

Graduates can pre-register their contact information here.

Questions or concerns regarding photos, can be directed to their Customer Service Department at (800) 261-2576, online, or email ecc.giservice@gradimages.net

Diplomas will be mailed to the diploma mailing address listed in SIS Self Service under the Graduation Application

You must update the diploma address no later than Friday, May 16, 2025 to ensure the diploma is mailed to the correct address.

All diplomas are mailed directly from the vendor. Graduates should verify their Diploma Mailing Address is correct no later than Friday, May 16, 2025.

Orders are placed about two weeks after the conferral date. Diplomas shipped to domestic addresses take 6-8 weeks to arrive and  8-12 weeks for international addresses. Graduates will receive an email from the vendor when their diploma has been mailed. The email includes instructions on accessing the electronic diploma

Students with running balances or financial holds will have their diplomas held with the vendor. Students should submit a case to SEAM once the balance is paid and/or hold is lifted to request the release of their diploma. 

The name that appeared on your RSVP will be the name read during the ceremony.  It is past the deadline to make any changes to the content of the ceremony publications.