Fairfield University will celebrate more than 2,000 graduates across three Commencement ceremonies, recognizing the achievements of students earning associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
A total of 2,040 degrees will be conferred, including 54 associate’s degrees, 1,305 bachelor’s degrees, 599 master’s degrees, 15 sixth-year certificates, and 67 doctoral degrees.
Fairfield’s 76th Commencement ceremonies will honor graduates from across the University’s five schools: the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing & Health Studies, the School of Engineering & Computing, and the School of Education and Human Development.
Fairfield Bellarmine Commencement Exercises will take place at Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Thursday, May 14 at 4 p.m., celebrating graduates of the University’s two-year associate’s degree program, which expands access to Jesuit Catholic higher education for students in the Greater Bridgeport region.
At Graduate Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 16, at 9:30 a.m. at Leo D. Mahoney Arena, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, and sixth-year certificates will be conferred.
Undergraduate Commencement Exercises are scheduled for Sunday, May 17, at 9:30 a.m. on Bellarmine Lawn, where 1,305 bachelor’s degree candidates will be recognized.
Commencement Speakers & Honorary Degrees
This year’s Commencement speakers are distinguished leaders whose work reflects innovation, service, and a commitment to the common good.
Award-winning historian Marcia Chatelain, PhD, will speak at the Fairfield Bellarmine ceremony on May 14 and will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Maggie Doyne, global humanitarian and CEO of the BlinkNow Foundation, will deliver the graduate Commencement address on May 16 and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Internationally acclaimed designer and entrepreneur Stuart Weitzman will address undergraduate degree recipients on May 17 and will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
In addition, longtime Fairfield academic leader Mary Frances Malone, PhD, will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, in recognition of more than three decades of distinguished service to Fairfield University.
Dr. Malone served as associate academic vice president from 1993 to 2018. During her tenure, she helped guide the University through periods of growth and transformation, setting a standard for thoughtful and principled administration grounded in Ignatian spirituality. Her leadership, marked by intellectual rigor, sound judgment, and a deep commitment to Fairfield’s mission, shaped academic programs, strengthened institutional processes, and supported generations of faculty and students.
Event Information
All ceremonies will be available via livestream. For additional details, schedules, and viewing information, please visit fairfield.edu/commencement for the undergraduate and graduate exercises—and fairfield.edu/bellarmine/commencement for the Bellarmine exercises.
