Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

See below for frequently asked questions about graduations. If you cannot find the answer below or in this website, please contact graduation@abdn.ac.uk

How to register to graduate?

For full details on how to graduate, key dates and where to submit applications to please refer to the Prepare for Graduation page.

When is my Graduation?
Tickets
How will I know what ceremony to buy guest tickets for?

Ceremonies dates and times, along with the degrees will be listed on the website.

When will I be able to buy tickets for my friends and family?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

Refunds

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

How many guest tickets can I buy?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

Why are tickets chargeable / why are tickets for sale rather than free?

All guest ticket holders get access to the main ceremony hall and post ceremony reception where drinks and canapes are served. All of this is included in the price of the ticket.

Do children/babies need a ticket?

All guests, including children, must have a ticket for entry to the Graduation Ceremony. Seating is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Children under the age of 12 must always be accompanied by an adult.  

When will I get my tickets?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

Can I collect tickets instead of having them posted?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

My guest has a disability or additional accessibility needs

If you have not mentioned this in your application, then please submit an Assistance Request form 

How much do tickets cost?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

Are there any alternative methods to book my tickets and make payment?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

When are the deadlines for guest ticket sales?

More details regarding tickets, costs, and allocation per person will be provided in April.

Can guests attend ceremonies without a ticket?

All guests, including children, must have a ticket for entry to the Graduation Ceremony. Guests must present their tickets for scanning at the ceremony entrance. Those without tickets can still access King’s campus but will not be admitted to the graduation venue or the post-ceremony reception.

Can I bring my children?

Yes, absolutely children are very welcome to celebrate your success. 
Graduating students sit in a separate area from guests, therefore we are unable to seat children with graduates.

Will I be allowed to sit with my guests?

Unfortunately, graduating students cannot sit with their guests. Graduating students process from the student briefing area and will be sat in allocated seating ready to walk across the stage in a set order. Graduating students must sit in their allocated seats.

What does the hospitality include?

Please check back later for information

Is other hospitality available?

Please check back later for information
Ceremony Venue Information

The Graduation ceremonies will be held at the Old Aberdeen Campus, University of Aberdeen 

Graduation Dinners

Please check back nearer the time for information

Can friends/family watch my ceremony online?

The in person ceremonies will be streamed live on YouTube.

Each Graduation Ceremony will be professionally filmed and live-streamed in its entirety. There will also be photography taken before, during and after the ceremony. UoA may use footage and photographs from the Graduation Ceremonies for marketing purposes, including media postings and online postings. Please see UoA student privacy notice for more information about how UoA manages student personal data.

When will I receive my certificate?

If you graduate in person, you will receive your certificate at the ceremony.

Students graduating in-absentia will have their certificates posted to them.

What if I don't attend my ceremony?

If you are expected to attend a ceremony and you do not turn up or are turned away (because you are too late), your degree/diploma certificate will not be issued as you will not have graduated. You must reapply for a future graduation.

What if I want to change my application?

If you need to make any changes to your application to graduate after you have submitted it, please email graduation@abdn.ac.uk as soon as possible to notify them of the required changes.

How will I know if I am eligible to graduate?

You should check your results in your Student Hub.

If you do not appear to be eligible to graduate with the degree that you have applied for, please contact a member of staff in Registry as soon as possible to advise if you still wish to attend the ceremony with a lower degree e.g. designated instead of honours.  We cannot assume that you will want to do so and the Team will be unaware if you are taking resits.

How much does it cost to graduate?

There is no fee for the graduation ceremony.

Graduating students will need to hire a gown and have the option of purchasing photography as well.

What happens if I submit a late application to graduate?

If you apply after the deadline there is no guarantee that your application will be accepted. So, do not wait until you receive your results, assume you will pass and apply before the deadline.

What if I owe the university money?

If you owe the University money for any reason (fees, library fines for unreturned books, etc.) you will not be permitted to graduate, so please ensure that you have cleared any debts.  Any money you owe will normally be displayed on the Application to Graduate form.  However, as the Graduation Team receives notice of debt daily from various sections of the University it may not be displayed on your form. If you receive a letter or email saying that you owe money or have unreturned library books please do not ignore it even if you think the information is wrong.  Contact us immediately to resolve the issue.

If you continue to owe money your application will be kept on hold until the debt is paid. The onus is on you to advise the Graduation Team that the debt has been paid.

To be included in the Summer 2024 graduation you will need to clear any debt by 31 May 2024 and notify graduation@abdn.ac.uk

What happens to my IT Account after I graduate?

Please be aware that when you finish your studies at the University of Aberdeen, your IT account will close. You will receive an email notification 30 days prior to this closure date. You may have already received this.

Once your account has closed, you will no longer have access to the following systems and services:

  • MyAberdeen and other VLEs
  • Your University Email and OneDrive
  • MS Office applications on your personal devices
  • Your Home (H:) drive
  • Network access, including wireless
  • Electronic resources (e.g. Library catalogue)

Make sure you copy any files you want to keep from your mailbox, OneDrive and H drive. Should you have any questions please contact the IT Service Desk.

 Please download any assignments or other work you submitted to the courses on MyAberdeen that you wish to retain - just revisit the assignment on MyAberdeen to download a copy.

I want to share my graduation success story

Let us share your graduation successes.

We invite graduates to submit a photo and short message, a success story or take part in a marketing photoshoot. 

The local and national media also traditionally seeks out interesting stories regarding our new graduates. If you would like to take part in these opportunities simply complete this form.

*The Communications team cannot guarantee that every story will be followed up but they thank you for your participation.

You can also contact the Communications Office via email.

Data Protection

If you have applied to attend a graduation ceremony in person, you should note that your name may be published in an awards list that the University may release to the media for their onward publication. If you do not wish your name to be included you must notify graduation@abdn.ac.uk to this effect.

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.

Following graduation, your contact details and degree/diploma/certificate 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 Continuing Professional Development 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 third-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

Degree Fraud - How can I avoid this?

Advice and guidance on degree fraud for students can be found here