Equipped to Lead and Succeed

The University of San Francisco to Celebrate More Than 2,000 Graduates at 164th Commencement Ceremonies May 18-20

SAN FRANCISCO (May 10, 2023) – The University of San Francisco (USF) will hold its 164th commencement ceremonies Thursday, May 18 through Saturday, May 20 at St. Ignatius Church on the USF campus. The 2023 spring graduates include 932 undergraduate students, 1,047 graduate students, and 147 doctoral students across the university’s college and four schools.

Members of this graduating class hail from 69 countries around the globe, and from 39 states and U.S. Territories. Continuing USF’s commitment to access, 30% of undergraduates are first-generation college students. Psychology, nursing, biology, finance, and marketing are among the top majors of graduating seniors. Among graduate students, the most popular programs are counseling psychology, law, data science, business administration, and education.

The USF Spring 2023 Commencement Schedule is listed below. All events are ticketed and will be held in-person at St. Ignatius Church on the USF campus.

Journalists interested in covering the commencement events must register by contacting Kellie Samson (415) 601-1915 or ksamson@usfca.edu.

Thursday, May 18

6:00 p.m. School of Nursing and Health Professions
Commencement address: Margaret Doherty-Simor BSN ’84, RN, MSN, USF Board of Trustees, and treasurer of the Interventional Initiative

Friday, May 19

9:00 a.m. - College of Arts and Sciences (Undergraduate Humanities and Science Students)
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Address: Most Reverend Borys Gudziak, Metropolitan for Ukrainian Catholics in the United States, Archbishop of Philadelphia

12:00 p.m. - College of Arts and Sciences (Undergraduate Arts and Social Science Students)
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Address: Tom Killion, artist, printmaker, and fine book printer

3:00 p.m. - College of Arts and Sciences (Graduate Students)
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Address: Michele A. Roberts, retired executive director of the National Basketball Players Association

6:00 p.m. - School of Education
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Address: L. Frank Manriquez, Tongva, Ajachemem, Rarámuri Elder, multimedia artist, and tribal scholar

Saturday, May 20

9:00 a.m. - School of Management (Undergraduate Students) 
Commencement Address: Christine Fischer Whelan ‘72 MBA, USF vice chair emerita, Board of Trustees

12:00 p.m. - School of Management (Professional Bachelors and Graduate Students)
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Address: Weijian Shan, PhD, executive chairman, PAG investment firm, Hong Kong

3:00 p.m. - School of Law
Honorary Degree Recipient and Commencement Address: The Hon. Lucy Haeran Koh, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California

5:00 p.m. - ROTC Commissioning
Distinguished Guest: Major General Miles A. Davis, Commanding General, 63rd Readiness Division
Location: McLaren Complex, Room 250


About the University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco is a private, Jesuit Catholic university that reflects the diversity, optimism, and opportunities of the city that surrounds it. USF offers more than 230 undergraduate, graduate, professional, and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, law, education, and nursing and health professions. At USF, each course is an intimate learning community in which top professors encourage students to turn learning into positive action, so the students graduate equipped to do well in the world — and inspired to change it for the better. For more information, visit usfca.edu.