Commencement Information | Drew University

Campus Life

Regalia/Ticket Pickup

Grads can pick up their regalia and guest tickets at the Drew Bookstore starting Monday, May 12. Weekday hours are 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Graduates returning from a distance may also pick up their regalia/ticket package the morning of Commencement. The Drew Bookstore will open at 7 a.m.

Tickets and regalia will be packaged together, and all students will be required to present photo ID at pickup.

Parking

All guest parking will be hosted offsite at the neighboring BASF Florham Park site. There will be shuttles to and from campus.
Handicap parking is available on-site at Drew; all guests are asked to display an appropriate tag or permit.

Guest Reminders

For the safety and enjoyment of all guests, the following are not permitted within the event space:

Any animals that are not registered service animals
Large bags or backpacks
Laser pointers
Fireworks
Signs, balloons, and umbrellas (obstructs fellow guests’ view)
Alcohol
Cans
Weapons of any kind

Please note that Drew is a smoke-free campus.

Additional Navigation

We are looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2025 at Commencement during two ceremonies on

Saturday, May 17, 2025.

Commencement Ceremony Schedule

Morning Ceremony: Drew Theological School, as well as the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies’ Arts & Letters, History & Culture, Medical Humanities, and Health & Society programs.

Afternoon Ceremony: College of Liberal Arts, as well as the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies’ programs in Data Science, Education, Finance, and Teaching.

Schedule of Events:

7:45 a.m.
Guest shuttle service begins | BASF Florham Park

8 a.m.
Commencement Eucharist | Craig Chapel

8:30 a.m.
Theological School Group Photo | Seminary Hall Lawn
Morning ceremony grad lineup | Baldwin Gym
Morning ceremony guest seating opens | Mead Hall Lawn

9:30 a.m.
Morning ceremony begins | Mead Hall Lawn

10 a.m.
Commencement Brunch opens | The Commons

11 a.m.
Morning ceremony concludes | Mead Hall Lawn (estimated run time)

Noon
Commencement brunch closes | The Commons
Afternoon ceremony grad lineup | Baldwin Gym
Afternoon ceremony guest seating opens | Mead Hall Lawn

1 p.m.
Afternoon ceremony begins | Mead Hall Lawn

3 p.m.
Afternoon ceremony concludes | Mead Hall Lawn (estimated run time)

4 p.m.
Shuttle service ends | BASF Florham Park

Seating will open to guests one hour ahead of each scheduled ceremony start time. Seats cannot be reserved, and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for those with tickets.

Ticketing & Livestreaming

To ensure equitable seating for graduate guests, there will be a guest ticket limit for each graduate for all ceremonies.

Each graduate will be allotted 5 tickets, received in the form of a custom wristband to be worn for the event. Children under the age of 2 will not require a guest ticket.

*Wristbands will be distributed to graduates alongside their regalia starting on Monday, May 12 at the Drew Bookstore.*

There will also be livestreaming locations available throughout campus for additional on-site guests.

Friends and family can also view the ceremony from the comfort of home. Each ceremony will be available for virtual viewing on Drew’s YouTube channel and the link will be available here at drew.edu/commencement. Recordings will be available after the events.

2025 Commencement Honorary Degree Recipients & Speakers

Author David Epstein

Addressing the College of Liberal Arts Class of 2025 and Graduates of the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies data science, education, finance, and teaching programs.

Foundation executive Craig Drinkard

Addressing the Drew Theological School Class of 2025 and graduates of the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies’ arts and letters, history and culture, and medical humanities, health, and society programs.

LEARN MORE

2025 Commencement Student Speakers

Jacqualine Chipongo T’25

Master of Divinity graduate from Zimbabwe // Morning Ceremony Student Speaker
During her time at Drew, Jacqualine Chipongo served as the vice president of Drew’s Women’s Ministerial Alliance (WoMa) and as a library assistant at Drew’s United Methodist Library. Jacqualine is an associate pastor at Park United Methodist Church in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Cameryn Brown C’25

Political Science major and double minor in Environmental Studies & Sustainability and Law, Justice, & Society // Afternoon Ceremony Speaker
Cameryn Brown has held leadership roles with SheLeads, the Student Government’s Sustainability Committee, and the Residence Hall Association. She has served as a Community Advisor and worked for the Center for Academic Excellence, University Writing Center, and Office of Residence Life. Cameryn is set to attend St. John’s University School of Law.