The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will award about 1,900 degrees at its 125th commencement on Sunday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave.
The ceremony marks a return to an in-person commencement after having virtual ceremonies because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and May 2021.
The university will present 1,377 bachelor’s degrees, 327 master’s degrees, 76 doctoral degrees, 71 flexible option degrees and 68 associate degrees. The oldest bachelor’s degree recipient is 73, while the youngest is 20. The oldest associate degree recipient is 41; the youngest is 18.
SECURITY AND SEATING
There will be 8,500 seats available for guests in the UWM Panther Arena. More seats will be available for overflow in the adjacent Miller High Life Theatre, where a livestream of the ceremony will be shown. A link to that livestream will be available to the public on the secretary of the university webpage.
Graduates do not need tickets to attend, but all guests are required to have a ticket. Graduates were initially limited to four guests each, though some were able to claim unused tickets. Tickets are no longer available.
All attendees will be required to wear masks. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the venue.
Doors open at 8 a.m. Guests can enter the UWM Panther Arena at the south entrance, along West Kilbourn Avenue. Graduates enter through the doors on the east end of the south entrance. Guests viewing the livestream will use the south entrance of the Miller High Life Theatre.
The only bags permitted inside the arena are diaper bags and medical bags, both of which will be subject to search; gallon-sized clear zip bags; and clear stadium bags no larger than 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: Patrick Baldwin Sr.
Patrick Baldwin Sr. was named head coach of the UWM men’s basketball team in 2017. In his first season, he led the Panthers to 16 victories, an improvement of five wins over the prior season while also finishing four spots higher in the Horizon League standings. Included in that record was an impressive 17-point victory over Loyola Chicago, a team that ranked No. 7 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll and advanced to the Final Four.
In the classroom, Baldwin’s team has been honored by the NCAA for outstanding academic achievement. Milwaukee was one of just 35 men’s basketball programs recognized nationwide and the only member of the Horizon League on the NCAA list after posting a perfect 1,000 four-year academic progress rate.
Baldwin joined UWM from Northwestern University, where he spent four seasons as an assistant coach, helping rebuild his alma mater into a force in the Big Ten.
Baldwin was a standout player for Northwestern from 1990-94. He still ranks first in school history with 272 career steals, second all-time with 452 assists and 20th with 1,189 points.
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES
The numbers of degrees awarded by UWM schools and colleges are below. The numbers include bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, associate and flex degrees.
College of Letters and Science: 463
Lubar School of Business: 298
College of Engineering & Applied Science: 227
College of Nursing: 177
College of Health Sciences: 158
School of Information Studies: 121
School of Education: 113
Helen Bader School of Social Welfare: 109
Peck School of the Arts: 97
College of General Studies: 81
School of Architecture & Urban Planning: 29
Zilber School of Public Health: 16
School of Freshwater Sciences: 6
Global Studies Interdisciplinary: 6