• Degree Ceremonies are normally held in January and July every year.

• The schedule is published at least one week prior to the commencement of the previous congregation. The schedule is created based on expected ceremony attendance and can vary from year to year.

• Graduands will only be invited to the ceremony in which their department and course is scheduled.

•All graduands must register when asked to by the Awards and Ceremonies Team and must do so by the deadline provided.

• Graduands have the option to attend their allocated ceremony, defer to a future set of ceremonies, or graduate in absentia.

• Spaces at the ceremony are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event that a ceremony reaches full capacity, graduands will be offered the opportunity to register for an alternative ceremony, usually on the same day but this cannot be guaranteed.

• Graduands can only defer their ceremony once, up to a maximum of one year. Deferring graduands will not be eligible to receive their certificate until their deferred ceremony.

• Graduands graduating in absentia will have their certificate made available for collection or posted to them, as requested during registration. They will not be permitted to attend a future degree ceremony.

• Graduands who fail to register by the deadline will automatically graduate in absentia.

• Graduands who change their intentions after the registration deadline should contact the Awards and Ceremonies Team immediately, but no later than 14 calendar days before the first day of ceremonies. Requests to attend ceremonies will be accommodated, subject to capacity, and requests to defer permitted, up until 14 calendar days before the first day of the congregation. After this time all students unable to attend will graduate in absentia.

• Graduands who register to attend their degree ceremony, but do not attend, will automatically graduate in absentia.

• Receipt of an invitation to register for a degree ceremony does not constitute eligibility to attend.

• Full eligibility criteria can be viewed hereLink opens in a new window.

• Students who have registered to attend a degree ceremony or to graduate in absentia, who cease to be eligible, will be notified by the Awards and Ceremonies Team. Should such students subsequently become eligible at a later date, they will be invited to register for the next available degree congregation.

• Graduands registering to attend a graduation ceremony will receive one free graduand ticket and up to two free guest tickets (requested when registering).

• Graduand and guest tickets are issued on the day of the ceremony.

• Tickets can only be collected by graduands and graduands can only collect their own graduand and guest tickets.

• In the event that a graduand or guest requires their registered carer to attend, an extra ticket will be allocated. Requests must be made directly to the Awards and Ceremonies Team. Guests with accessibility requirements, including those with carers, will be allocated reserved seating at the ceremony. We reserve the right to ask to view proof of a caring role on the day of the ceremony, where an extra ticket has been allocated.

• Lost guest tickets will not be replaced.

• Extra guest tickets, guaranteeing a seat in a Warwick Arts Centre cinema, will be sold via Warwick Arts Centre. Extra guest tickets cost £10 per person (plus booking fee) and are subject to Warwick Arts Centre’s Terms and ConditionsLink opens in a new window. The quantity of extra guest tickets available for each ceremony may be increased from time to time. Extra guest tickets can only be collected by graduands on the day of the ceremony they are attending, with the name of the graduand collecting the tickets to be entered at the point of booking. In the event there are spare seats within the ceremony venue, pre-purchased cinema tickets will be upgraded to Butterworth Hall tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis on the day, up to a maximum of two tickets per graduand. Remaining extra guest ticket holders will be issued a ticket for a Warwick Arts Centre cinema.

• Graduands registering to graduate in absentia are not entitled to guest tickets.

• It is the responsibility of students to inform the Awards and Ceremonies Team of any accessibility requirements for both themselves, and their guests as part of the online registration process so that such requirements can be appropriately accommodated. Students should contact the Awards and Ceremonies Team as soon as possible if they have not indicated these in the online registration form.

• If a student fails to register accessibility requirements of themselves or guests in advance of their ceremony the University cannot guarantee they can be met.

• Graduands attending ceremonies are required to dress in accordance with University Regulation 21,Link opens in a new window which includes wearing academic dress.

• Academic dress should be hired or purchased from the University Robemakers, Ede and Ravenscroft.

• It is the responsibility of students to ensure they have made appropriate hiring (or purchasing) arrangements with Ede and Ravenscroft prior to their ceremony. Neither the University, nor Ede and Ravenscroft, can guarantee the availability of suitable robes if a student has not made such arrangements before the day of their graduation.

• Candidates whose clothes and/or academic robes are considered unsuitable may be excluded from the ceremony.

• All graduands and guests must be seated in the Butterworth Hall 30 minutes prior to the start time of the ceremony. Entry cannot be guaranteed after this time.

• In the event that a graduand arrives late for their ceremony, all efforts will be made to offer the graduand the opportunity to attend a later ceremony that day or the following day.

• The graduation ceremonies are professionally filmed, broadcast live on the web and shown on other University of Warwick screens, with the footage made available for download after the ceremonies. By registering to take part in the graduation ceremony, graduands are confirming that they and their guests have given permission for their image to be recorded.

• Other professional photography and videography takes place on campus on behalf of the University during graduation which may be used for University of Warwick marketing purposes. If graduands or their guests do not wish to be featured, they should let the photographers/videographers know on the day.

• Prior to May 2021, certificates were issued as physical certificates only. From May 2021 onwards, both physical and digital certificates are issued, where certificates are issued by the University of Warwick. Digital certificates are not available for graduates from Cranfield, Exeter and Warwick joint degree programmes. Digital certificates are provided via Gradintelligence.

• Students must not hold any outstanding study-related debts with the University in order to receive their certificate. The University reserves the right to withhold certificates until such debts have been cleared in full.

• Students who attend a graduation ceremony (including those who have deferred) will be presented with their certificate on stage during the ceremony.

• Certificates for students who graduate in absentia will either be sent by post, courier, or collected in person from the University. Students who graduate in absentia cannot be issued with their certificate prior to their corresponding degree ceremony taking place. Posting and collection arrangements are laid out in full on the Award CertificatesLink opens in a new window web page.

• Certificates will be sent to students receiving lower awards and not eligible to attend a degree ceremony by second class post (UK addresses) or airmail (overseas addresses) to the home address held on the student record, unless they request otherwise, no sooner than two weeks after notification of conferral, to allow the opportunity for addresses to be updated.

• Certificates will be issued using the official name as held on a student's central record at the time of graduation. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that their official name is correct at all times (including any middle names and accents) by updating this via Student Records Online Link opens in a new windowwhere necessary, or through alerting the University to any errors/misspellings. Names on certificates cannot be changed after graduation. This continues to apply where an individual's name changes after graduation, including name changes due to marriage or divorce, but excluding name changes associated with a change of gender/gender identity.

• Graduates will be issued with one certificate only and cannot request more. In the event that a certificate is lost or stolen, a replacement certificate can be issued, at a charge of £40. The original certificate will be cancelled and the replacement certificate will state that it is a replacement.

• Replacement certificates issued in response to notification of a change of gender/gender identity will be issued free of charge, provided evidence of destruction of the original certificate is provided to the Awards and Ceremonies Team. Where an original certificate is lost or stolen, the standard charge of £40 will apply.

• In the event that a certificate needs reissuing, for example to reflect a change of classification following a successful appeal, the Awards and Ceremonies Team will need to receive evidence of destruction of the previously issued certificate before a new certificate will be issued. In such circumstances, the new certificate would be issued as an original certificate and not a replacement.

• The Awards and Ceremonies Team will operate in accordance with all relevant University of Warwick Privacy NoticesLink opens in a new window.

• The Awards and Ceremonies Team will not discuss personal information with a third party (whether via telephone or email) without express written permission from the student. We reserve the right to ask individuals security questions in order to confirm identity.

• Contact details provided when registering for graduation will be shared with students' academic department, upon their request, for the purposes of contacting students with regard to graduation related communications/activities organised by their department.

• Contact and address details provided when registering for graduation will be provided externally to the courier company for the sole purpose of arranging delivery of certificates and to provide students with tracking details via email once the shipment is booked, where students choose to graduate in absentia and receive delivery of their certificate by courier.

• The names of nominated individuals may be provided by students if they have arranged for that individual to collect a certificate on their behalf. Such names will only be shared between the Awards and Ceremonies team and the Student Information Centre for collection purposes.

• After graduation, the University and students' academic departments will use the contact details provided when registering for graduation to stay in touch with students for alumni engagement and fundraising purposes. These include careers advice, alumni discounts and services, journals access, mentoring, invitations to events and calls to support fundraising projects. Students and alumni can update their details at any time after graduation on www.warwickgrad.netLink opens in a new window.

• After successful completion of your course, you will be contacted by a specialist research organisation engaged by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and asked to complete a survey on activities and perspectives of UK graduates. For the purposes of the survey, the University will provide to HESA and/or the organisation acting on HESA’s behalf, your contact details held in the University’s records. You may be contacted by email, text and telephone. When you are contacted you can, if you wish, decline to take part in the survey. For more information see HESA’s Graduate OutcomesLink opens in a new window website and student collection noticeLink opens in a new window. The University will process your contact details for these purposes on the basis that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. The University will also use data collected through the survey for the purposes of analysis and research and to provide anonymised information to current and prospective students and external organisations. The University will process your survey responses for these purposes, and for the purposes of alumni engagement and fundraising, on the basis of the University’s legitimate interests. For more information on how your data will be processed by the University after graduation, please visit the Alumni Data Privacy Notice.Link opens in a new window

• Students who attend a ceremony will have their official name announced by the Master of Ceremonies before crossing the stage to receive their certificate (and as per any additional pronunciation guidance provided by a student as part of the online registration process).

• Details of graduand and/or guest accessible seating requirements provided when registering for graduation will be shared with University of Warwick staff assisting with seating on graduation day.

• At the end of each ceremony, rolling credits will show on screen, listing the names of graduates under their faculty, department, qualification and course title. No degree classifications are published. Where the Warwick Award has been successfully completed, the Warwick Award logo will show after names. The same rolling credits will be included in highlight footage of each ceremony. Where permission for inclusion is provided when registering for graduation, names will be shared with an approved events company for the sole purpose of producing content related to graduations and the ceremony.

• Graduands are asked careers support questions when registering for graduation. The University will use the information provided in response to question 1 (Are you still looking for a job or further study place for after graduation?) for the purposes of analysis and research to understand the employment circumstances of our students and graduates and to improve career support services. The information may be shared with students' academic departments. Where graduands do not wish for their information to be used for these purposes, they should select 'prefer not to say'. Where graduands answer yes to question 2 (Would you like the University to contact you to offer careers support?), the University will contact them via email and/or phone to offer careers support. For more information on how the University uses personal information for the purposes of career and skill development, see the University's Student and Alumni Privacy NoticesLink opens in a new window.

• The University may cancel, delay, or postpone its graduation ceremonies for a given period due to circumstances beyond its control and under which the ceremonies can no longer reasonably, or safely, be expected to take place. Such circumstances may include (though are not limited to): fire, flood, explosion or any other incident that renders the venue in which the Degree Congregation is due to be held unsafe to use; terrorist act (or threat of a terrorist act); natural disaster; epidemic; pandemic; industrial action; or a period of national mourning.

• The University cannot be held liable for any losses direct or otherwise incurred by students and guests if graduation ceremonies are cancelled, delayed, or postponed as a result of any unforeseen circumstances.

• Any changes to the ceremony schedule as brought about by unforeseen circumstances will be communicated to attending students via email and advertised clearly on the University's website.