October 2022 graduation ceremonies

Watch the ceremonies here
Before the day

Eligibility and registration 

These ceremonies are the postgraduate ceremonies for students who were due to graduate in January 2022 but had their ceremony rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Registration has closed.

Cancelling your place following registration

If you have registered to attend graduation and are now unable to, please cancel your place so we can remove you from the participants list and rework the seating plans.

Robe hire

It is a University regulation to wear academic dress. Please hire or purchase these directly from the official robe makers for the University, Ede & Ravenscroft. Robe hire has now closed.

Dress code

Ceremonies are formal occasions, please dress smartly. Jeans, t-shirts, trainers and similar casual attire are not considered appropriate for graduation ceremonies. We welcome national dress and military uniforms.

Robing timetable

Collect your robes from Uni Central on Level 4 of the Student Union Building:

11.00am ceremonies - collect between 9.00am and 10.15am
3.00pm ceremonies - collect between 12.30pm and 2.10pm  

Please return your robes by 5.00pm.

Robe types and hood colours

Please note: Ede and Ravenscroft use stock images on their website and therefore pictures shown are not necessarily representative of the outfit you will receive.  See below for examples of the University of Sheffield different types of robes, robe colours and hoods for each level of study and department:

Academic dress examples (PDF, 743kb)

Cancelling your robe hire

If you cannot attend your ceremony, Ede & Ravenscroft will refund your gown hire for a small administration fee. This must be within 7 full days before the date of your ceremony.

You can cancel your order using the 'Review/Amend/Cancel' option on their website. Ede & Ravenscroft cannot accept cancellations over the telephone.

Contact details for Ede & Ravenscroft

Telephone: +44 1223 861 854.
Email: student@edeandravenscroft.co.uk
Web: www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk/graduation-services

Your name

Ensure your name is printed and pronounced correctly on your graduation day.

At graduation your forename and surname (as held on your student record) will be announced as you cross the platform. If you have a name that is frequently mispronounced, you may wish to give guidance on how your name should be said correctly.

Providing guidance on name pronunciation has closed.

Tickets and seat allocation 

Guaranteed tickets

Two guest tickets are guaranteed for each graduate attending if requested at the time of registration. This is in addition to your own ticket of admission as a graduate.

Additional tickets

If additional guest tickets are available, you will be notified by email after the registration deadline.

Downloading etickets

E-tickets are available to download here

Ceremony schedule

Ceremonies take place on Monday 17 - Friday 21 October.

Ceremony schedule

Terms and conditions

Cancellation or postponement of the event

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.

---

Data protection

Publication of names

The names of graduating students are published in the graduation programme which is available to all ticketed guests on the day.  If you would like your name removed from the programme, please tell the Events Team in writing by Friday 2 September. Email graduation@sheffield.ac.uk with your full name, student registration number and award title and clearly confirm that you wish to be removed from the publication. It should be noted that if any students have a tuition or tuition-related debt to the University by Friday 2 September, their names will not appear in any of the above. Occasionally, we may be advised that a student has completed their studies after the programme has already gone to print and their name will therefore not be included in the programme.

Digital media

Graduation film: The ceremony proceedings are filmed and the recording is available to purchase after the ceremony. By electing to take part in the ceremony proceedings, you are giving permission for your image to be recorded. Live webcast 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: During the day professional photographers will be taking photographs and these 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.

---

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 robing company Ede & Ravenscroft Ltd at the ceremony. It is a University regulation that all those being presented at a ceremony wear the correct academic dress.

---

Graduand and guest conduct

Graduands and guests are expected to behave in a manner fitting for the occasion. Any person who becomes disruptive will be asked to leave the hall.

---

Children

Children are very welcome at graduation but those over the age of 2 must have their own ticket of entry and occupy their own seat.  We regret that children are not permitted onto the platform at any time.

Visas

Information on visas for graduation is here.

Checklist

Before the day tasks	Deadline
Register to attend your graduation ceremony	24 August
Ensure the name pronunciation form has been completed (if relevant)	23 September
Ensure you have read all information on visas (if applicable)	N/A
Order your robes from Ede & Ravenscroft	23 September
Download your e-tickets containing seat numbers for you and your guests	2pm 11 October
Ensure you've read the 'graduands instructions' for detailed instructions about the ceremony (below)	Day before your ceremony

On the day tasks	Deadline
Ensure you have downloaded your e-tickets showing your seat numbers. You can either print the tickets out or show them on a mobile device	Before you leave home
Ensure you have a copy of your robe order confirmation	Before you leave home
If you have pre-paid for photographs, ensure you have a copy of your order confirmation	Before you leave home
Plan to arrive on campus absolutely no later than 90 minutes prior to the start time of your ceremony	90 minutes before ceremony start time
Collect your robe from Uni Central, Level 4, Students' Union	Robing timetable (above)
Have photographs taken	Photography timetable (below)
Arrive at the Octagon Centre, clear security and take your seat	Doors to the hall open 45 minutes prior to ceremony start time
Registration in the hall commences	40 minutes before ceremony
Doors to the hall will be closed. Any gradutes not seated will be marked as absent and removed from the presentation list. Any guest seats not taken will be reallocated	10 minutes before ceremony
Ceremony commences	Given ceremony start time
Ceremony ends	Ceremonies are approximately 60 minutes
Have photographs taken if you did not do this prior to your ceremony	8.30-5.00pm
Return your robes to Uni Central	5.00pm
Visit the Alumni Relations stand and collect your free goodie bag, mug and graduate guide	Monday 9:30 - 17:00 Tuesday 09:30 - 14:00 Wednesday 09:30 - 14:00 Thursday 09:30 - 17:00 Friday 09:30 - 17:00

On the day

Venue, travel and security 

More information is here.

Graduates instructions

Please read the graduates instructions here.

What happens in the ceremony

Ceremonies last for around 60 minutes.

Before the ceremony

-Graduates must be seated in the hall 40 minutes prior to the ceremony start time. University marshals will undertake student registration from their seats. Graduates sit in the two front blocks, seat numbers are on all e-tickets. 

-Guests can sit anywhere in the guest section of the hall.

-There will be a keepsake graduation programme on all graduate seats. Programmes for guests can be found in the dispensers around the hall.

---

During the ceremony

-Everyone will stand for the staff and officers processions. The two processions will make their way on to the stage.

-The Presiding Officer will open the congregation, ask graduates and guests to be seated.

-University marshals will pull graduates out of their rows and re-check names. As graduates leave their seat they must follow the graduate immediately in front of them. Graduates must not change position in the queue.

-Once graduates are at the bottom of the stairs their names will be checked again. There will also be a member of the Ede and Ravenscroft robing team to check robes.

-Graduates will ascend a short flight of steps with a handrail onto the stage.

-Graduates will walk across the stage, doff their cap to the Presiding Officer and descend the steps at the other end of the stage.

-Once off the stage University stewards will direct graduates back to their seats.

-Some ceremonies will have a senate award, honorary degree or both. This is usually presented in the middle of the ceremony.

---

After the ceremony

-After all graduates have been presented, the Presiding Officer will give a short closing speech.

-The Presiding Officer will close the congregation and ask everyone to stand for the exit of the processions.

-Once the staff and officer’s processions have left, the University marshals will lead a graduate procession. The graduate procession will lead out to the Octagon Foyer or Octagon Bar area depending on the block.

-Graduates should leave the Octagon via the main doors and meet guests outside on the concourse.

Photography and souvenirs

Official photographs

The official graduation photographers are Ede & Ravenscroft Photography, located in the Students' Union. We advise you pre-book photography when ordering your robes in order to guarantee this service. You can purchase photography on the day but  it cannot be guaranteed as priority is given to those who have pre-booked. A presentation photograph will be taken when you walk across the stage and this can be purchased from the Online Store.

Opening times:
8.30-5.00pm

Location:
Level 4 Students' Union

---

Official graduation film

Your graduation ceremony will be recorded by the University and can be purchased on a USB memory stick. You can either pre-order your copy in advance or order from the sales desk on the day. You can purchase it after the event here.

---

University gifts and souvenirs

University gifts and souvenirs will be available for purchase in the foyer of the Octagon Centre throughout the week.

Live stream

All ceremonies will be live streamed from Monday 17 October - Friday 21 October. Watch the ceremonies here

Honorary graduates

Tuesday 18 October, 11.00am - Andrew Darwin
Andrew Darwin is a renowned practitioner of business and corporate law, and the former senior partner and global co-chair of DLA Piper. He spent his entire professional life with this company, the largest UK law firm, splitting his time between Sheffield and London and also abroad, including as managing partner of the Australian offices. He grew up in Sheffield and was the first in his family to go to university, studying law at Cambridge.

Wednesday 19 October, 11.00am - Lai Huen Poh
Lai Huen Poh is a renowned civil engineer who is playing a key role in the built environment of his home city-state of Singapore and internationally. He is the senior managing director of SJ Architecture, a division of one of the largest Asia-based urban, industrial and infrastructure consulting firms. A graduate of the University of Sheffield (BEng Civil and Structural Engineering1978), his many accolades include the Public Service Star, which he received from the President of Singapore in 2018.

Friday 21 October, 11.00am - Dr Ayesha Husaini
A graduate of the University of Sheffield (PhD Education 2009), Dr Ayesha Husaini is an effective advocate for the educational, social and vocational inclusion of individuals with disabilities. She is the founder director of Manzil, a not-for-profit organisation in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, which provides a professional learning environment for its students, raising social awareness and fostering an inclusive society. Her many awards include the accolade of UAE Woman of the Year.

Information for guests

Family and friends attending may find these pages useful to read before the day.