Commencement

Cognitive Science Commencement 2025

Ceremony Information

Join us for an in-person celebration of the Class of 2025!

Cognitive Science will host its very own Commencement Ceremony with keynote Metta Murdaya.

Metta Murdaya was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and has spent most of her youth between San Francisco, Jakarta, and Singapore. Today, she is based in New York City and Jakarta. Metta graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1997 with a double Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science and Architecture and received her MBA from NYU Stern School of Business in 2002 in Finance and Management. Metta has a background in operations, consulting, and general management in branded consumer goods, working in, and with, large companies including Home Depot and Nike, and small companies as a consultant for women and minorityowned businesses. In 2006, Metta founded JUARA in New York, an award-winning skincare brand inspired by Jamu, with offices in New York, Singapore, and Jakarta. She also works in her family business based in Indonesia, focusing on future business strategy and human capital talent management. She is the author of  "Jamu Lifestyle" a Gourmand Award winning book about Indonesia's holistic wellness tradition focusing on the pursuit of wellness with the mindset of joy, making its self-care practices accessible to people worldwide. She is also a wellness speaker and a committee member of the Global Wellness Institute in the Aesthetic Wellness Initiative. She is passionate about developing leadership talent and harnessing AI for the improvement of humanity. She is previous-Chairman and Board Member for the South East Asian Leadership Academy (SEALA) Program, and Board Member for Solve Education!, an education technology software company. She is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO). 

Friday, May 23, 2025, 9AM at Zellerbach Hall.

The ceremony will last approximately 1 hour. 

Commencement Registration: 

Registration for the 2025 Cognitive Science Ceremony is now open. Please click here to register. This is a two-part form.  The first part is an exit survey.  After completing the exit survey, you will be taken to the commencement registration form.  Your name will not be printed in the Commencement Program if you do not register. The deadline for registration is Sunday, April 13, 2025.

Commencement Tickets: 

Commencement Tickets:  Guest tickets can be purchased here from the Cal Performances Ticket Office for $10 each (free for children under 2 years). There is a max of 5 tickets per student. Any unsold tickets will be released on April 23rd, 2025.

Tickets can be purchased:

Any tickets purchased online, by phone or in person at Zellerbach in advance of the ceremony will be delivered by email only. Tickets will not be available for pickup at the Zellerbach Ticket Office.

Tickets are REQUIRED for guests and no guest will be allowed to enter Zellerbach Hall without a ticket. Children under 2 years of age are also required to have a ticket, which will be free of charge. 

All seating is General Admission. SEATS ARE ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS.

Graduating students walking in the Commencement Ceremony do not need a ticket for themselves. Please wear a cap and gown.
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If you are interested in being our Commencement Student Speaker, 
please apply here!
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UC Berkeley will host a Campus-wide Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 10:30AM in the Memorial Stadium. 

  • Students in our major and their families may participate in either the Cognitive Science Department ceremony, the campus-wide UC Berkeley ceremony, or both ceremonies, as they prefer. For more information about the campus-wide Commencement Ceremony, go to this link.
  • What is the difference between the CogSci Departmental Commencement and the UC Berkeley Commencement?
  • The CogSci Departmental Commencement will be a smaller, more intimate ceremony with graduates from CogSci only It will be held at the Zellerbach Hall and will feature a student speaker from the major and the presentation of departmental awards. The names of the graduating students will be called out during the Departmental Commencement exercise as they walk across the stage to receive their certificates.
  • The UC Berkeley Commencement ceremony will be for graduates from all the majors on the campus and it will be held at the Memorial Stadium. It will feature the Chancellor and other campus dignitaries, a special keynote address, and the student speaker. The UC Berkeley marching band usually performs at the festivities. Graduating student names are not called during the campus-wide Commencement Ceremony.