Your Ceremony

Your special moment has finally arrived; everything you need to know about the ceremony itself

Proceedings

checklist with pen

Proceedings


Length of ceremony

Each graduation ceremony lasts between approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. This time frame depends on the number of graduands receiving awards at the ceremony.

Where will I be seated?

All graduands will be seated within the University Chapel. You will be allocated a seat number which will be displayed on the reverse of your graduand ticket. Ushers will be on hand in the Chapel to show you to your allocated seat.

There is no reserved seating for guests. Guests are seated by ushers on a first come, first seated basis.

Order of awards

All graduands are seated within the Chapel in order of award. The highest awards (doctorates and masters level) will be seated towards the front of the Chapel, as those awards are conferred first. These will be followed by all undergraduate awards (bachelor of arts, bachelor of science, foundation degrees etc). Within each award, students are listed alphabetically by surname. We do not distinguish students by results or degree classification.

What happens in the graduation ceremony

Arriving at the Chapel 

You must be at the Chapel 45 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony. Our staff will indicate the appropriate time for graduands to enter and be ushered to their allocated seats. Guests will then enter separately and will be ushered to seats.

Taking your seats

You will need to present your red ticket to the ushers, who will show you to your seat. Important – please keep hold of your red ticket, as you will need to hand it to the ushers before going on the platform to be conferred. Please do not move or swap seats, as this may cause your name to be read out incorrectly.

Academic procession

Each ceremony begins with the procession of the Conferrer (Chancellor/Vice-Chancellor/Deputy Vice-Chancellor), Honorary Graduands, dignitaries and academic staff into the Chapel. All guests and graduands are asked to stand when the processional music begins, and to remain standing until the procession party is seated on the platform.

Welcome and speeches

The Conferrer will welcome all graduands and their guests to the ceremony and deliver an opening address.

Honorary Doctorates

The first degrees to be presented to the Conferrer will usually be to an Honorary Graduand. A member of University staff will deliver an oration outlining the career achievements of the Honorary Graduand. After being presented to the Conferrer, the Honorary Graduand will usually make an acceptance speech.

Presentation of graduates

When instructed by an Usher, the first row of students will move to the side aisle (it is essential that all graduands are sitting in the correct seat as shown on their ticket) and will check names. All other rows will then sit down to await their turn to avoid blocking the view of the people seated behind.

When it comes to your row’s turn, you will move slowly down the side aisle and wait until your name is called. Ushering staff will guide you through this process. When your name is called, you will walk forward until you reach a marked point in front of the Conferrer (the person who will officially present your award).

If you are receiving a Doctorate, the Conferrer will touch your head with a cap to acknowledge your award and shake your hand.

If you are receiving a Masters/Undergraduate Masters degree/Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate/Bachelor’s degree or a Diploma, the Conferrer will confer your award with a handshake. 

You will then return to your seat using the central aisle, entering the row from the opposite end to which you left it.

As a courtesy to other graduands and their guests, everyone is expected to remain in the Chapel for the duration of the ceremony.

Closure of ceremony

A closing address will be delivered to the congregation to close proceedings by the Conferrer.

Leaving the ceremony

Graduands and guests will stand as the platform procession leave the Chapel. Ushers will guide graduands to process from the Chapel behind the platform procession. All guests are asked to stand and stay in their seats until the last graduand has left the Chapel.

After leaving the Chapel, the platform procession and graduands are invited to have a group photograph taken outside the Chapel. This is an ideal opportunity for any guests to take a photograph. These are available to purchase online via Tempest Photography’s website after the event.