Invitations
If you have received or will receive your results between August 2024 and June 2025, you will be invited to attend our summer 2025 graduation ceremonies (to be held from Tuesday 15 July to Saturday 19 July inclusive).
The deadline to confirm your attendance is Sunday 15 June 2025.
We aim to send out the invitations to attend our July ceremonies between the end of March and May. You will receive your invitation via email to attend, along with notes for graduands and their guests on what to expect in each ceremony and on the day.
We will send the invitations to graduands’ personal and University email addresses. After you receive your invitation, please follow the instructions to book your ticket and secure your place at the ceremony.
We will send a reminder to book your ticket shortly before the deadline.
Please book early as late bookings are not permitted and enquiries relating to such will not be monitored.
If you cannot attend
If you are unable to attend the ceremony, you will graduate in absentia as deferrals are not allowed.
No exceptions will be made under any circumstances.
Your certificate
All summer 2025, graduates will receive their certificates by the end of autumn 2025. Therefore, certificates will not be presented at the ceremonies in July. If you have not received your certificate by the end of autumn 2025, please contact graduation@stmarys.ac.uk.
Certificates will be sent via Royal Mail to your permanent (home) address. If your home address has changed, please amend it on e:Vision.
If you have no access to e:Vision, please let us know by emailing our Graduation Team, so that we can change your home address on your behalf and post the certificate to the correct location.
We accept no responsibility for the certificates sent to a wrong permanent address you give us. If you have not updated it, you will be asked to pay for a replacement certificate.
International students: if your permanent home address is overseas and you prefer instead to receive your certificate to your current correspondence address, please amend it on e:Vision.
Please note that the name on your certificate will be the name that you registered with when you joined St Mary’s. If you want to check which name will be on your certificate or if you have any other queries, please email our Graduation Team.
In order to receive your certificate, you will need to ensure that you have settled any outstanding debts to the University, such as tuition, accommodation, and library fees.
If you are not sure whether you have outstanding debts, please check with the following departments:
- for tuition and accommodation debts: please contact our Fees Office on 020 8240 4035 or via email
- for library debts and outstanding loans: please contact our Library Information Desk on 020 8240 4097 or via email.
Phonetic names
Phonetic names are a way of spelling out names using sounds to ensure correct pronunciation. For students graduating, providing your names in phonetics when booking for the ceremony ensures that the announcers can pronounce your names accurately and confidently.
If a student's name is 'Ana Silva', the phonetic spelling might be:
'Ana (AH-nah) Silva (SILL-vah)'.
On arrival
We advise you to arrive on campus at least 90 minutes prior to the start of your Ceremony. On arrival graduands must report to the graduand tickets and namecards collection desk, which will be in The 1850. At this desk, you will be asked to show your e-ticket either in your email or a printed copy if you prefer, in order to register and to collect your namecard.
Your namecard will include your seat number and name with phonetic spelling, if you have provided this when booking. You will need to hand this to the presenter on the stage when your award is being conferred to ensure that your name is called. Please do not lose your namecard.
The Chapel will open approximately 30 minutes before your ceremony. Please be robed in your academic gown and in your seat at least 25 minutes before the start of their ceremony. The ceremony will last around 45 minutes to one hour.
Getting here
Directions to St Mary's
See also our graduation map for more information.
Parking
Please note that there are no parking facilities on campus. There is limited parking in the surrounding area, but please be aware this is subject to restrictions.
Blue Badge holders
If you are a Blue Badge holder, parking must be reserved in advance. Please contact graduation@stmarys.ac.uk to arrange this. Parking for Blue Badge holders who have reserved a space, can be accessed via the main entrance, near the Main Reception
Public transport
We strongly recommend that where possible, you use public transport for your journey to the ceremony. The University can be easily reached via South Western trains alighting at Strawberry Hill station.
Academic dress
It is compulsory for graduands to wear academic dress. You should wear your gown and hood throughout the ceremony. Mortarboards should only be worn when processing out of the Chapel.
In addition to academic dress, please wear smart formal wear.
We warmly encourage you to wear your traditional and/or cultural dress to graduation if you wish to.
Robing
Robing will take place in the Shannon Suite. Please arrive in plenty of time to collect your gown to ensure that you are seated no later than 25 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony.
Seating
Graduands are seated separately from their guests and your seat number will be given on your namecard. You will not be admitted to the Chapel unless you have registered and collected your namecard. You are asked to be seated at least 25 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony.
Guests are seated in the nave, from the back of the Chapel, facing the altar.
So that all guests can be seated, please ask your guests not to leave any gaps between seats.
Presentation
As is standard, presentation will be in alphabetical order within each degree or award (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and so on). Please note due to extenuating circumstances there could be slight diversions from this order. An usher will signal to graduands when to move from their seats and regulate the flow of the procession.
You must bring your namecard with you, and pass it to the namecard usher at the chancel steps. You then mount the steps as your name is announced. You will stop and shake hands with the Presiding Officer (Vice-Chancellor or Provost), whilst the award photographer captures this moment. Then, you return to your seat, as directed by the ushers.
End of the ceremony
At the end of the ceremony, graduands are invited to put on their mortarboards and will file out behind the procession of academic staff and High Officers of the University.
- After the ceremony, celebrations will continue with light refreshments in the Waldegrave Suite.
- When exiting the Chapel, there will be signs to follow and stewards on hand to direct you and your guests.
- Refreshments will also be available to purchase throughout the day, from the Dolce Vita Café and the Refectory.
Photographs
No photographs or videos are allowed to be taken inside the Chapel during the ceremony. Graduands are not allowed to take selfies. Our official award photographer will capture each individual presentation and prints will be available to purchase.
Ede & Ravenscroft will be on campus to take individual photographs before and after the ceremony. There will be five studios available and these will operate on a first come, first served basis. If you intend to have your photograph taken before the ceremony, please ensure that you allow sufficient time to ensure you are seated 15 minutes before the start time of the ceremony.
First aid
Staff with first aid training will be on duty. If you need any attention, please contact one of our stewards or a member of Security.
Information and queries on the day
There will be stewards around campus and at the graduand tickets and namecards desk, who will be happy to help with any enquiries you may have on the day.
Further information
If you require any further information relating to the degree ceremony, please contact our Graduation Team .
Please, note that due to the high volume of queries, the Graduation Team will not be able to answer to those enquiries already included in our FAQs.
We hope that you will enjoy the event and we look forward to seeing you there.