Graduation FAQs

Unless you have mitigating circumstances, changing ceremony is not possible. If you feel your circumstances are mitigating, please email ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk.

No, Lancaster University does not charge for graduand or guest tickets. You will, however, need to book a graduation gown for a fee with our supplier Graduation Attire.

We're looking forward to celebrating your achievements with you, but please be aware that capacity within the Great Hall is limited. If you're put on a waiting list, you may be able to choose to join another ceremony or to defer your place.

When you open the registration form via the link inviting you to register, please select the option ‘defer attendance’ from the drop-down menu on the first page. We’ll then record your request to defer and will be in touch ahead of your next available ceremony. Undergraduate degrees are awarded in July and postgraduate taught degrees are awarded in December. PhDs are awarded at both ceremony sessions.

If you already have registered for your ceremony but are no longer able to attend, please inform us at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk .

If you are not present at your ceremony, your name will still appear in the graduation programme. You will need to get in touch with the Registry Office to inform them that you wish to receive your graduation certificate by post. Your two Great Hall guest tickets will automatically be allocated to any students whose two guests were on the waiting list for tickets.

You need to be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony starts. Once the Great Hall doors are closed you will not be able to enter; please go to the Ticket Office within the Great Hall foyer for advice.

Please visit our Graduation Day webpage which provides details on what you need to do in the ceremonies and see further information below. Once the ceremony has started, follow the directions of the marshals who will lead graduands through the proceedings including showing you where to walk and stand.

Students are presented by name and type of degree only. We do not announce the class of degree attained, nor is it printed in the degree day programme.

A ceremony normally lasts around 1 hour 15 minutes and takes place in the Great Hall.

Your Graduation Day is a special occasion to celebrate your academic achievements with your peers, family and friends. To enable all of those you hold dear to experience and enjoy the event live wherever they are, all the ceremonies are professionally filmed by our official supplier First Sight Media and broadcast live in various venues around campus as well as on our website.

The footage is recorded and will be available for replay on the Lancaster University YouTube channel. You will also be able to purchase online a DVD of your graduation ceremony on I am a graduate.com

Please note that by registering and attending your graduation ceremony on campus, you and your guests are giving consent for your image to appear on photographs and film. Guests and graduands are not allowed to film the ceremony on any device.

The University will hold and use these images in line with our privacy policy and GDPR guidance.

Guests can take still photos during the ceremony, but not videos. Please refrain from using the flash and stay in your seats to take the photos so that you don’t obstruct the views of others.

All graduands will be photographed on the stage and these images will be available from Creative Studio.

No, you must leave any personal items, such as handbags, with your guests. We will only permit phones for the purposes of ticket checks as you will have been sent a QR code to scan. Larger items must be left in the cloakroom in The Roundhouse (Confucius Institute).

Visit our Graduation Day dedicated page to know more about what happens on your very special day.

If you're graduating this July, you can also download our on-the-day leaflet (available soon) which contains all the information you'll need about graduation.

• Collect your gown from the LICA building.
• Have your portrait photos taken (if required)
• Visit the stands in the LICA foyer
• Visit the Career and Alumni stands in the Roundhouse and pick up your free Alumni t-shirt!

One hour before your ceremony you must go to the graduand entrance at the Great Hall where you will be seated by our student ushers. At the same time, your guests should go to the guest entrance of the Great Hall, where they will be shown to their seats by our team of ushers. You need to be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony starts. The doors will then close and the ceremony will begin.

College, department or faculty celebrations also take place during graduation, you will be informed directly by your College Manager or Faculty/Departmental Officer.

Certificates are not presented as part of your ceremony; certificates can be collected in the Roundhouse for July graduates and certificates are posted to December graduates.

If you have any queries about certificates, please email recordsenquiries@lancaster.ac.uk.

Students who are graduating and taking part in the ceremony will automatically be issued with a digital ticket. You only need to request tickets for your guests.

When you register for your ceremony, you will be asked for guest requirements, where you can request up to two guest tickets for the Great Hall which are guaranteed to all students who register before the deadline. You can request up to eight tickets for the live broadcast venue.

All tickets are digital and will be emailed to you. As guests and students enter the ceremony separately, you must make sure that both you and your guests have a copy of your tickets.

Space in the Great Hall is limited and we want to ensure all students have access to two tickets and ensure the health and safety of all graduands and guests.

Additional guests beyond the guaranteed two tickets can watch the ceremony from the live broadcast venue.

You will receive your guest tickets by email approximately three weeks before your ceremony.

Your guests should go to the guest entrance of the Great Hall (adjacent to the fountains) one hour before the ceremony starts, where they will be shown to their seats by our team of ushers. Guests will need a copy of their digital ticket to access the ceremony so ensure you have either printed these off or emailed the tickets to your guests.

Guest seats are not allocated either in the Great Hall or the broadcast venue(s) and are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. If your guests have any access requirements please add these details in your registration form and/or contact us at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk

Guests must be seated in the Great Hall no later than 30 minutes before the ceremony start time. Late guests will unfortunately not be allowed in the ceremony and will be shown to the live broadcast venue to watch the ceremony.

Up to two children aged six and under will be permitted entry on an accompanying adult’s guest ticket and may sit on a knee. Children aged seven or over will require a standard guest ticket to gain entry to the Great Hall. Children are welcome to attend the ceremonies, however, we respectfully ask that they are taken outside of the Great Hall if they become unsettled.

Please note that we cannot accommodate any prams / pushchairs in the Great Hall due to health and safety regulations. We have a dedicated area in the foyer of the Great Hall where guests may leave pushchairs.

The live broadcast will take place in the Margaret Fell Lecture Theatre and the Faraday Lecture Theatre which are just a couple of minutes’ walk from the Great Hall, visit MazeMap for directions. Please request tickets for this venue when you register for your ceremony.

The University is a diverse community and takes its responsibilities for the welfare of all staff and students seriously. In the interest of fairness to everyone, dogs and any other domestic animals, are not permitted in University buildings or grounds. The only exception to this rule is for assistance and working dogs.

A variety of catering outlets are located across campus and some college bars are open throughout graduation.

You can find more details about the food and drinks outlets as well as their location and opening times here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/eat/outlets/

You can park in any space in North, South or South-West Campus. We expect North Campus to fill up quickly, in which case you can catch the free shuttle bus from South or South-West Campus to bring you to North Campus, the Great Hall and LICA.

There are no parking charges on graduation day, and you can disregard any staff or visitor parking signs.

Drop off as close to the Great Hall as possible; blue badge parking is available outside the Chaplaincy Centre. Further accessible parking spaces are marked on the map. Please ask at the Great Hall ticket office if you require assistance with access into the Hall.

If you and/or your family and friends are travelling from outside the UK to attend your graduation ceremony please visit the Graduation Section on our visa and immigration page for detailed information.

When you register for your ceremony, you will receive an email confirmation with a letter attached that confirms your eligibility to attend a graduation ceremony. This letter can be used as a supporting document for a visa application. Please note that we cannot provide letters to support any guest visa applications.

We’re aware that visa applications are taking longer than usual to process. As such, if you require a supporting document for your visa application, please email ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk with the subject line ‘visa letter’. Please note that we cannot provide letters to support any guest visa applications.

You can book your gown on Graduation Attire's website. You will find this link in the email you received inviting you to register for your graduation as well.

You can collect and return your graduation attire from the LICA building at the following times:

· For 10:30 am ceremonies: From 5 pm-6 pm the day before, or from 8:30 am on the day of the ceremony.

· For 1:45 pm ceremonies: From 11:15 am on the day of the ceremony.

· For 4:30 pm ceremonies: From 2:00 pm on the day of the ceremony.

Gowns must be returned by 7 pm to the Roundhouse (A09 - Confucius Institute) after your ceremonies and pictures.

You should arrive to collect your gown at least 2.5 hours before your ceremony, or 1 hour before your college photo or college or faculty celebration- whichever is earliest. Please note that LICA will be particularly busy 1 hour before a ceremony.

Please go to the LICA building as soon as you arrive on campus and speak to the gowning team (please note that you will need to pay an on-the-day charge in addition to the standard cost of hiring the gown).

Gowns need to be returned by 7pm at the Roundhouse on the day of your Graduation.

The stripes on the hood vary in colour depending on the degree i.e., MA, MSc etc. You can see the designs on our graduation webpages, in the Academic Dress section.

• Please contact Graduation Attire directly regarding refunds for gown hire via service@graduationattire.co.uk
• If you cancel more than seven days before the ceremony a full refund is provided.
• A 50% refund is provided when cancellation occurs within the week before the ceremony.
• No refund can be provided when cancellation occurs on the day of the ceremony.
• If there are exceptional circumstances and you cannot attend your ceremony, please inform the University's Graduation Team at ceremonies@lancaster.ac.uk and your gown booking can be deferred until the ceremony session.

• Please note: once the cancellation request has been sent, students cannot re-book onto the same graduation period should they find an alternative means of transport.

Lancaster University's Creative Studio is the official University photographer and are based in LICA.

Visit Creative Studio's Graduation Photography dedicated page for more information.

You may take photographs but please stay seated so you do not obstruct the view of other guests.

Filming on any device is not permitted in The Great Hall. Ceremonies are available watch on our YouTube Channel. You can also order a copy of your ceremony via iamagraduate.com.

You will find Lancaster University branded memorabilia to purchase on the day of your graduation in LICA. You can also purchase gifts from the University's online store.

All graduands will find a printed graduation programme on their seat in the Great Hall. There is a limited supply of extra programmes for guests that will be available at the Great Hall and broadcast venue(s) subject to availability.

Wi-Fi is free on campus for guests. Look for LU-Visitor in your list of Wi-Fi networks. During registration, you will be asked to agree to the terms and conditions and you will be sent an email. Click on the enclosed link and you will be given 24-hour free visitor Wi-Fi access.