Follow our step-by-step guide to preparing for your graduation day.
How to know if you’re eligible to graduate, and what to do if you have concerns.
The University holds award ceremonies twice a year: once in the summer and once in the winter. To attend your ceremony in December, you must have completed your studies by Wednesday, 27 November 2024.
You won’t be able to graduate until you’ve settled all your debts and paid any outstanding fees. If you’re unsure what debts you owe to the University, email self.funding@manchester.ac.uk.
If you’re unable to attend the ceremony session to which you've been invited, you can choose to defer and attend a future ceremony in up to 12 months.
You need to record this choice through the Student System – not doing so means you won’t be permitted to attend a future ceremony. GMBA students can select this option on the registration survey that’s emailed to you once registration opens.
If deferring, you’ll receive your certificate by no later than 31 January 2025. If you still haven’t received it after this date, get in touch with your Student Support Hub.
Students currently Active in the Programme are welcome to register for the ceremony. However, to attend, your degree needs to be fully awarded by Wednesday, 27 November 2024, meaning you need to receive an official award/completion letter from the Doctoral Academy by this date. If you have any questions about your examination, please check your Doctoral Academy website’s ‘thesis submission’ section.
Check we’ve got the correct contact details for you in the Student System.
Your full legal name will be used on your certificate – you can view this when you login to your student record. Names are only printed on documents in the order of first name/s, middle name/s, surname/s – the order of names can’t be changed, unless it has been recorded on the system in error.
Make sure we have your correct address, especially if you won’t be attending your ceremony as we’ll post your certificate to this address.
If your name has one or two letters that have been mixed up or are missing on your student record, please submit an enquiry form explaining the error and provide the correct spelling of your full name to get it updated.
You might also need to contact your Student Support Hub or Doctoral Academy about updating your name or other details.
If part of your name is missing, or an incorrect family name is listed (for example, due to marriage), send the official documents (Wedding certificate / Passport / Change of Name Deeds) to ssc@manchester.ac.uk as proof in order to get your name updated.
Students, for example those who present in a different gender but are not able or do not wish to change their name legally, may request that their preferred name be used by submitting this information in the survey attached to your registration email by Wednesday, 27 November 2024.
If you think your name could be mispronounced at your ceremony, you have the option to enter your name phonetically in the same survey. This will be given to the presenters ahead of the ceremony to assist in calling your name to the stage.
If any details change after this date, or if you haven’t received any email communications from us by 31 October, please contact graduation@manchester.ac.uk.
Confirm whether you’re attending your ceremony and book your guest tickets.
Registration for the December 2024 ceremonies will open on the Student System on Thursday, 10 October 2024. Whether you’re attending your ceremony or not, everyone needs to complete their registration by end of the day on Wednesday, 27 November 2024.
The ceremony schedule will be published online from Friday, 5 October 2024.
If you have lost IT access following completion of your course, you should go to https://iam.manchester.ac.uk/recover.
All graduates are guaranteed two guest tickets free of charge. If there’s a specific reason you need additional tickets, please add the number you require and your comments to the Student System when you complete your registration.
The requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, considering the capacity of the venue and health and safety arrangements. If your request for additional tickets is approved, we’ll let you know in your confirmation email. The tickets can then be collected at the registration desk in University Place on the day of your ceremony.
When you register, please let us know if you or your guests have any access requirements so we can make arrangements to ensure your ceremony goes smoothly. For example, there’s a lift to access the stage at graduation ceremonies, but we need to be aware when it's required.
Please fill in the 'accessibility requirements' section of the graduation registration if you have any requirements such as wheelchair access, guide or assistance dog, temporary physical disability (such as a broken leg) or other individual needs or access requirements we can help with on the day.
How to hire or buy your academic dress, as well as photography on the day.
You'll need to wear official academic dress consisting of a gown, hood and cap to your ceremony. You can book these online through the University's preferred supplier, Ede and Ravenscroft, or call them on +44 (0)1223 861854 before Monday, 25 November 2024.
The cost of online gown hire from Ede and Ravenscroft is £42 for a Bachelor and Master's gown and £56 for a Doctoral gown. When making your booking, you’ll need to enter your height and head circumference measurements, so make sure you’ve got these ready beforehand.
If you forget to pre-order your gown, the hire cost on the day will be higher than the prices shown above.
If you hire or purchase your gown from another source, please ensure that it is the correct colour, design, and style for your level of award. If it isn’t, you won’t be permitted to attend your ceremony.
A photography service is provided on-campus on graduation days by Tempest Ltd, who offer a range of photographic services. You don’t need to pre-book – just join the queue on the day.
Global MBA students
If you're a Global MBA student, you'll receive a separate communication and instructions on how to register. Please do not try and register for graduation on the Student System.
You can check that your name and home address is correct here.
If you need to change your name, please email gmbasupport@manchester.ac.uk with a scanned copy of your passport/legal documentation and we will update this for you.
If you’re unable to attend your ceremony for whatever reason, you can choose to either graduate in absentia, or defer your ceremony for up to one year. You’ll still need to register your choice in the Student System when you receive your 'invitation email so we can post the certificate to the correct address.
Please make sure that your home address, email address and name are all correct in the Student System by Wednesday, 27 November 2024.
If you don’t complete the graduation registration process, your certificate will not be sent to you automatically. You’ll have 12 months from the date registration closes on Wednesday, 27 November 2024 to request a physical copy of your certificate. You’ll be contacted by the Student Administration Team following the graduation ceremonies with instructions on how to request the physical copy of your degree certificate.
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