Information about graduations

When you successfully complete your degree, and have settled your final College bill, you are able to proceed to graduation. You may choose to do this shortly after the end of the course, you may defer until a later time, or you may choose to graduate in absentia. It is not necessary to graduate at the first date after your results are confirmed. You can postpone the graduation to any date in the future. However, until you have graduated at a ceremony, you do not officially have the degree, and no certificate can be issued.

General Admissions (June ceremony )

Most who complete their undergraduate degree will choose to graduate together in June, at General Admisssion. Application to proceed at General Admission is via the Student Self-Service on CamSIS. Information will be sent to those eligible in the Lent Term.

Apply for the MA degree (March ceremony only if in person)

In January, the Degree Officer will contact all those who become eligible in the following Lent Term with details and information to apply online. If you think you are eligible but have not been contacted, or if you took your BA many years ago and have decided that you now need the MA, please contact the Degree Officer on 01223 332084 or via email for further details. MA Degrees can also be taken in absence throughout the year.

Apply for other Degrees

PhD, MPhil, MBA, MB, MST, MAST, LLM or other degrees: graduation is not automatic and you must formally apply for the ceremony of your choice once your degree has been approved. 

Applications will only be accepted with at least three weeks notice before the ceremony!

If you are a current student with CamSIS access, you can apply for degree ceremonies via your CamSIS Self-Service.

For alumni of the College wishing to graduate, there is an online process. Please contact the Praelector’s Office for further information.

If you have any queries regarding degree ceremonies, please feel free to contact the Degree Officer.

• 30 November 2024 – in absence only*
• 31 January 2025 – in absence only*
• 1 March 2025 – in absence only*
• 29 March 2025 – MA ceremony
• 3 May 2025 
• 5 July 2025 – General Admission 
• 25 July 2025 
• 25 October 2025
• 29 November 2025 – in absence only*
• 30 January 2026 – in absence only*
• 28 February 2026 – in absence only*
• 28 March 2026 – MA ceremony
• 02 May 2026 
• 04 July 2026 – General Admission
• 24 July 2026 

*'In absence' means that Fitzwilliam College will not be presenting anyone in person at the Congregation. Your certificate will be sent to you after the ceremony date.

The University's academical costume consists of a gown and a hood (the material and colour of which denote either the wearer's existing degree or the degree they are about to receive). It is the responsibility of the graduand to order and collect their own gown and hood from academical outfitters.

It is essential that graduands wear the correct academical dress when they are presented for a degree at Congregation. The full rules for academical dress are set out in the University's Statutes and Ordinances. Details can be found on the University website.

Persons taking their first Cambridge degree wear appropriate gowns (in the case of undergraduates their undergraduate gown, which varies in colour or design from College to College), with the hood of the degree to be taken. 

Graduation is a formal occasion and an appropriate standard of dress is expected. The dress code described below is strictly enforced at ceremonies. If you do not observe the dress code, you may not be permitted to graduate.

The overall aim is for a tidy and formal appearance. Formal clothing to be worn with academical dress is as follows:

• plain white shirt with sleeves at a minimum of mid-forearm (a man's plain white shirt is acceptable for both genders)
• plain black formal shoes (these can be sling-backs, but the toes must be covered, so no sandals). Very high heels are not advisable, due to the lengthy procession to the Senate House and the Senate House floor being slippery. Black boots should not be worn with a skirt, but are acceptable when worn with trousers
• dinner jacket/black lounge suit or black skirt suit/trouser suit. Skirt can be worn without a jacket. 
• if wearing a masculine suit, white bow-tie and white academic bands must also be worn (graduand to order from academic outfitters) 
• unpatterned black socks worn with trousers
• unpatterned neutral or black tights must be worn with skirts.
• skirts must be formal and of decent length (no more than two inches above the knee)
• no bare arms or bare legs whatever the weather (however hot)
• graduands with smaller frames are strongly advised to use discreet safety pins to secure the hood to the gown (and even the gown to the clothing) to maintain a tidy appearance
• no head-dress is permitted, except for religious reasons, where it must be black
• the square cap, or 'mortarboard', is optional for Graduands at Cambridge; if you decide to wear one on the day you should take it off and carry it in your left hand inside the Senate House
• hair should be of conventional style, neat and tidy
• long hair should be clipped or tied back from the face 
• jewellery should be minimal and discreet
• no decorative belts
• no bags of any variety 
• a black cassock may be worn instead of a suit, but a graduand wearing a cassock must also wear a white collar (not clerical collar), bow tie and bands

National dress and uniforms

Regulations for national dress and uniform are very strict. If you wish to wear national dress or a uniform it is essential that you contact the Praelector's Secretary at least three weeks before the congregation, as the Proctor's permission must be sought.

Guests

There is no dress code for guests (apart from those who are Cambridge graduates, who should wear the appropriate gown). However, formal dress is preferred.

Academical dress hire

Ede & Ravenscroft 
71 Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1RJ
Tel: 01223 350048

Ryder & Amies
22 King's Parade, Cambridge, CB2 1SP
Tel: 01223 350371

Queries

If you have any queries or if you feel you cannot meet these requirements you must contact the Praelector's Office (room L11b) as far in advance of the ceremony as possible.

The General Admission Congregation is the ceremony at which most undergraduates proceed to their first degree at the end of their final term. It is held at the Senate House.

Only the following degrees are awarded at General Admission:

• Master of Engineering: M.Eng.
• Master of Natural Science: M.Sci.
• Master of Mathematics: M.Math. (not including MAST)
• Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine: Vet.M.B.
• Bachelor of Arts: BA
• Bachelor of Education: B.Ed.
• Bachelor of Theology for the Ministry: B.Th.

How to apply

Application to proceed at General Admission is via the Student Self-Service on CamSIS. Tickets for Senate House and the College picnic lunch, for your guests, are also applied for in this way. All those eligible to graduate at General Admission will be sent information early in Lent term, giving more information on how and when to apply.

Provisional timetable for the day 

7.45am: Graduation photograph 
8.15am: Procession assembles in Auditorium for briefing
9.15am: Proceed to the Senate House
9.45am: Guests due at Senate House
9.50am: Graduands due at Senate House
11.30am: Buffet lunch 

Tickets for the Senate House 

Graduands do not need tickets for themselves. We are normally able to issue each graduand with two guest tickets for the Senate House for family and friends. Children may attend, though please be aware that General Admission is a very formal ceremony. Those with very young children are advised to sit near to the door. Please note that there is no parking near to the Senate House.

Finger buffet lunch at College 

Each graduand may bring guests to the buffet lunch, at College, which follows graduation. Each graduand is free, but all guests are charged at £30.00 per person. 

College rooms

Graduands are asked to vacate their College rooms by 5pm on the evening of General Admission. College facilities, such as the servery and the bar, close down after the buffet lunch and the vast majority of graduands will leave College by the late afternoon or early evening of Graduation Day.

Staying on after graduation

If, due to reasons beyond your control, you are unable to leave College accommodation on Graduation Day, you must contact the Accommodation Officer at the beginning of the Easter Term. Unfortunately it is not possible for you to remain in your normal room as the College has to prepare rooms on the main site for the arrival of conference guests the next day.

Leaving your College room before graduation

Anyone who wishes to vacate their normal room earlier than Graduation Day, and then return for Graduation, can do so. You may not be able to return to your normal room but the College will arrange for you to be accommodated elsewhere at some point earlier in the week ending with Graduation Day itself.

The University website provides more information on Cambridge Degree Ceremonies.

Any student who graduated with a BA is entitled to take the Master of Arts (MA) degree, six years and one term after they matriculated, provided that at least two years have passed since their BA degree was awarded.

How to apply

In January, the Degree Officer will email all those who become eligible in the following Lent Term with details and information about to apply online - so it is essential that you please make sure that the College's Development Office has up-to-date details of your email address. Please note: we do not send out hard copies of this information; all contact is via email, so if we do not have a valid email address for you, you will miss out.

• Current students: apply via your current CamSIS Self-Service account.
• Alumni: apply online via CamSIS Extended Self-Service.

More information on these procedures will be sent to you when you become eligible. If you think you are eligible but have not been contacted, or if you took your BA many years ago and decide you now need the MA, please contact the Degree Officer on 01223 332084 or via email.

Once an application has been made, further details - including details of academical dress - will be sent to you nearer the ceremony date. There is an optional evening meal in College after the afternoon ceremony at £42 per head for graduands and one guest. There will also be limited accommodation available for that night only, at the price of £63.50 for a single, or £90.50 for a twin room including breakfast. Rooms must be vacated by 9.30am on Sunday 30 March. 

If you wish to attend the evening meal or book accommodation, you will need to book and pre-pay when you register to graduate. There are restrictions on numbers in the Senate House and we can only offer each graduand a maximum of two tickets for guests at the actual degree ceremony.

Senate House Tickets

Graduands do not need tickets for themselves. We are normally able to issue each graduand with two guest tickets for the Senate House for family and friends. Children may attend, though please be aware that General Admission is a very formal ceremony. Those with very young children are advised to sit near to the door. Please note that there is no parking near to the Senate House.

If you apply for the degree in absence, the degree certificate will be sent to you shortly after the ceremony date.

Administration charge for MA Degree

£30.00 (Matriculation 1969 or later)

£35.00 (Matriculation 1968 or before)

Dress for the Degree Ceremony

Please read the College's guidelines below on this page.

More information

The University website provides more information on Cambridge Degree Ceremonies.

Graduation ceremonies are held throughout the year and you may graduate at all ceremonies other than General Admissions, with any University of Cambridge degree.

When to apply

If you are a Graduate student you will know that you cannot take your degree until the Board of Graduate Studies or the Degree Committee has officially approved you, even if you have been told informally that you have passed. You are advised to discuss with the Course Director, or Graduate Administrator at your Department, which Ceremony date would be most suitable for you.

The Board of Graduate Studies and Degree Committees meets regularly during the academic year. If the date of the Committee Meeting is very close to your chosen Degree Ceremony, it may be necessary for you to apply to graduate before you have received formal approval for the degree. Candidates can be withdrawn from the graduation list at any time, but cannot be added after the University deadline.

Applications to graduate MUST be received no later than three weeks prior to the ceremony!

Senate House tickets for guests

We are normally able to issue each graduand with two tickets for the Senate House, for family and friends. You do not need a ticket for yourself. Children may attend, though you should be aware that it is a very formal ceremony. Those with very young children are advised to sit near to the door. Please note that there is no parking near to the Senate House.

College arrangements and lunch

The timetable and arrangement in College varies from ceremony to ceremony. There will be a lunch, served either before or after the Ceremony depending on the timing from the Senate House. Your own lunch will be provided free, but you are required to pay for your guests. Guest limits and payment instructions are detailed on the online booking system. Tickets are not allocated for lunch.

Timetable for the day

The exact timetable, which depends on the University arrangements for the Senate House ceremony, is not available until a few days beforehand and will be sent to all graduands by email.

All graduands must meet with the Praelector in the College, for final instructions, before processing down to the Senate House together. 

Further details

Approximately a month before the date of the Ceremony, the Praelector's Office will send further details, to all who have submitted an application form, of the College arrangements.

More information on Cambridge degree ceremonies can be found on the University website >>