Graduation and commencement
Graduation and Commencement Information
All OMBA students who graduate in January, May, or August are invited to participate in Boston University’s annual Commencement Weekend in May of the given calendar year.
May 2026 Commencement Weekend will take place May 14-17, 2026.
Tentative schedule for 2026 commencement events (all dates, times, and locations are subject to change)
OMBA Open House & Studio Tours
10:00 - 12:00pm, 540 Commonwealth Ave | Additional event details TBA
Questrom Convocation Ceremony
6:00 - 8:30pm, Agganis Arena (925 Commonwealth Ave) | Additional event details will be shared in March 2026
OMBA Commencement Brunch
10:00 - 12:00pm, Hotel Commonwealth (500 Commonwealth Ave) | Additional event details TBA
All-University Commencement
1:00 - 3:00pm, Nickerson Field (285 Babcock St) | See here for more - https://www.bu.edu/commencement/sessions/all-university-commencement/
Please view and bookmark the following websites – these will be updated regularly between now and commencement weekend and are great resources to refer to with questions. Stay tuned for more info!
All students should refer to the Graduation and/or Diploma Knowledge articles available in OMBA Link for any frequently asked questions.
Introducing OMBA’s Regalia Recycle Project!
For the very first time, we are excited to introduce the OMBA Regalia Recycle Project! This initiative came to life thanks to OMBA alum Kaitlin Dumont (QST ’23) and 2025 OMBA graduate Ruth Steyn who wore the same cap & gown at their respective convocations. The OMBA Regalia Recycle Project is a shared spreadsheet that owners of Questrom regalia can fill out if they are interested in passing their cap & gown on to future OMBA alumni. It is meant to facilitate a process similar to Kaitlin and Ruth’s experience, it is the responsibility of each party to coordinate the transfer of the regalia. Feel free to enter your information to share with future OMBA graduates and partake in the OMBA Regalia Recycle Project!
*Note – please DO NOT edit others’ line entries. The only changes that should be made are to column J, the status column indicating if regalia is available or has been recycled. Do NOT delete entire lines to avoid confusion for others.*
Information for 2026 graduates
You can find detailed information about planning your visit to Boston on the BU Commencement website: https://www.bu.edu/commencement/visit/. Please be advised that this will be a busy weekend across the city, so we encourage students to book their travel and accommodations soon.
If you or your family require a visa to enter the United States and need a letter of invitation from Boston University, please reach out to your Success Specialist by submitting a new ticket through the Support tab on OMBA Link.
You will have a task assigned to your MyBU Student Dashboard by the Registrar’s Office about 30 days prior to your official graduation date. When you receive that notice, please log in to the MyBU Portal and follow the instructions within that task requirement. This task will confirm your mailing address, the name printed on your diploma, and your phone number. Please review this information carefully and click complete once you have verified the information is true.
We’re aware that summer modules will be underway during Commencement Weekend and have alerted the teaching teams to allow flexibility for assignments that weekend to accommodate student travel as a one-time exception to OMBA’s late submission policy.
While participating in the commencement ceremonies in May is a very special and exciting time for folks, we know that September will also be a time for celebration for many, as folks complete will all of your program requirements with the conclusion of the Summer 2026 semester. We will be hosting a virtual celebration for the Class of 2026 sometime in early Fall, so keep an eye on your BU email for more information later in the summer!
Honors will be automatically awarded to graduates whose cumulative Questrom grade point average (CGPA) is 3.55 or higher. High honors will be awarded to graduates whose Questrom CGPA is 3.70 or higher. Students who attend Commencement will be given honors cords to wear with their regalia when they check in for the event on Friday evening. Unfortunately, we are unable to mail cords out to students who do not attend. All students who graduate with honors will have their designation printed on their diplomas. Students who are enrolled in a summer mod will be recognized at Commencement with their current cumulative GPA, and final GPAs will be recalculated at the end of the summer term prior to diploma printing.
Questrom has one honor society for all business students, Beta Gamma Sigma. Students are eligible for BGS if they are 1) in the top 20% of their class, which includes the entire Questrom graduating class and 2) have applied to graduate. Eligible students will receive a letter from the Questrom Dean’s Office in early May with more details. Students who do not receive an email are not eligible for BGS. Beta Gamma Sigma eligibility is only audited once per year, in April, based on GPAs at that point in time. There will be no invitations in September. Please be advised the OMBA Success Team does not have any involvement with the the Beta Gamma Sigma process for students.
The Questrom School of Business works with professional photographers to support the experience during the Questrom convocation ceremony on Friday evening. Graduates who attend commencement and would like to see the professional photos by the university’s vendor after the event, please be sure to revisit the commencement website for instruction on accessing those photos. Please allow the vendor, GradImages, some time to upload photos to the website – they service convocations for the entire university and have thousands of photos to work through from commencement weekend. Photos will not be uploaded right away.
Communications & Announcements to Eligible Students
Greetings «First name», https://questromworld.bu.edu/convocation/graduate-students/ Register for Convocation here! Please fill out this form whether you will be attending or not. Guests do not register to attend! Livestreaming for the ceremony will be available promptly at 6:00 pm on May 15th. The ceremony will stream directly on the Convocation website. While checking in for the Questrom Convocation ceremony, each graduate will receive a Questrom branded stole to wear with their regalia. You do not purchase this on the regalia website. Regalia questions should be sent to regalia@bu.edu.
Boston University, Questrom School of Business |
Dear ,
You are receiving this email as a student who officially graduated in January 2026, or you have a tentative graduation date of May or August 2026 in your MyBU Student Dashboard.
With Boston University’s May Commencement Weekend quickly approaching, the OMBA team wants to share important information and details with our graduating students. There is a lot of information below – please read this email thoroughly.
**Note that all 2026 graduates are required to RSVP to commencement events below, even if you do not plan to attend. Please follow the instructions within this email.
All January 2026, May 2026, and August 2026 graduates are invited to participate in commencement weekend, which will take place from May 14th-17th, 2026. Boston University holds one commencement celebration on campus each May for all students graduating that calendar year (January, May, and September). If you are no longer planning to graduate in 2026 and will be completing your final module during the Fall 2026 semester or later, please submit a new ticket on the Support Tab on OMBA Link with your Success Specialist ASAP so that we may update your student record.
All important information about 2026 Commencement Weekend will be posted and maintained on the OMBA Graduation and Commencement Information webpage. Please bookmark and review this webpage regularly for all of the latest information.
Click here – https://omba.bu.edu/current-students/grad-info/
Cap and Gown Information
Ordering Your Own Regalia
All students participating in Questrom Convocation and BU Commencement are required to have University-approved regalia. Students should order their regalia directly through the BU Bookstore. OMBA students should select the Master’s gown and Questrom-MBA as their area of study when placing their orders.
Students have the option to have their regalia shipped to their homes or they can select to pick up their regalia on campus during commencement weekend (pick-up times will be posted on the Commencement website in April). Please note that the deadline to order regalia for on-campus pickup is March 23rd. The last day to order regalia to have it shipped in time for Commencement Weekend is April 15th.
Caps & Gowns will not be available for order after April 15 – please be sure to order your regalia in a timely manner.
OMBA Regalia Recycle Project
Launched in 2025 by members of the OMBA community, the OMBA Regalia Recycle Project is a student-led initiative that allows previous OMBA graduates to pass their Questrom regalia on to future commencement participants, free of charge. If you’re interested in finding used regalia to borrow for commencement, or interested in sharing your own regalia with other OMBA alumni, please click here for more information and scroll down to the OMBA Regalia Recycle Project section.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If students do not have proper Questrom regalia at convocation, they will not be eligible to walk across stage. Please be diligent in ordering proper regalia before the posted deadline.
Commencement Weekend Events
The Success Team is excited to host a series of events such as a Live Studio Open House and OMBA Breakfast in addition to Questrom convocation during Commencement Weekend for our OMBA graduates! Please visit the Graduation & Commencement Information webpage posted above for more details about each of the events being offered that weekend, and please RSVP using the form below.
EVENT RSVP: To aid in planning for Questrom Convocation and the OMBA-specific events, please RSVP for these events here by April 17th, 2026. You are required to submit this form even if you do not plan to attend Commencement Weekend in Boston.
**Please note that you are required to log in with your BU credentials in order to RSVP to Commencement Events.** RSVP here.
We’re aware that Summer modules will be underway during Commencement Weekend and have alerted the LF teams to allow flexibility for assignments that weekend to accommodate student travel.
Please review the Graduation/Commencement section of the Knowledge Center in OMBA Link as well as the OMBA Graduation Information webpage for any additional questions. Congratulations again!
Best,
The OMBA Success Team
May 2025 Commencement Weekend Recap
Share your Photos!
The Success Team welcomes everyone to share any photos they captured throughout the weekend. We have created a shared Google Photos Drive for all students to upload any photos they would like share with students, faculty, and staff that may serve as a “virtual yearbook”. We hope that this collaboration will allow everyone to share the weekend’s exciting memories! Please be advised that photos uploaded here may be shared on OMBA socials & public posts for faculty, staff, current students, & prospective students to see! Photo Credit will be given.
OMBA Spirit of Excellence Award
2025 Winners
Christopher Peralta
Christopher Peralta is an award-winning integrative health expert who has 15+ years of experience leading well-being campaigns, community education, and community health coaching throughout New York City.
Chris has been a very involved member of the Entrepreneurship and Start-Up Affinity Group, even presenting at a Monthly Pitch Meetup event, presenting his concept Health to Harmony: Integrative Health & Well-Being Solutions for Corporate Wellness. He has attended almost every Monthly Pitch Meetup event offering positive feedback and support to his fellow OMBA classmates.
Desiree Nattell
Desiree is an ideal student. She has an interesting job to which she applies what she learns in class. She is engaged and participates in LIVE sessions clearly with a good relationship with others in LIVE. During Week 13 she went to her “faculty breakout” and then came to Brand since that is more closely related to what she does. She could have just called the session early but instead she continued to reach out showing her growth mindset and teamwork. She appears to be a leader in innovation in the class as she presented new ideas in the class.
Tyler Evans
Tyler has a decade of experience working in Lower Middle Market Mergers & Acquisitions and assisting buyers and sellers navigate all types and sizes of transactions. Tyler has shared his expertise and knowledge beyond the OMBA classroom by volunteering to host networking sessions such as the Questrom Speaker Series to teach other OMBA students and alumni about the benefits and steps to follow in acquiring small business for investment opportunities. An active member of the Entrepreneur & Acquisition club in OMBA, Tyler is dedicated to learning and supporting others on their entrepreneurial ventures. He serves as an advocate for the club, sharing out information and ideas to other students who may be interested in participating in the club’s conversations and events. Tyler consistently went above and beyond throughout his time to OMBA to support his classmates’ learning opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom.
Richard Okumoto
Richard is a unique student. At 70, he returned to Questrom to learn what he hasn’t learned throughout his career. In LIVE sessions, he actively listens, participates, relates well with other students (with their cameras on), and is a pleasure to have in class. He came to office hours with good questions and has reached out beyond Mod 4. Richard is the student I use as an example for the interesting OMBA students we have. Richard always attended office hours with enthusiasm and questions and was a pleasure to have as a student! Richard is a former Silicon Valley C-suite Exec who completed cash sale of my startup and current advisor and Board Member to Technology startup companies. Richard is also a a licensed pilot and Blackbelt in Shotokan Karate.
Calvin Poon
Calvin Poon is a father of 2, former army officer, and an entrepreneur with a unique blend of expertise in cabinetry design, manufacturing, and military leadership. As the visionary founder of Makellos Cabinetry, Calvin has seamlessly combined innovation and functionality to deliver exceptional, cost-effective cabinetry solutions for a wide range of projects, from stylish home renovations to expansive commercial developments. Calvin is the co-founder of Makellos Cabinetry (www.makellos.com). Beginning his journey as a kitchen cabinet designer, Calvin quickly mastered the intricacies of the industry. This invaluable experience paved the way for the creation of Makellos Cabinetry, now a beacon of excellence and reliability in the cabinetry market.
Calvin is a very active member of the Entrepreneurship & Startup and OMBA Students of Philadelphia Affinity Groups. He helped to create/facility the Monthly Pitch Meetup Event and has attended almost every Monthly Pitch Meetup event offered. During the Monthly Pitch Meetup event, he always offers positive feedback and support to his fellow OMBA classmates. Additionally, Calvin has also organized in-person, social gatherings for his fellow OMBA students living in the Philadelphia Area
The OMBA Spirit of Excellence Award encourages the recognition of graduating students who embody all or most of OMBA’s Core Values: Growth Mindset, Innovation, Leadership, Teamwork, & Contribution to OMBA Community. The OMBA Spirit of Excellence Award is a method for OMBA Faculty and Staff to acknowledge graduating students who demonstrate qualities beyond academic excellence and celebrate well-rounded individuals who inspire the OMBA community through their actions, character, and dedication to personal and collective growth.