Information for research candidates

Invitations and registration

Invitations to eligible research students were emailed on 17 October. Eligible candidates are those who were awarded their degree between 6 August and 30 September 2024.

Further invitations were emailed 14 November to students awarded between 1 October and 13 November 2024.

Students awarded after 13 November will have their award conferred in absentia on 31 January 2025, more information can be found on the in absentia page.

Please note, even if you do not wish to attend in person, you do still need to complete the registration form to confirm this.

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Your name

Your name on your certificate will be printed exactly as it is held on your student record. It is your responsibility to check your name on your student record before submitting the registration form.

If you need to make any changes to your name held on your student record you must do so by contacting SSiD before completing the form.

Changes cannot be made to the name on your certificate after it has been issued.

Name pronunciation

The deadline to provide this information was Friday 15 November and therefore the form for guidance has now closed.

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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.

Hire robes now

The deadline for robe hire is Friday 20 December.

Robe types and hood colours

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

Academic dress examples (PDF, 743kb)

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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. The deadline to purchase this service is Friday 20 December.
• 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, more information can be found here. The deadline to purchase this service is Friday 20 December.

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. 

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Tickets

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

Your e-tickets (containing assigned seat numbers for you and your guests) will be emailed to you on Wednesday 8 January 2025.

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 as detailed below.

Special seating 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 on the registration form for 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 Students’ Union Auditorium, where the atmosphere is informal and tickets are not required.

Children are not permitted on the platform at any time.

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Travel and venue

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.

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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 email us and we will be happy to talk through the options available to you.  Please give us sufficient notice to put arrangements in place.

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.

The Octagon centre can be accessed 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. 

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Dining and activities on campus

Departmental receptions

Some departments hold receptions before or after the ceremonies. Please contact your department about these.

Students' Union

A full list of what is taking place at the Students' Union, including club nights, will be available nearer the time. Coffee Revolution and Bar One will be open.

Inox Dine

Inox is the perfect place for a special graduation meal on campus. The graduation menu will be available closer to the time.

Cafes

A full list of the University's cafes with opening times is on the website.

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Live stream

There will be a professional video recording taken of each graduation ceremony which is streamed on our website. Graduates and guests seated in the Octagon should be aware that they might appear on the live stream and on the recordings.  

A link to the live stream will be available before the ceremonies. 

Live stream to the Auditorium

Each graduation ceremony is relayed live to the Students' Union Auditorium, to enable family and friends without allocated seats to see the ceremony. 

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 ticketed and are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

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.

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Schedule

The full graduation ceremony schedule for the week can be found on the postgraduate schedule page.

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Photography and souvenirs

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:
Information coming in November 2024

Location:
Level 4 Students' Union

Gifts and souvenirs

University gifts and souvenirs are an excellent way to remember your time at the University of Sheffield. A full range of gifts and souvenirs, including 'Made in Sheffield' items, will be available on graduation days.

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Graduands checklist

Task	Deadline
Register to confirm if you wish to graduate in person or in absentia	Friday 8 November
Ensure the name pronunciation form has been completed (if relevant)	Friday 15 November
Inform the Events Team if you do not want your name to appear in the graduation programme	Friday 22 November
Ensure you have read all information on visas (if applicable)	Friday 8 November
Order your robes from Ede & Ravenscroft	Friday 20 December
Pre-order photography from Ede & Ravenscroft (but you can turn up on the day)	Friday 20 December

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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 email us giving your full name, student registration number and award title and clearly confirm that you wish to be removed from the programme by the deadline of Friday 22 November.

We do not print degree classification in the graduation programme.

Digital media

Graduation video - The ceremony proceedings are filmed. By electing to take part in the ceremony proceedings, you are giving permission for your image to be recorded.

Live stream of the ceremony - The graduation ceremonies are broadcast live over the University website. By electing to take part in the ceremony proceedings, you are giving permission for your image to be recorded and broadcasted.

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

Anyone who becomes disruptive will be asked to leave the hall.

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