a large crowd of graduating students; only the tops of their mortarboards are visible

Spring 2021 Commencement

Seniors, congratulations on completing your degree program at Penn State! You can be proud of this significant achievement, just as we are proud of you. Join us at Penn State Wilkes-Barre on May 8 to celebrate the Class of 2021!

Congratulations to the Class of 2021!

Graduating students, along with their families and friends,
are invited to join us at Penn State Wilkes-Barre for our

Spring 2021 Commencement Ceremony

Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.
in the Athletic & Recreation Building
~ or ~
watch it live online!


There will be a limit of three guests per graduate in order to enable physical distancing and seating accommodations. Graduates will receive an email with a link to register themselves and their guests for the ceremony. Tickets are free, but all persons attending must be registered by Monday, May 3 to receive a ticket. Please note: No one will be admitted without a valid ticket!

Guests should plan for extra time when arriving for the ceremony in order to check in. Graduates should arrive by 8:30 a.m. with their caps and gowns and report to the Athletic and Recreation Building for rehearsal.

For those who are unable to attend in person, the campus will be providing a live video stream of the ceremony beginning at 9:30 a.m. After the day of the event, a recording will be available.*

A professional photographer will be taking photographs of the graduates, and the campus Bookstore will be open from 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. for the convenience of graduates, guests, faculty, and staff.

Each Penn State commencement ceremony will follow state and federal guidelines for gatherings. All students, guests and employees are required to wear face masks and maintain physical distancing from others to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. Penn State staff will be on site to answer questions and provide guidance; please follow their instructions about health and safety protocols. All guests who will be attending a commencement ceremony are expected to take health and safety precautions when traveling and during commencement weekend. In addition, please do not attend an in-person ceremony if within the last 14 days you think you have been exposed, are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, are awaiting test results or have tested positive for COVID-19.

Seniors, please visit the Countdown to Cap & Gown website for more detailed information on graduation and all of your pre-commencement responsibilities!


* Live stream and recording. Penn State Wilkes-Barre IT staff will be recording and live-streaming the ceremony for any family members and friends of graduates who are not able to attend. If you attend the ceremony in person, you consent to being photographed, filmed, and/or recorded.

Please note: Given ongoing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all decisions and plans moving forward will be made with the health and safety of students, their families, and the campus community as the priority and in accordance with state and federal guidelines for gatherings. Our plan will remain flexible and be adjusted if needed based on changing virus conditions or changes in public health guidelines. Graduating students who would like to be tested for COVID-19 before attending the ceremony will be able to do so through the University’s on-demand testing process.