Before the day - postgraduate ceremonies
The information on this page is relevant to students completing a Taught Postgraduate degree in Autumn 2024.
Eligibility and registration
Eligibility
You need to register for graduation (attending or graduating in absentia) before results are published. You need to meet the criteria below:
- Registered your intentions for your graduation ceremony by Friday 8 November.
- Successfully complete your programme of study.
- Your examination results must have been submitted to the Student Administration Service by their deadline (your department or the Student Administration Service can provide you with information relating to their deadlines).
- Students who are awarded a Postgraduate Certificate exit award will be removed from the graduation ceremony and certificates will be made available by Student Services.
- All debts to the University have been paid. See the debts information page for further details.
Registration
Registration has now closed. The deadline to register was 8 November.
Cancelling your place
If you are no longer able to attend graduation after you register, you can cancel your registration.
If you don’t cancel your place in advance, we will be unable to send your certificate.
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 & Ravenscrof, or an alternative supplier that provides University Regulation compliant academic dress.
The deadline to hire robes is Friday 20 December.
Robe types and hood colours
View photograph examples of the different types of robes and hoods for each level of study and department below:
Academic dress examples (PDF, 743KB)
Dress code
Graduation ceremonies are formal occasions and we recommend that graduands dress smartly. We welcome national dress and military uniforms.
Contact
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 Friday 8 November as this deadline cannot be extended.
Name pronunciation
The deadline to provide this information has now closed.
Visa information
Information and support on visa applications for yourself or for your family or friends.
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. Information on using the DHL Express Worldwide service
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.
Schedule
The full graduation ceremony schedule for the week can be found on the postgraduate ceremony schedule page.
Tickets
Graduands are guaranteed two guest tickets if requested at the time of registration. This is in addition to your own ticket of admission as a graduate.
Your e-tickets will be released to download from this page 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.
| Ceremony | Additional ticket email |
|---|---|
| Monday 13 January (all ceremonies) | Wednesday 27 November |
| Tuesday 14 January (all ceremonies) | Wednesday 27 November |
| Wednesday 15 January (all ceremonies) | Thursday 28 November |
| Thursday 16 January (all ceremonies) | Thursday 28 November |
| Friday 17 January (all ceremonies) | Friday 29 November |
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.
Photography
The official graduation photographers are Ede & Ravenscroft Photography and you will find them located in the Students' Union.
You can pre-book photography packages when you order your robes through Ede & Ravenscroft, or you can order on the day.
The location and opening times will be published here in November.
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 |
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 Friday 22 November.
We do not print degree classification in the graduation programme.
Digital media
- Graduation video: 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.
Read more on the University's data privacy and terms and conditions in relation to graduation.