Baccalaureate Service
Watch previous ceremonies
The Baccalaureate Service is a multifaith celebration of undergraduate commencement. Service highlights include hymns, musical selections, readings, and reflections by students from diverse faith traditions. The ceremony features a procession that includes undergraduate degree candidates from Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of General Studies, and Barnard College.
All undergraduate degree candidates and their guests are invited to attend. Learn more
Ceremony Details
Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025
Time: 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. ET (Guest seating opens at 9:15 a.m. ET)
Location: St. Paul's Chapel | Morningside Campus (117th and Amsterdam Avenue)
Anyone unable to attend in person is welcome to tune into the live stream on this page.
Ceremony Website: https://religiouslife.columbia.edu/baccalaureate
Contact:
Religious Life Team
[email protected]
212-854-2184
Tessa McGowan
[email protected]
212-854-5714
Registration
Graduating seniors are invited and encouraged to be a part of the Baccalaureate Service each year. Students are required to register if they wish to participate and are encouraged to invite friends and family to attend. Seating within the Chapel prioritizes the graduating students. A ticket to the event does not guarantee seating within the venue.
Registration information will be available soon.
Student Participants
- Speaker
- Alexis Brown
- School
- Barnard College
- Faith Tradition
- Episcopal
- Speaker
- Austin Carr
- School
- Columbia College
- Faith Tradition
- Catholic
- Speaker
- Gowoo (Bokyung Jeon)
- School
- School of General Studies
- Faith Tradition
- Buddhist
- Speaker
- Josephine Koch
- School
- School of General Studies
- Faith Tradition
- Christian
- Speaker
- Yoni Kurtz
- School
- Columbia College
- Faith Tradition
- Jewish
- Speaker
- Ahmed Mahmud
- School
- School of Engineering and Applied Science
- Faith Tradition
- Muslim
- Speaker
- Aswhin Marathe
- School
- Columbia College
- Faith Tradition
- Hindu
- Speaker
- Hooper Markert
- School
- Columbia College
- Faith Tradition
- Baha'i
- Speaker
- Shaurir Ramanujan
- School
- Columbia College
- Faith Tradition
- Hindu
- Speaker
- Becca Weiss
- School
- Columbia College
- Faith Tradition
- Jewish
History
The Baccalaureate Service is believed to have originated at Oxford University in 1432 when each bachelor was required to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of his academic exercise. This historical British practice continued with the earliest universities in this country, which were founded primarily to educate ministers. Columbia University began this tradition in 1897 and the ceremony continues today as an interfaith, intercultural service celebrating each undergraduate's academic career.
Accessibility
Columbia University is committed to ensuring that all Commencement activities are accessible to all graduates and guests. Closed captions, a full transcript of the ceremony, and a downloadable PDF program will be available above.
If you have any questions, please contact Disability Services.
This service is coordinated jointly by the Earl Hall Center for Religious Life and University Ceremonies. Learn more about the Office of Religious Life and the Baccalaureate Service.