What to do on the day of your December Ceremony?

Please bring your confirmation email and photo ID (preferably your student card).

Hiring a robe is not compulsory, but the majority of graduates choose to wear them as the Graduation Ceremony is a formal event.

We have a strict academic dress code and reserve the right to refuse anyone dressed inappropriately.

The walking routes on the day have uneven/slippery surfaces therefore you are advised to wear appropriate footwear for your safety.

Our ceremonies are held on de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield.

Parking is available at the Park and Ride. The Park and Ride car park (located at Angerland) is open to all at no charge from 07:00 – 22:00, Monday - Friday. The postcode for the car park is AL10 8HS and it is located off Junction 2 of the A1(M) on Southway (A1001).

There is a regular shuttle bus service that runs every 10 minutes from the car park to College Lane campus. A return ticket to ride the shuttle bus to campus costs £1 per ticket, which can be purchased using cash or card.

We strongly recommend you arrive at the car park no later than 2 hours prior to your ceremony to allow sufficient time for collection of tickets & robes, photos etc.

There is also limited parking on campus. It is likely that the main car park will be very busy, if it is full you will be directed to the nearest available car park. Please allow plenty of time to find a parking space.

The Cricket Hall in the Sports Village is the pre-Ceremony venue where ticket collection, robe hire and photo studios are located. We recommend you allow plenty of time and have suggested arrival times.

Entrance to the Auditorium is strictly by ticket only.

Children must be attended at all times.

Children must have a ticket to enter the Abbey. Only babes in arms (up to 1 year) will be allowed entry without a ticket. As the Ceremonies are formal in nature we do not recommend that they are suitable for those under the age of 7.

To avoid disturbing the enjoyment of others we would request that a responsible adult sits with children/babies near an exit as they easily become restless and bored. The University reserves the right to ask your guests to take any child/baby out of the ceremony venue for a short time so that the event can continue without disruption.

Pushchairs and car seats are not permitted inside the Auditorium.

Luggage, pushchairs and car seats are not permitted inside the Auditorium as they pose a health and safety risk in the event of an evacuation.

There is nowhere for these items to be left so we strongly advise that you do not bring them with you, or, if it is unavoidable that you make suitable arrangements in advance.

Due to the security risk, luggage must not be left unattended.

Any pushchairs or car seats left unattended is done so at the owners risk and the university cannot accept any responsibility.

The Ceremony

The Ceremony venue doors open 30 minutes before the Ceremony commences.

Every person wishing to gain entry to the Ceremony must be holding their own ticket. Speak with an usher on the door before you enter if you have your guests' tickets as they will not be permitted entry without them.

You must take a pre-assigned seat. Your guests have unallocated seating. You are not seated with your guests. If you have a young child they cannot sit with you at any time once you are in the Ceremony venue so please leave them under the care of your other (adult) guest.

Please ensure you are in your allocated seat more than 20 minutes before the ceremony starting time. A register of attendance will take place 20 minutes before the Ceremony commences. If you are absent at this time, your name will be crossed off the list and you will be assumed absent.

All mobile phones and other electrical devices must be switch off (not to silent as this interferes with the equipment used to record the ceremonies).

At the beginning of the Ceremony, everyone will be asked to stand for the entry of the Academic Procession.

There will be an opening address by the Presiding Officer and, at some ceremonies, a presentation of a Fellowship or Honorary Degree.

The presentation of degrees and diplomas will then commence. Awards are presented in hierarchical order within department. Students are presented in alphabetical order. Classifications are not read out.

Your name will be read out and you will walk across the stage to receive a scroll of congratulations from the Presiding Officer.

Remember to smile as your photo will be taken at this point! Once you have exited the stage, please return to your seat.

All students are filmed as they walk across the stage and appear in a live-stream and a video-streamed broadcast produced shortly after the Ceremony ends.

Please respect your fellow graduates by remaining silent throughout the Ceremony and applaud each student as they walk across the stage.

A closing address will be given by a senior member of the University.

A vote of thanks will be given by a selected student.

You are asked to stand for the exit of the Academic Procession. All graduates will be processed out directly behind them so you should pre-arrange a meeting point with your guests somewhere outside. This marks the end of the Ceremony.

After the Ceremony

You should return with your guests to the post-ceremony venue to enjoy our drinks reception and then return your hired robe.

You can now watch your Graduation Ceremony online here!

The Ceremonies are filmed.

Ceremonies will be livestreamed. This means friends and relatives who can't be with you on the day can still watch you walk across the stage.

They will be available to watch live on our website and will also be available to download shortly after.

By attending the Ceremonies you and your guests are agreeing to appear in any recordings or photographs.

During the Ceremony you will be called up to the stage in the name you requested the presenter read during your registration survey.

During registration, you do have the opportunity to tell us if you would like to be called something different. For example: "Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed" would like to be read out as "Ibrahim Ahmed", or "Catherine Anne Grace" would like to be read out as "Cathy Grace". When completing this section of registration, please remember that graduation ceremonies are formal occasions, and ensure the name you give us is appropriate to the event.

Additionally, you also have the opportunity during registration to provide us with the correct pronunciation of your name by spelling it phonetically. For example: "Siobhan" - pronounced "Shiv-orn", or "Oluwasean" - pronounced "Olu-wa-shayen".

Your name will be published in the Graduation brochure. If you achieve a First Class or a Distinction this will be marked against your name. No other results will be published in the brochure. If you do not want your name in the brochure please contact us no later than 6 weeks before your Ceremony takes place.