Commencement Information
Elliott School of International Affairs
2021 Virtual School Celebration
Undergraduate Celebration
Friday, May 14, 2021
4:00 pm EDT
Graduate Celebration
Friday, May 14, 2021
6:00 pm EDT
When it is safe to do so, the university will host in-person celebrations on the National Mall to honor the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020, with each class enjoying its own, curated celebration.
This May, we look forward to honoring our 2021 graduates virtually, with some in-person elements. Please see the GW Commencement FAQs for more information about our May 2021 celebrations.
Please email [email protected] with questions.
A Message from the Dean
To the 2021 Graduates of GW’S Elliott School of International Affairs,
On behalf of the Elliott School’s faculty, staff, and alumni, it gives me great pride to congratulate the class of 2021 on the completion of your degrees. You are the very first class of students I have the privilege of congratulating as you step into the world ahead of you. In any ordinary year, graduation and commencement exercises mark a crossing of a threshold, a moment when your preparation comes to a close and you move into your next phase. But nothing about this past year has been ordinary.
While you will all still begin your own career journeys in the months ahead, our collective experience—at the Elliott School, here in the United States, and indeed around the world—of living through more than a year of a pandemic makes this graduation even more precious. For one, all of you have risen to the many challenges this year has put before you. The resilience you have demonstrated will serve you well on your path ahead.
This past year’s experience has also offered us another lesson, about the deep interconnections that bind us together in the world. While your studies at the Elliott School advanced your knowledge about international affairs, at the same time we have all—around the world—come to understand how interrelated our health, our economic resilience, our trade and supply chains, our digital economies, and ultimately our national security truly is.
This realization means that you graduate equipped with an understanding of international affairs at precisely the moment that knowledge is more needed than ever before. You have all overcome a once in a century pandemic to get here, and you will head out into the world shaped by that shared experience.
As you step into the Elliott School’s alumni community family, a network of more than 26,000 graduates, you have the world ahead of you, and opportunities to pursue your passions in the fields of your choice. The Elliott School’s faculty and staff, and all your advisors who helped you contemplate your road ahead, all wish you the best of luck.
So Raise High, Elliott School graduates of 2021! You are the next generation of international leaders, and we look forward to how you will shape the world in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Ayres
Dean
Elliott School of International Affairs
The George Washington University
2021 Elliott School Celebration Speakers
Keynote Address: Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins
Founder and Executive Director of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS)
Charge to Graduates: Dr. Mike Mochizuki
Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs
Harry Harding Teaching Award Winner
Undergraduate Student Speaker: Molly Giguiere
Candidate for a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Affairs, concentrating in global public health
Graduate Student Speaker: Nicholas Zuroski
Candidate for a Master of Arts degree in International Affairs, concentrating in Global Gender Policy and International Law & Organizations
Mandatory Graduation Surveys
Required for all graduating students, these surveys are designed to help GW and Elliott learn more about the experiences and future plans of our students.
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students (two surveys)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, just apply for summer graduation in GWeb by March 25, after you register for summer courses, to ensure you are included in the commencement program.
Yes, all fall 2020 graduates are eligible to participate and will be included in communications.
You can still apply for graduation by submitting the Late (Paper) Graduation Application, to your academic advisor, but inclusion in the celebration program and virtual ceremony cannot be guaranteed due to publishing deadlines.
You will not receive an e-mail confirmation that your graduation application has been submitted. You can check DegreeMAP to confirm that the application is on file.
If an application is on file for you, then you will see the words "Sought-Applied to Graduate" or "Applied Late Degree Clearance" in the "Graduation Application" field on your DegreeMAP audit. This is located near the top, in the same section as your name, GWID, Major, etc.
Cords are handled by each organization. If you are involved in a group that you know or think might provide cords or stoles for graduation, we encourage you to contact that organization. If you are an Elliott School Dean's Scholar, you will be contacted about graduation cords for that program. Otherwise, there are no cords associated with Elliott School degree programs and Elliott does not provide cords or stoles for Latin Honors.
Yes, there is an Elliott School ceremony on May 14 AND a GW-wide commencement ceremony on May 16. You can attend/watch both and the content will be different at each event! At the Elliott School ceremony, each graduating student will be recognized individually. More details forthcoming.
GW Alma Mater
Hail Alma Mater
To thy spirit guiding,
Knowledge thy closest friend
In its strength abiding,
Pledge we fidelity
Ne'er its place resigning,
Hail thee George Washington!