Graduation FAQs
Unless you have mitigating circumstances, changing ceremony is not possible. If you feel your circumstances are mitigating, please email ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk.
糖心Vlog does not charge for graduand tickets, and two free guest tickets are provided to students who register to attend graduation before the registration deadline. Further guest tickets can be purchased for the Great Hall and graduands will be emailed when further tickets are available. You will need to book a graduation gown for a fee with our supplier .
Capacity in the Great Hall is limited to abide by health, safety and fire regulations. We strongly advise all graduands to register as early as possible after receiving their invitation to attend a graduation ceremony. Graduand seats are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until the capacity in the Great Hall has been reached.
We're looking forward to celebrating your achievements with you, but please be aware that capacity within the Great Hall is limited. If you're put on a waiting list, you are still eligible to attend a graduation ceremony, and we will be in touch with you after registration closes with an alternative option should there be no spaces available in your allocated session. In the meantime we encourage all students to hire their graduation robes as you will be able to amend your booking to reflect your graduation session.
Guest and graduand seating is in separate areas in the Hall and the ceremony is carefully choreographed to bring students through in a specific order. It is not possible to use a spare guest ticket to graduate.
When you open the registration form via the link inviting you to register, please select the option ‘defer attendance’ from the drop-down menu on the first page. We’ll then record your request to defer and will be in touch ahead of your next available ceremony. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in July and postgraduate degrees are awarded in December. PhDs are awarded at both ceremony sessions.
If you already have registered for your ceremony but are no longer able to attend, please inform us at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk.
If you are not present at your ceremony, your name will still appear in the graduation programme. You will need to email exams@lancaster.ac.uk to inform them that you wish to receive your graduation certificate by post.
You need to be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony starts. Once the Great Hall doors are closed you will not be able to enter; please go to the Ticket Office within the Great Hall foyer for advice.
Please visit our Graduation Day webpage which provides details on what you need to do in the ceremonies and see further information below. Once the ceremony has started, follow the directions of the marshals who will lead graduands through the proceedings including showing you where to walk and stand.
Students are presented by name and type of degree only. We do not announce the class of degree attained, nor is it printed in the degree day programme.
A ceremony normally lasts around 1 hour 15 minutes and takes place in the .
Your Graduation Day is a special occasion to celebrate your academic achievements with your peers, family and friends. To enable all of those you hold dear to experience and enjoy the event live wherever they are, all the ceremonies are professionally filmed by our official supplier First Sight Media and broadcast live in various venues around campus as well as on our website.
The footage is recorded and will be available for replay on the .
Please note that by registering and attending your graduation ceremony on campus, you and your guests are giving consent for your image to appear on photographs and film. Guests and graduands are not allowed to film the ceremony on any device.
The University will hold and use these images in line with our privacy policy and GDPR guidance.
Guests can take still photos during the ceremony, but not videos. Please refrain from using the flash and stay in your seats to take the photos so that you don’t obstruct the views of others.
All graduands will be photographed on the stage and these images will be available from Creative Studio.
No, you must leave any personal items, such as handbags, with your guests. We will only permit phones for the purposes of ticket checks as you will have been sent a QR code to scan. Larger items must be left in the cloakroom in The Roundhouse (Confucius Institute).
We endeavour to make the ceremony accessible to all. Please follow the link below, which provides details on how we achieve this.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Should you have any specific concerns regarding accessibility and inclusion, please contact the graduation team at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk and we will strive to accommodate these where possible.
Visit our Graduation Day dedicated page to know more about what happens on your very special day.
If you're graduating this July, you can also which contains all the information you'll need about graduation.
- Collect your gown from the .
- Have your portrait photos taken (if required)
- Visit the stands in the marquee, located in University Square, next to .
- Visit the Alumni stand in The Roundhouse and pick up your free Alumni t-shirt!
One hour before your ceremony you must go to the graduand entrance at the Great Hall where you will be seated by our student ushers. At the same time, your guests should go to the guest entrance of the Great Hall, where they will be shown to their seats by our team of ushers. You need to be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony starts. The doors will then close and the ceremony will begin.
College, department or faculty celebrations also take place during graduation, you will be informed directly by your College Manager or Faculty/Departmental Officer.
Certificates are not presented as part of your ceremony; certificates can be collected in the Roundhouse during graduation week, or posted out should you not be attending a ceremony.
If you have any queries about certificates, please email exams@lancaster.ac.uk.
Students who are graduating and taking part in the ceremony will automatically be issued with a digital ticket. You only need to request tickets for your guests.
When you register for your ceremony, you will be asked for guest requirements, where you can request up to two free guest tickets for the Great Hall, which are guaranteed to all students who register before the deadline.
All tickets are digital and will be emailed to you. You will receive two separate emails, one containing your ticket, and another containing your guest tickets. As guests and students enter the ceremony separately, you must make sure that both you and your guests have a copy of your tickets as you will all need to present QR codes.
Space in the Great Hall is limited and we want to ensure all students who are eligible to attend graduation, and register before the closing date have access to two free guest tickets. This ensures the health and safety of all graduands and guests.
You will receive your guest tickets by email approximately one week before your ceremony.
Your guests should go to the guest entrance of the Great Hall (adjacent to the fountains) one hour before the ceremony starts, where they will be shown to their seats by our team of ushers. Guests will need a copy of their digital ticket to access the ceremony, so please ensure they have been downloaded or printed off in advance of the event.
All guest seats in both the Great Hall and the live broadcast venue(s) are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. If your guests have any access requirements please add these details in your registration form and/or contact us at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk
Guests must be seated in the Great Hall no later than 30 minutes before the ceremony start time.
Up to two children aged six and under will be permitted entry on an accompanying adult’s guest ticket and may sit on a knee. Children aged seven or over will require a standard guest ticket to gain entry to the Great Hall. Children are welcome to attend the ceremonies, however, we respectfully ask that they are taken outside of the Great Hall if they become unsettled.
Please note that we cannot accommodate any prams / pushchairs in the Great Hall due to health and safety regulations. We have a dedicated area in the foyer of the Great Hall where guests may leave pushchairs.
The live broadcast will take place in the which is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the , visit . Students can have up to six tickets for guests at the live broadcast venue. These are free of charge and available on the day of your graduation ceremony.
The University is a diverse community and takes its responsibilities for the welfare of all staff and students seriously. In the interest of fairness to everyone, dogs and any other domestic animals, are not permitted in University buildings or grounds. The only exception to this rule is for assistance and working dogs.
A variety of catering outlets are located across campus and some college bars are open throughout graduation.
You can find more details about the food and drinks outlets as well as their location and opening times here: /eat/outlets/
Guest tickets are non-transferable between graduands.
You can park in any space in North, South or . We expect North Campus to fill up quickly, in which case you can catch the free shuttle bus from South or South-West Campus to bring you to North Campus, the and .
There are no parking charges on graduation day, and you can disregard any staff or visitor parking signs.
Drop off as close to the as possible; blue badge parking is available outside the . Further accessible parking spaces are marked on the map. Please ask at the if you require assistance with access into the Hall.
If you and/or your family and friends are travelling from outside the UK to attend your graduation ceremony please visit the Graduation Section on our visa and immigration page for detailed information.
When you register for your ceremony, you will receive an email confirmation with a letter attached that confirms your eligibility to attend a graduation ceremony. This letter can be used as a supporting document for a visa application. Please note that we cannot provide letters to support any guest visa applications.
We’re aware that visa applications are taking longer than usual to process. As such, if you require a supporting document for your visa application, please email ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk with the subject line ‘visa letter’. Please note that we cannot provide letters to support any guest visa applications.
You can book your gown on . You will find this link in the email you received inviting you to register for your graduation as well.
You can collect and return your graduation attire from the any time from 8:30 am on the day of the ceremony. Students who are in a 10:30am ceremony can collect their gown between 5pm and 6pm the evening before their ceremony should they wish.
Gowns must be returned by 7 pm to The Roundhouse (A09 - Confucius Institute) after your ceremonies and pictures.
You should arrive to collect your gown at least 2.5 hours before your ceremony, or 1 hour before your college photo or college or faculty celebration- whichever is earliest. Please note that LICA will be particularly busy 1 hour before a ceremony.
Please go to the as soon as you arrive on campus and speak to the gowning team (please note that you will need to pay an on-the-day charge in addition to the standard cost of hiring the gown).
Gowns need to be returned by 7pm at on the day of your Graduation.
The stripes on the hood vary in colour depending on the degree i.e., MA, MSc etc. You can see the designs on our graduation webpages, in the Academic Dress section.
- Please contact Graduation Attire directly regarding refunds for gown hire via service@graduationattire.co.uk
- If you cancel more than seven days before the ceremony a full refund is provided.
- A 50% refund is provided when cancellation occurs within the week before the ceremony.
- No refund can be provided when cancellation occurs on the day of the ceremony.
- If there are exceptional circumstances and you cannot attend your ceremony, please inform the University's Graduation Team at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk and your gown booking can be deferred until the ceremony session.
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Please note: once the cancellation request has been sent, students cannot re-book onto the same graduation period should they find an alternative means of transport.
糖心Vlog's Creative Studio is the official University photographer and are based in .
Visit Creative Studio's Graduation Photography dedicated page for more information.
You may take photographs but please stay seated so you do not obstruct the view of other guests.
Filming on any device is not permitted in The Great Hall. Ceremonies are available watch on our .
You will find 糖心Vlog branded memorabilia to purchase on the day of your graduation in . You can also purchase gifts from the University's .
Wi-Fi is free on campus for guests. Look for LU-Visitor in your list of Wi-Fi networks. During registration, you will be asked to agree to the terms and conditions and you will be sent an email. Click on the enclosed link and you will be given 24-hour free visitor Wi-Fi access.