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Graduation

Schedule of Ceremonies · Applying to Graduate · General Information · Procedures on the Day
Fee Payment · Additional Ticket Request · Assistance Request Form
Hoods Information · Stories · Data Protection · Graduation Home

General Information

Data Protection

If you complete an Application to Graduate, or Application to be awarded a Certificate or Diploma, you should note that your name may be published in the awards list for the appropriate ceremony, and that the University may release copies of such lists to the published media, although we normally restrict this to those who graduate at a ceremony.  In addition, if you qualify for the award of a degree you should note that, unless you apply to the Registrar of the General Council for exemption on ground of conscience, you will automatically become a member of the General Council of the University, and your name will be included in the published Register of members of the Council.  You should note that the ceremonies will be broadcast around the campus on the plasma screens. If technology permits they will also be available live on the internet, so potentially anyone across the world could log on to watch each ceremony. A DVD of each ceremony will be available for purchase. Please inform your guests.

Following graduation, your contact details and degree information are transferred to our alumni and development database where our alumni archive is maintained. The Alumni Relations and Development teams keep in contact with former students regarding further education and CPD opportunities, career mentoring and development, reunions, alumni and university events, university updates and fundraising initiatives. Your contact details are only used for university-related activity and are not passed to any 3rd party organisations for other purposes. You can at any time opt out of receiving any or all of these communications by contacting our Alumni Relations Office at alumni@abdn.ac.uk.

Dress for Graduation Ceremony

Male students wear dark suits or highland day dress and white shirts with dark ties (not bow ties); female students wear a dark skirt or trousers and white blouse or a dress in black or white material.  Military uniform or national costume (including full highland day dress – again, not bow ties) and/or Blues Medals may be worn. 

Hire of Robes

Ede & Ravenscroft currently hold a contract with the University to hire out robes for graduation.  Students will require a gown, the appropriate hood and a trencher (hat) (all hired direct from the suppliers (details below). If you do not have robes you will not be permitted to graduate. When you arrive for your ceremony, you should be wearing the gown, but not the hood or hat – they are put on during the ceremony.  Doctoral students should arrive carrying the red gown and John Knox cap; both will be put on during the ceremony.

You should aim to order about 4 -6 weeks in advance of the ceremony, contact Ede & Ravenscroft –www.gownhire.co.uk. Photograph orders can also be booked at the same time as gowns are ordered. For the summer ceremonies robes can be collected from the MacRobert Lecture Theatre in the MacRobert Building, ground floor. For the winter ceremonies robes can be collected from Rooms 27-29, ground floor, MacRobert Building.

Expected Timings

The following are timings for collection of gowns, photos, etc.

Summer 2012 (from the MacRobert Building)

If you wish to keep your robes for longer the robing company may be able to accommodate you and you should contact them in advance to arrange this.  There may be an additional charge by the suppliers dependant on the length of extra time you require.

When will I get my degree certificate if I attend an in-person degree award ceremony?

Your degree parchment will be issued to you as you descend from the stage after conferment of your degree. A transcript of your results will also be included in the envelope (for taught programme students only).

When will I get my degree certificate if I applied, but failed to show up at my in-person degree award ceremony, or was turned away?

If you are expected to attend a ceremony and you do not turn up, or are turned away (because you have no robes or are too late), your degree certificate will not be issued as you will not have graduated. The degree certificate that had been prepared will be destroyed as it will no longer be accurate (i.e. the date will be incorrect). You must reapply to graduate at a later date, either in-absentia or at the next available in-person award ceremonies (July or November).

Graduation Photographs

The University has also appointed Ede & Ravenscroft as official photographers for the ceremonies.    Their web site address is: www.gownhire.co.uk.  Gownhire and photographs can be booked at the same time.  Their contact details are: Ede & Ravenscroft Photography, Second Drove, Fengate, Peterborough, PE1 5XA, telephone: 01733 563565 or e-mail: photography@edeandravenscroft.co.uk, or to enquire about frames, e-mail framing@edeandravenscroft.co.uk.    Photographs will be taken in the MacRobert Building.

Accommodation for Your Guests

Accommodation is available for friends or family located in the heart of the Old Aberdeen campus. Email accommodation@abdn.ac.uk or telephone (01224) 273444 to make a reservation.

Graduation Hoodies & T-Shirts

Class of 2012 Clothing

On the day, purchase your Graduation Class of 2012 Hoodie or T-shirt with your name printed on the back (subject to availability). Names only of those graduating in person will appear on the hoodies and t-shirts.

Class of 2012 Clothing can also be purchased online at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/retail/ between 18 June 2012 and 15 July 2012. Prices start at only £14.99 exl. delivery charges.

A range of other University gifts, clothing and stationery can be purchased at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/retail/ throughout the year.

Graduation Download

A free download of the graduation ceremony will be available soon after the graduation ceremony.

Use of cameras at Graduation Ceremonies

Members of the audience may take photographs, but they should not move about the Hall in order to do so.  Please inform your guests that they should remain in their seats.

Tickets of admission

No guest will be admitted to the Hall without a ticket. Your allocation of tickets of admission will be sent to you. If you have requested an additional ticket(s) (i.e. in addition to the normal allocation of two tickets) and you have been successful it will be included in your envelope when you receive your tickets.  Tickets are always in great demand and unfortunately, in the larger ceremonies, there may be no spare tickets at all in the Hall.  If you do not receive your tickets please contact the Registry on 01224 273505.  Graduating students do not require a ticket.  Tickets are normally despatched at least one week before a ceremony.  In most cases the normal allocation of two tickets will be in the main Hall, but if there is an unusually high volume of applications in person, those that apply after the published deadline may only receive tickets for the video link-up in the King’s College Auditorium.  Additional guest(s) will also only receive video-link tickets if all main Hall tickets have been allocated.

As tickets are always in great demand, if you find you do not need any of your guest tickets, please return them to the InfoHub.  (Refer to “Applying to Graduate” for further information.)

Withdrawing from the Ceremony

If, for any reason, you no longer wish to attend your ceremony, please send a letter (e-mail or fax) to that affect and return all the tickets you were sent, and your name will be removed from the list if there is time to do so.  Your degree will NOT be conferred (bestowed upon you) and you must apply to graduate at one of the in absentia graduations or in-person ceremonies at the next opportunity.

If you are expected to attend a ceremony and you do not turn up, or are turned away (because you have no robes, or are too late) your degree certificate will not be issued as you will not have graduated. The degree certificate will have been destroyed as the date of graduation will be incorrect. In these cases you must re-apply to graduate either at the next avaiable in-absentia opportunity, or the next available in-person ceremony for your degree.

If you withdraw from Graduation, and there are less than two weeks to go before the start of the ceremonies, you will not be entitled to any refund of your ceremonial fee.