Essential graduation information

The date we lock your award on our system determines which graduation ceremony you can attend. We lock your award after your Exam Board confirms it. If you’re unsure when your Exam Board takes place, you can check at the Ask Herts Hub on either campus.

To see which graduation ceremony you’re likely to be eligible for, use your Exam Board date. Check the table below to find the Exam Board date range and the corresponding graduation ceremony.

During peak periods, there may be a delay between your Exam Board meeting and us locking your award on our system. Please don’t worry.

If you meet all eligibility criteria, we will invite you to a graduation ceremony.

If you are a Research student, to be eligible to attend the September 2026 Ceremonies, you must have been awarded your degree by the Research Degrees Board and completed all final submission processes with the Doctoral College by 17 July 2026.

We present the following awards at the ceremonies:

• Bachelors;
  
• Diplomas (except University Diploma);
  
• Doctorates;
  
• Foundation Degrees (FdSc Paramedic Science and FdSc Health Care Practice only);
  
• Masters;
  
• Postgraduate Certificate in Education;
  
• Professional Graduate Certificate in Education;
  

Students must have been taught by a University of Hertfordshire (Hatfield-based) academic.

If you receive notification of an interim award (rather than the final award for your programme), we assume you plan to continue your studies. If you decide not to continue and want to receive the interim award confirmed by your Programme Board of Examiners, you must request this in writing. If you make this request by the required deadline, you may be eligible to attend a graduation ceremony.

You can only register to attend the ceremony if you have paid your academic debt by the deadlines listed for the September ceremonies and February ceremonies. Please email the finance tuition team to arrange payment.

When you receive your ceremony invitation, you must reply or defer the invitation by the listed deadline. If you do not respond, you will no longer be eligible to attend a graduation ceremony. 

Registration for our September ceremonies will open in June, so check back if you hope to take part. 

In order to register, you will need to answer a set of important questions that confirm:

• how many guaranteed guest tickets you would like to purchase (your graduate ticket is free and included with registration);
• how many ballot tickets you would like to request (these are not guaranteed, and availability varies);
• if you require a letter to support a UK visa application for you or your guest(s);
• if you or your guest(s) have accessibility / additional requirements and need assistance;
• how you would like your name to be announced at your ceremony.

Please complete your registration prior to making any travel or accommodation arrangements, as any such arrangements are made entirely at your own risk.

Have you received an invitation?

We email invitations to students expected to be eligible to attend; usually in June for September ceremonies and November for February ceremonies.

If you do not receive an invitation, check your spam folder and add awards@herts.ac.uk to your safe senders list. If you believe you are eligible but have not received an email, please email us with your full name and student ID number.

Can you log into your student record?

Follow the link in your invitation email, and you will be directed from our website to your student record. If you cannot login to your student record or have forgotten your password, please call the Library and Computing Services (LCS) Helpdesk on 01707 284678 or email LCS.

Can you see the link on your student record?

Please ensure you are using a desktop computer and not a mobile device.

Once you are logged in to your student record, you should be redirected to an 'Updates' page, where you should see the link 'Register for Graduation' at the bottom.

If you aren't taken to the ‘Updates’ page when you log in, please select ‘Courses’ on the left-hand side of the page. Then select the ‘Most recent course’ link, and you should then see a 'Register for Graduation' link.

If you are still having trouble, check the eligibility criteria on our website to make sure you meet all the requirements. If you still need support, please call the Library and Computing Services (LCS) Helpdesk on 01707 284678 or email LCS.

Do you have an academic debt?

You must clear any academic debt before you can register for your ceremony. If everything else is in order and you’re still unable to register, email the finance tuition team to find out if an outstanding financial matter is preventing you from registering.

I have checked all the above – I still cannot register

If you still cannot register and should be able to, please email us again with your name and ID number, before our deadline, so that we can help you.

Be sure to add awards@herts.ac.uk to your address book or safe senders list to make sure you receive all emails related to Graduation. After you complete the online registration form, you will receive a confirmation email which verifies that we have received your details and that you are registered for your graduation ceremony.

If you do not receive it within 24 hours, please contact us.

If you do not achieve an eligible award by the Exam Board deadline, we will need to cancel your registration, and you won’t be able to attend the graduation ceremony you’ve registered for. You will receive any applicable refund.

Please don’t worry – as long as you meet all our eligibility criteria, you will be invited to the next appropriate graduation ceremony.

During registration, you can tell us how you would like your name to be read out at your ceremony. For example, ‘Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed’ may choose to be announced as ‘Ibrahim Ahmed’, or ‘Catherine Anne Grace’ as ‘Cathy Grace’. Graduation ceremonies are formal occasions, so please choose a name that is appropriate for the event.

You can also provide the correct pronunciation of your name by spelling it phonetically, for example “Siobhan” (Shiv-orn) or “Oluwasean” (Olu-wa-shayen).

Your name will be printed in the graduation brochure. If you achieve a First Class or a Distinction, this may be shown next to your name. No other results will be published. If you do not want your name included, please email us no later than five weeks before your ceremony.

If you have not yet registered for a ceremony

Please email us if you cannot attend the ceremony we have invited you to, and we will remove you from our mailing list.

If you have already registered for a ceremony, but can no longer attend

Please email us immediately to cancel your registration.

If you have purchased guest tickets, we will only be able to process a refund if you cancel before the registration deadline. We cannot offer a refund if you cancel after the deadline.

You can delay your invitation once to the next ceremony, as long as this is your first ceremony invitation and you meet the eligibility rules, by emailing the Awards Office before the deferral deadline.

After you submit your request, you will receive a confirmation email to the address on your student record, usually within 3-5 working days. Contact us if you do not receive this email, as it means that we have not received your request. If your request is incomplete, you won’t be able to attend a future ceremony.

We cannot accept deferral requests if you have outstanding academic debt with the University.

When you register for the ceremony, we will let you know how many guaranteed guest tickets are available for you to purchase. These will cost £25 per ticket.

You can also request to take part in the ballot for spare tickets that remain for sale after registration has closed. Read more about ballot tickets below.

You will receive a free graduate ticket for yourself.

You will collect your tickets from The Forum on the College Lane Campus, on the day of your graduation ceremony. To collect your tickets, you must bring your confirmation email and photo ID.

Please make sure you leave plenty of time to collect your tickets so you can enjoy the activities on the campus before travelling to St Albans Cathedral for your ceremony.

No one will be allowed to enter St Albans Cathedral to attend a graduation ceremony without a ticket.

Your graduate ticket will show your seat number, which you will need to enter the venue and take the correct seat.

All guests must hold a valid ticket to attend the ceremony.

Ceremonies are formal occasions, not suitable for children under the age of seven. If you wish to bring children, you will need to purchase tickets for them. Children under one who don't require their own seat do not need a ticket.

For safety, luggage, pushchairs, and car seats are not permitted inside the Cathedral and must not be left unattended, so we recommend you do not bring them if you can avoid it. You may leave these outside, however all unattended items are left at the owner’s risk, and the University cannot accept responsibility.

Children cannot sit with a graduate, so one of your adult guests will need to supervise any children in attendance at all times.

To avoid disturbing the enjoyment of others, we would request that the adult guest sits with the child / baby near an exit so that they can temporarily leave the venue if the youngster becomes restless.

When you register for graduation, you receive one free ticket for yourself and can buy a set number of guaranteed guest tickets. If any tickets remain after registration closes, we may offer them through a random draw known as the ballot.

Ballot tickets cost £25 each and are non-refundable and non-transferable. Because there is no promise that ballot tickets will be available, you should only make plans for extra guests once you have actually secured them.

How the ballot works

You can ask to be considered for ballot tickets only when you register. You cannot change this later, so please think carefully about how many you want.

Within a few days after registration closes, any spare tickets go into a draw. If you requested ballot tickets, your name is automatically included.

When you will hear the result

Once the draw has been completed, we will send an email telling you whether or not you have been successful. If you have been selected in the ballot, you will have limited time to buy the tickets. Be sure to check your inbox, spam, and junk folders.

Accessibility

The University tries to support guests with mobility or disability needs. When buying ballot tickets, you will be asked for accessibility information, and someone will contact you to discuss what can be arranged. Please be aware that because the ballot is late, complex arrangements may be difficult.

Remember that every guest needs their own ticket, including children and carers.

A limited number of extra guest tickets may be available to purchase on the day of your ceremony, sold first come, first served. You will need to visit the Box Office in The Forum in person to learn whether or not these are available.

You can purchase available tickets from the time ticket collection opens for your ceremony. Tickets cost £25 each, and payment is by card only.

Extra tickets sold on the day are non-refundable and non-transferable.

The ceremonies will be live streamed for guests unable to secure tickets to attend in person. 

The University is committed to the well-being of all staff and students. To ensure fairness for everyone, pets, including dogs and other domestic animals, are not permitted inside the ceremony venue.

Registered assistance dogs are the only animals allowed in the venue. If you are supported by a service dog, please email us to let us know in advance so we can make suitable arrangements.

After you register for your ceremony, you will receive an email directing you to the website of our approved supplier, the Graduate Gowning Company to pre-order your robe (gown, mortar board and hood) should you wish to wear one. Spare robes cannot be guaranteed on the day and may be charged at a higher rate, so we strongly urge you to pre-order to avoid disappointment.

To order you will need your:

• qualification;
• ceremony date and time;
• height;
• chest measurement;
• hat size;
• payment details.

The cost to hire a complete robe set is £42 for undergraduate robes and £44 for postgraduate and research robes.

If you do hire a robe and are not eligible to attend a ceremony, the cost of your robe hire will be refunded.

The robe hire is for one person only, so please don’t share it. If you use someone else’s robe, you’ll need to pay the hire cost. Whether you choose to hire a gown or not, you should wear business smart / smart casual clothing, as suitable for the occasion. Anyone not dressed appropriately may be refused entry.

For any additional robe queries please email the Graduate Gowning Company.

The robe you wear for your graduation ceremony must be appropriate to the award you are receiving, and the hood must be University of Hertfordshire approved which can only be purchased from our gowning suppliers, Graduate Gowning Company.

The type of award you receive will determine the style of your robe. Take a look at our robe photo gallery to get an idea of what you could wear at the Graduation ceremony.

You should wear appropriate smart dress under your robe.

Robes will be collected in The Forum on the College Lane Campus. Please make sure you leave plenty of time to collect your robe from College Lane so you can enjoy the activities on the campus before travelling to St Albans Cathedral for your ceremony. You will return your robe at St Albans Cathedral after your ceremony.

When you register to attend the ceremonies, we will ask if you require a letter to support a visa application.

We will email your visa support letter to the address on your student record. We do not email visa support letters directly to the place where you are applying (e.g. embassy, local visa application centre etc).

Visa support letters have the home address shown in your student record printed on them, so please ensure your home address is current.

We have a 3-5 working day turnaround for visa support letters.

The names of your guests are not included in the visa support letter. It is your responsibility to write a letter formally inviting your guests to visit you in the UK, confirming their names and any other details required for the visa application.

You may duplicate your visa support letter for each visa application you are supporting.

The Exams and Awards team cannot advise on visa applications, beyond providing you with a visa support letter. 

For further information about how to support the visa application of your friends or relatives, please see the family or friends visiting the UK page.

Your graduation day will start on the College Lane Campus, where you will collect your tickets and robes, have professional photos taken, and enjoy pre-ceremony refreshments.

College Lane is fully accessible with ramps and / or lifts where required. You can find out more about accessibility on College Lane using the AccessAble Guide.

Your ceremony will take place in St Albans Cathedral. Please be advised there is no parking available at the Cathedral, even to blue badge holders, so we recommend you make use of our free shuttles, running between College Lane and St Albans. All Uno buses are accessible, and staff will support you on the day.

Should you wish to make your own way to St Albans for your ceremony, you can drop off at Romeland (address: Romeland, St. Albans AL3 4EZ) – the closest road access to the entrance to the Cathedral – but will need to find parking elsewhere.

Attendees will be seated for most of the ceremony. Graduates and guests sit separately, with guest seating on a first come, first served basis, and graduate seating allocated. The seating area is reached by stairs with handrails, and there is also a mobility lift. You can find general accessibility information on the St Albans Cathedral website.

For you (the graduate)

We will try to seat you with other graduates, but we may seat you closer to the stage if your needs require it. Wherever you are seated, you will cross the stage to receive your scroll the same as every graduate. There is a ramp on and off the stage.

For guest(s)

There is a reserved seating area halfway down the central aisle for guests who may need access to the accessible fire exits. Your survey response will help us decide if this is needed for your guests. Depending on guest numbers, we may not be able to seat all your guests in this section.

We will confirm before your ceremony whether your guests have reserved seating and where you and your guests should go on the day.

We hope to be able to accommodate the needs of all guests. However, the turnaround time may be too tight to satisfy more complex arrangements for ballot ticket guests with accessibility requirements.

We will ask for your accessibility requirements upon purchase of ballot tickets, and you will need to email us thereafter to discuss the necessary arrangements.