When is Graduation?
Our upcoming Autumn Graduation ceremonies will be held on 20 September and 28 September.
Where is it?
The ceremonies will be held at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in Central London.
How do I get there?
The closest train station is Waterloo, followed by Waterloo East, Charring Cross, and Blackfriars. The closest tube stations are Waterloo and Embankment. For more information on making your way there, please see the Southbank Centre’s ‘Getting Here’ page.
Which Ceremony am I attending?
Your invitation will confirm this, but you will be attending the ceremony for your School.
Our full list of ceremonies is as follows:
Wednesday 20 September
Ceremony 1, 09:30am: Roehampton Business School Undergraduate Programmes, Roehampton Law School
Ceremony 2, 12:15pm: Roehampton Business School Masters Programmes
Ceremony 3, 15:00pm: Roehampton Business School MBA Programme
Thursday 28 September
Ceremony 4, 09:30am: School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Psychology, MDIS
Ceremony 5, 12:15pm: School of Education, QA, Aventis, Global College, European Business School, National College of Education, Schiller
Ceremony 6, 15:00pm: School of Arts and Digital Industries, School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Where can I find my invitation?
Invitations have now been sent out! They have been sent to students’ personal email addresses. If you haven’t received your invitation, please make sure to check all your inboxes, including junk/spam.
If you still cannot locate your invitation, contact us at graduation@roehampton.ac.uk.
Please note, you must be awarded to be eligible to attend a graduation ceremony. Students awarded after the July award and progression boards will not be eligible to attend. Contact your academic department for more clarity on your award status.
How do I book tickets/gown/photography?
Your invitation email will provide you with links to book your student ticket, guest tickets, gown hire, and photography, all of which is managed through our external suppliers.
Student ticketing, gowns, and photography is handled by Marston Events, and guest ticketing is handled by the Royal Festival Hall.
To confirm your attendance, you must book your student ticket and gown hire by 24th August. You can book up to six guest tickets and these are arranged on a first come first serve basis.
Guest tickets will be sold until the auditorium sells out, so there may be opportunity to buy tickets on the day, however, we cannot guarantee this.
You have the option to pre-book photography through Marston, or you can purchase this on the day.
When should I get there?
We recommend arriving around an hour and a half before your ceremony to allow ample time to collect your gown, have your photo taken, buy any merchandise, speak to our brilliant careers and alumni teams, and find your seat. Students for ceremonies 1 and 4 (9:30 am start), please note that the Royal Festival Hall opens at 8am.
What happens during the ceremony?
To begin, all students and guests are encouraged to stand, if able, for the procession of staff. Once the staff are seated on the stage, this marks the beginning of the ceremony. The ceremony itself consists of speeches, potentially a presentation of an honorary doctorate, and most importantly the procession of graduands. When you cross the stage, you will need to bring the name card you will be handed when finding your seat in the auditorium. To conclude the ceremony, staff process back out; students and guests are again encouraged to stand, however, please do not leave during the procession. For those who enjoy a visual aid, you can check out videos of our previous ceremonies on the University of Roehampton YouTube Page.
What happens after the ceremony?
Afterwards there is a small reception where you can grab a drink, take photos, and celebrate with your friends and family. You can also have your professional photography taken if you were unable to before the ceremony and return your gown.
I’m nervous to cross the stage. What am I supposed to do?
Don’t fret, there are staff and stewards all over who are there to help. During the ceremony a steward will signal your row that it is time to queue up to cross the stage. You will need to bring your name card only, everything else can be left at your seat. Another steward will straighten your gown, instruct you to walk up the steps to the stage and hand your name card to the steward waiting there. Once your name is read you will walk across the stage, shake the hand of the presiding officer and exit the stage to return to your seat.
If you would prefer not to shake the hand of the presiding officer, simply keep your hands folded in front of you or place your hand over your heart and they will know.
You’ve just devoted the last however many years of your life to your degree and education, this is YOUR moment. No matter how you cross the stage, whether you strut, boogie, skip, moonwalk, or flip and somersault, just have fun with it!
*Step free access to and off the stage is available by going through back of house. Please see the final section for more information on registering an accessibility request
But what do I wear?!
All graduates are expected to wear the designated Graduation attire. Without this, you will not be allowed to cross the stage.
This includes a black gown and mortarboard (cap) and a coloured hood.
Doctoral attire includes a red gown with green and gold cuffs and facing, with a hood of dark and light greens, gold trim, and black shell.
Postgraduate hoods include both greens and a gold trim, with black shell.
Undergraduates have a gold and dark green hood with light green trim and black shell.
But what about under the gown?
The dress code for graduation is formal/semi-formal, so whatever that means to you! Consider when choosing your outfit that the gowns are thick and heavy, and you will be required to walk up the stairs to the auditorium and across the stage.
Me and/or my guest have an accessibility requirement/special request. How do we raise this?
For students, if you have an accessibility requirement/special request, you can note this when booking your student ticket (there will be a space to do so) or contact us at graduation@roehampton.ac.uk.
For guests, you will need to contact the Southbank Centre directly at hello@southbankcentre.co.uk.
When getting in touch, please include your full name, student ID, and ceremony number in your email. If contacting the Royal Festival Hall, please have ‘University of Roehampton Graduation – Accessibility Request’ as your subject. Please aim to describe your requirement/request as clearly as possible.
Do I receive my certificate at the ceremony?
All certificates and transcripts are posted to the home address on your student record by our Registry Team. If you have any queries regarding this, please email them directly at registry@roehampton.ac.uk.
My name has been written down wrong – can I change it?
Though we cannot alter the name on your certificate or transcript, we are able to make these changes for your name card at the ceremony. If you email us with your current name, Student ID, ceremony and name change then we will make a record ahead of the ceremony.
I/My family require a visa for the graduation ceremony – can you help?
The invitation email is the only official communication from the university in regard to graduation. You will need to take this to your embassy or consulate, and they will be able to advise what other supporting documents you may need to provide.
Unfortunately, we are unable to issue supporting letters or any other documentation in the graduation office.
If you have any other queries or concerns, please contact us on graduation@roehampton.ac.uk for support and guidance. Otherwise, we hope to see you in September!
