Before the day - undergraduate ceremonies

Eligibility and registration

Registration
Registration for ceremonies on 14 July is now open - please see your invitation email for the registration form.

Registration for undergraduates due to complete in June and graduate week commencing 17 July will open in early April.

Eligibility
You need to register your graduation intentions (attending or graduating in absentia before results are published. In order to graduate at ceremonies in July 2023, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be in your final year and have an 'Expected End Date' of June 2023
• Register your graduation intentions by the deadline
• 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)
• Have no outstanding debts to the University

Complete the registration process on the assumption that you will successfully complete your studies. Receiving an email invitation to register does not imply you have been successful; we invite all students who may successfully complete in time so they can make arrangements in advance. Don’t wait until you receive your results to register for the ceremony because this is after the registration deadline. If you have not successfully completed when we receive the examination results, we will automatically remove you from the attendee list.

Graduating in person
When you register for graduation, you will be able to apply for guest tickets and advise us of any special seating or access requirements that you or your guests may have. The registration also serves as confirmation of your personal details (eg: confirmation of your name as it will appear in the ceremony programme and on your certificate). For more information on your name, please refer to the your name section.

Graduating in absentia
If you are not attending in person, the registration process enables you to confirm your personal details (eg: confirmation of your name as it will appear on your certificate) and to provide the address where your certificate should be posted to. You should also ensure that you have read the information relating to the postage of certificates.

Cancelling your place following registration
If you are no longer able to attend graduation, cancel your place. If you don’t cancel your place in advance, we will be unable to send you your certificate.

Your name

Printed name
When you open the registration form, your name will be shown. This is taken from your student record and will be the name printed in the programme and on your certificate. Names are printed following the naming convention at the University and will appear as forename, middle name(s), surname as held on the record. If this is incorrect, you need to change it before you register. 

To amend your name, you should contact the Student Services Information Desk (SSiD) with documentary evidence (e.g: originals of either your deed poll document, passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate) and your student record will be amended. Once completed, you can then register your graduation intentions  by the deadline. 

If you are graduating on Friday 14 July your name will be printed in the graduation programme exactly as it appears on your student record.

If you do not want your name to appear in the programme, please advise the Events Team in writing by Friday 2 June.

Name pronunciation
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 can provide guidance on how to say your name correctly. This information will be added to the presenter's script.

You can complete the name pronunciation form here.

The deadline to complete the name pronunciation form is Friday 2 June. 

Examples below:

Certificates

If you are graduating on Friday 14 July you should have previously received your certificate. If you have not received your certificate you can request it from SSiD here. No certificates will be handed out on Friday 14 July.

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. Doing so not only gives you the opportunity to confirm your personal details, but also to provide an address for us to post your certificate to following the ceremonies. If you you don't complete this process, we are unable to send your certificate.

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 within the United Kingdom 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 for purchasing this delivery method is Friday 2 June. 

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. 

If you would like to purchase this service, visit the online store. 

Order your certificate by courier service
The deadline for purchasing this delivery method is Friday 2 June.

You can view the full list of countries that DHL services here. 

Certificates lost in transit
Although the majority of certificates are received, occasionally some items will get 'lost'. 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 and don't receive your certificate, you will need to order a replacement certificate (for which the usual fee will be charged) from Student Services.

Tickets

Guaranteed tickets
Two guest tickets are guaranteed for each graduand, if requested at the time of registration and before the deadline of to be confirmed. This is in addition to your own ticket as a graduand. 

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 in early June. 

Downloading tickets
Your e-ticket (containing seat numbers for you and your guests), along with your statement of final results, will be available via myResults from 2pm on Friday 7 July. 

On your statement of final results, you will see a link to 'Graduation Information'. Your e- ticket will show the seat numbers allocated to you and your guests and this will be required on the day. You need to download this information and have it available electronically or printed out. Provide your guests with copies.

If you are graduating on Friday 14 July your tickets will be emailed to you on Friday 7 July. 

Special seating arrangements
Inform us of any specific access requirements or special assistance you or your guests may need, eg: wheelchair access, printed material etc, by completing the relevant section of the graduation registration form.

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 of proceedings 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 aren’t required.

Children are not permitted on the platform at any time.

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 & Ravenscroft.

How to hire
Robe hire will open in due course.

Robing opening times
Robes will be available for collection from Uni Central on Level 4 of the Students’ Union Building. The robing timetable will be published here in due course.

Cancelling robe hire
If you are no longer able to attend your ceremony, Ede & Ravenscroft will refund your gown hire payment, but will charge a small administration fee. Any refund requests need to be made at least 7 days before the date of your ceremony.

You can cancel your order using the 'Review/Amend/Cancel' option on the Ede & Ravenscroft website. For security reasons, cancellations cannot be made over the phone.

Robe types and hood colours
View examples of the different types of robes and hoods for each level of study and department here:

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. 

Schedule

The full ceremony schedule can be found
here

Photography and souvenirs

Official photographs
The official photographers are Ede & Ravenscroft Photography, located in the Students' Union on each day. You can pre-book photography packages when you order your robes through Ede & Ravenscroft or you can turn up on the day.

Opening times:
To be confirmed 

Location:
Level 4 Students' Union

Official graduation film
Your graduation ceremony will be recorded by the University and will be available for you to purchase on a USB memory stick. You can order your ceremony via the Online Store.

University gifts and souvenirs
University gifts and souvenirs are an excellent way to remember your time at the University of Sheffield. A full range of gifts and souvenirs, including 'Made in Sheffield' items, will be available for purchase in the foyer of the Octagon Centre on graduation days.

Checklist

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 robing company Ede & Ravenscroft Ltd 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. Email graduation@sheffield.ac.uk giving your full name, student registration number and award title and clearly confirm that you wish to be removed from the programme.

We do not print degree classification in the graduation programme.

Digital media
Graduation video - 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.

Graduation live web cast of the ceremony - The graduation ceremonies are broadcast live over the University web site. 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
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.