Harvard To Give 6,154 Degrees

University President Lawrence H. Summers will award 6,154 degrees to the Class of 2004 and the students of the graduate schools this morning at Harvard’s 353rd Commencement exercises.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi A. Annan will deliver the keynote address. Annan has presided over the U.N. since 1997 and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001 for his work in strengthening the role of the U.N. as an international peacekeeping force. Today, he is considered one of the world’s most influential diplomats and leaders in the fight against the AIDS epidemic in Africa.

Annan will receive an honorary degree from the University.

The National Weather Service forecast a 60 percent chance of rain for this morning, but predicted showers will likely taper off in the afternoon. Two years ago, torrential rains dampened the ceremonies.

The College will confer 1,585 degrees: 1,572 bachelor of arts degrees and 13 bachelor of science degrees, according to the Harvard News Office. Of the graduating class, 742 are women and 843 are men.

Seventy-five of the candidates, nearly 5 percent of the graduating class, earned summa cum laude diplomas, the highest degree awarded by the College, in their fields of concentration. Fifty-eight candidates will receive magna cum laude with highest honors, based on their entire coursework, and 471 will be given magna cum laude in their fields of concentration. Four hundred and twenty eight will be awarded cum laude in general studies, while 404 will receive cum laude in their fields of concentration.

One hundred forty nine will be given non-honors degrees.

Eight hundred and ninety four candidates at the Business School will be given master of business administration degrees and four will receive doctor of business administration degrees.

Seven hundred and seven candidates will receive degrees from Harvard Law School—548 doctor of law, 147 master of law and 12 doctor of juridical science.

The Graduate School of the Arts and Sciences will award a total of 574 degrees. Of those, 254 are master of arts, 43 master of science and 277 doctor of philosophy.

The Medical School will bestow 173 doctor of medicine degrees and 23 master in medical sciences degrees.

Five hundred and thirty seven candidates of the John F. Kennedy School of Government will receive degrees. Of those, 222 will receive master in public administration (mid-career) degrees and 149 will be given master in public policy degrees.

In Radcliffe Yard, the Graduate School of Education will confer 681 degrees—617 master of education, 60 doctor of education and four certificates of advanced studies.

The School of Public Health will award 329 degrees, which include 179 master of public health and 128 master of science degrees.

The Divinity School will confer 92 master of theological studies degrees.

The School of Dental Medicine will award a total of 79 degrees.

Two hundred and thirty eight candidates of the Graduate School of Design will receive diplomas, with the most in master in architecture and master in design studies, 95 and 67 degrees respectively.

Four hundred sixty candidates of the Extension School will also be awarded diplomas.

The Commencement exercises will be broadcast on Cambridge Cable Channel 54 and Boston Cable Channel 12.

—Staff writer Elena P. Sorokin can be reached at sorokin@fas.harvard.edu.