Before the day: Graduation information for postgraduate research candidates

Your name

Printed name

Your name, which is taken from your student record, will be shown on the registration form. This is the name printed in the graduation programme and on your certificate. If this is incorrect, you need to change it before you register. 

To do this, contact the Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) with documentary evidence (e.g: passport, birth certificate). SSiD has more information on how to change your name.

Once this is done, you can then register for graduation. Please register by [xxx] as this deadline cannot be extended. 

Name pronunciation

At graduation, your forename and surname (as held on your student record) will be announced as you cross the platform. If you have a name that is frequently mispronounced, you may wish to provide guidance on how your name should be correctly pronounced. 

Please do not use accents and special characters on the form as these are not recognised by the system and can corrupt the information that is submitted.

The form to complete to provide guidance on your name pronunciation will be available when registration opens, and should be submitted by (TBC).

Robe hire

It is a University Regulation that graduands wear the correct academic dress. You can hire or purchase these directly from the official robe makers for the University, Ede & Ravenscroft, or an alternative supplier that provides University Regulation compliant academic dress.

How to hire

Robe hire will open in early October and we will email you at the time to remind you.

Robing opening times

Robes will be available for collection from Uni Central on Level 4 of the Students’ Union Building, a timetable for collection and return of robes will be given nearer the time.

If you are no longer able to attend your ceremony, you can cancel your order using the 'Review/Amend/Cancel' option on the Ede & Ravenscroft website. For security reasons, cancellations cannot be made over the phone.

Robe types and hood colours

View examples of the different types of robes and hoods for each level of study and department here:

Academic dress examples (PDF, 743kb)

Photography

Official photographs

The official photographers are Ede & Ravenscroft Photography, located in the Students' Union on each day. You can pre-book photography packages when you order your robes through Ede & Ravenscroft or you can turn up on the day.

Opening times:

TBC

Location:

Level 4 Students' Union

Tickets

A maximum of 2 guest tickets are guaranteed, along with your own graduand ticket.

Your etickets (containing assigned seat numbers for you and your guests) will be emailed to you approximately 1 week before the ceremony (TBC)

Additional tickets

It is unlikely that tickets over the two guaranteed will be available. However, if further tickets are available, you will be notified via email on (date TBC)

Additional tickets will not be available before this date. Requests for additional tickets cannot be processed via email.

Please note, we cannot guarantee additional tickets being available.

Special seating arrangements/access arrangements

You must inform us of any specific access requirements or special assistance that you or your guests may need in advance of the ceremony. There is a dedicated section of the registration form to do this.

Once tickets have been allocated, we may not be able to accommodate special arrangements, but we will do our best to meet these requirements.

If you require the loan of a wheelchair for the day, visit your local British Red Cross Association

Children

Children over the age of three will require a ticket for the ceremony.

Due to the length and formal nature, we do not recommend bringing young children to the ceremony.  Guests with young children may wish to watch the ceremony live in the Auditorium in the Students’ Union, where the atmosphere is informal and tickets are not required.

Children are not permitted on the platform at any time.

Certificates 

Attending graduation

If you attend your ceremony you will receive your certificate on the day. 

Not attending graduation

If you are not attending graduation you need to register your intention to graduate in absentia. This allows you to confirm your personal details and to provide an address for us to post your certificate to following the ceremonies. We are unable to send your certificate if you don't complete this process.

Please note, it is not possible for someone to collect your certificate on your behalf at the graduation ceremony.

Postage of certificates

• Certificates to the UK: certificates sent to addresses in the UK are sent by second class mail as standard. However, if you would like your certificate sent by a tracked service, we can send it using Royal Mail Special Delivery.
• Certificates to overseas addresses: Royal Mail is unable to provide a tracking service for most overseas countries. Certificates are therefore sent by standard airmail. However, if you would like to have your certificate sent using the DHL Express Worldwide service we can arrange this for you. The cost for this service is dependent on the destination country and is available to more than 220 countries worldwide. If you would like to purchase this service, please visit the online store. The deadline to purchase this service is Friday 20 December. You can view the full list of countries that DHL services for more information.

Certificates lost in transit

Occasionally some items will get lost in transit. In order to guarantee the delivery of your certificate, we would strongly advise you to use one of the guaranteed methods above. If your certificate doesn’t arrive using these methods please contact us. If you choose a standard service for delivery, you will need to order a replacement certificate (for which the usual fee will be charged) from Student Services.

Digital certificates

Following graduation, your digital certificate will be released in Gradintelligence. 

Travel and venue

All ceremonies take place in the Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN

We recommend using public transport or park and ride to get to graduation as parking on campus is limited. We suggest using the following car parks if you are travelling by car: 

• QPark Durham Road, across from the Octagon
• QPark Rockingham, approximately half a mile from the Octagon Centre
• A map detailing all the car parks in the city centre can be found here

Disabled parking spaces for blue badge holders are available in QPark, Durham Road.  Blue badge holders can also park on double yellow lines for a maximum of 3 hours providing there are no loading restrictions and the vehicle is not causing an obstruction. Please ensure the blue badge and parking clock are displayed. See Sheffield City Council for more details.

Security

The safety of visitors to the University is our highest priority. With this in mind, the following procedures are in place at the venue:

• Bags will be searched. No bag larger than a small handbag will be allowed into the building. Please do not bring large bags or suitcases to the Octagon Centre. There will be person searches on entry.
• Anyone who appears to be under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted entry.

Arrive as near as possible to the published opening times, bearing in mind that security checks take place.

Accessibility and support

We are committed to making graduation inclusive and accessible for all our graduands and guests. If you have accessibility or support requirements, detail these in the appropriate section of the registration form and we will do our best to ensure suitable arrangements are put in place. 

Alternatively, you can Contact Us and we will be happy to talk through the options available to you.  Please give us sufficient notice to put arrangements in place

Ceremony and robing venues

The Octagon Centre is accessible by ramp and has lifts and accessible toilet facilities. More detailed information can be found on AccessAble.

Items such as mobility scooters and pushchairs should be left in the cloakroom once guests have taken their seats as it is not possible to store them in the ceremony hall.

Robing is on Level 4 of the Students’ Union.  The building is accessible by level access and contains lifts and accessible toilet facilities.  The Octagon centre can be access from the Student’s Union via the link bridge. More detailed information can be found on AccessAble.

Gender neutral toilets are located in the Students’ Union Building, next door to the Octagon Centre.

The Students’ Union Building (Level 2) has a Prayer Room with Wudu facilities.

Parking information can be found under travel and venue. 

Dining and activities on campus

Departmental receptions

A full list of departmental receptions, which are organised by your academic department, will be provided here nearer to the time.

Students' Union

Sheffield Students’ Union building will be open to offer Graduands and their families space to relax, eat, drink, and enjoy their day.

Inside you can have your official Graduation photo taken, pick up a souvenir or bouquet of flowers, and enjoy a drink at their bar.

Coffee Revolution and Bar One will be serving food and drink throughout the day and ‘Our Shop’ will be supplying all the essentials to ensure everything goes smoothly. They even have a Graduation Kids’ Zone for keeping children entertained!

Find a full list of the University's cafes.

Live stream

This facility may be particularly useful for guests with young children who may not be able to remain seated throughout the ceremony. Seats in the Auditorium are not allocated or ticketed and are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Tickets are not required.  However, it should be noted that whilst the Auditorium seats 400 people and does not normally reach capacity, the Events Team cannot be held responsible should seats be unavailable at busy times.

The Auditorium has tiered seating and 10 spaces for wheelchair users.

Schedule

The full ceremony schedule will be available here shortly.

Summary of Before the Day tasks

Terms and conditions

Cancellation or postponement of the event
While every effort will be made to host graduation ceremonies as planned, the University may cancel, delay, or postpone its graduation ceremonies due to circumstances beyond its control or where ceremonies can no longer reasonably or safely take place.

In the event of any postponement or cancellation, the University will communicate this clearly on its website and will contact each attending student directly with as much notice as is reasonably practical. 

The University will not be liable for any costs incurred by either the graduand or guests due to postponement or cancellation of the event.  This includes, but is not limited to, travel, accommodation and subsistence costs or any loss of business or earnings. 

Therefore, the University strongly advises that graduands and their guests ensure they have sufficient insurance protection to cover any losses they may incur as a result of postponement or cancellation of ceremonies and book flexible rates for travel and accommodation wherever possible.

Academic robes
By confirming your attendance at graduation, you the graduand confirm that you agree to wear official University of Sheffield academic robes provided by our official supplier, robing company Ede & Ravenscroft Ltd, or an alternative, University Regulation compliant supplier at the ceremony.

Data Protection

Publication of names
The names of graduating students will be printed in the graduation programme which is available to all ticketed guests on the day.  If you would like your name removed from this publication, you must advise the Events Team in writing.  Please use our Contact Us form to do this, giving your full name, student registration number and award title and clearly confirm that you wish to be removed from the programme by XXX

We do not print degree classifications in the graduation programme.

Digital media

Photography - Professional photographers will be on campus during graduation and their photographs may be used in the university's future promotional literature. By electing to take part in the ceremony proceedings, you are giving permission for your image to be photographed and used.

Graduand and guest conduct
Graduands and guests are expected to behave in a manner fitting for the occasion. Any person who becomes disruptive will be asked to leave the hall.

More on data privacy and terms and conditions can be found here.