Nearly 4,800 degree candidates are expected for Miami University’s 186th Spring Commencement on May 17 at Yager Stadium.

The ceremony celebrating the Class of 2025 begins at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine, and will be livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person.

A total of 4,799 degrees are expected to be conferred during the ceremony. That includes 4,054 bachelor’s degrees; 433 master’s degrees; 222 certificates; 76 associate degrees; and 14 doctorates.

Jeff Berding ’91, president and CEO of FC Cincinnati, will deliver the commencement address. He earned his Political Science degree from Miami before graduating with a master’s degree in Business Administration from Xavier University.

Berding spent more than 19 years as an executive with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he led the sales and public affairs efforts for the NFL franchise. In 2015, Berding and Carl H. Lindner III co-founded FC Cincinnati, bringing professional soccer to his hometown.

“I am very honored,” Berding said earlier this year of being asked to deliver the 2025 commencement address. “The motto of Love and Honor is very real in my life. If you feel gratitude, you also feel an obligation to try to give back to those who follow you and support the great opportunities that you were provided as a student.”

Divisional ceremonies and other graduate programs occur throughout the weekend. More information can be found on the commencement webpage.

The top 10 undergraduate degrees expected to be conferred this year are: Finance (418), Marketing (303), Biology (218), Psychology (215), Kinesiology (167), Computer Science (131), Nursing (125), Strategic Communication (117), Political Science (100), and Supply Chain and Operations (73).

A total of 15.5% of students earning a bachelor’s degree will graduate with cum laude honors, 10.2% magna cum laude, and 6.5% summa cum laude. For associate degree candidates, 7.8% will earn cum laude honors, 9.2% magna cum laude, and 1.3% summa cum laude.

Degree candidates represent 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., with one degree candidate serving in the armed forces overseas.

Additionally, three honorary degrees will be awarded. Those recipients of honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees are:

• Jeff Berding ’91, president and CEO of FC Cincinnati;
• David Budig ’84, who served on Miami’s Board of Trustees from 2011-2022 and was chairman during five of those years; and
• Kay Geiger ’78, who was encouraged by a Miami professor to pursue international banking, which launched a lifetime commitment to financial leadership.