In this article:
- Ceremony dates
- Attending your ceremony
- Booking tickets
- Keeping up to date with ceremony news
- Proving your graduated status
- Further support
Invitations for January 2025 graduation ceremonies will be sent in early November. If you are expecting an invitation and have not received one by mid-November, please contact the Graduation Team. The deadline for booking is Thursday 5 December at 17.00.
Important to know: please do not book non-refundable travel until you have received confirmation of your conferred award.
Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences
Tuesday 21 January, 10.30
Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine
Monday 13 January, 10.30
- Undergraduate students from the Departments of:
- Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences
- Bioscience Education
- Genetics
- Neuroscience Education
- Nutrition & Dietetics
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics
- Physiology
- Postgraduate Research & taught students from the Departments of:
- Basic & Medical Biosciences
- Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences
- Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences (CHAPS)
- Diabetes & Nutritional Sciences Research Division
- Genetics & Molecular Medicine Research Division
- Imaging Sciences & Biomedical Engineering Research Division
- Nutrition & Dietetics
- Randall Division of Cell & Molecular Biophysics
Tuesday 21 January, 10.30
- Undergraduate students from the Departments of:
- Medical Education
- Pharmacy & Forensic Science
- Physiotherapy
- Postgraduate Research and taught students from the Departments of:
- Asthma Allergy & Lung Biology Research Division
- Biochemistry
- Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Cancer Studies Research Division
- Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences
- Centre for Education
- Immunology and Microbial Sciences
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science
- Life Course Sciences
- Medical Education Research Division
- Physiotherapy
- Population Health and Environmental Sciences
- Women's Health Research Division
- King’s Digital programmes
Dickson Poon School of Law
Monday 13 January, 14.00
All Postgraduate taught students (except for King's Digital)
Tuesday 14 January, 10.30
All Undergraduate, King's Digital and Postgraduate Research students
Faculty of Arts & Humanities
Friday 17 January, 14.00
Departments of:
- Classics
- English
- History
- Modern Languages
Tuesday 21 January, 17.30
Departments of:
- Digital Humanities
- Film Studies
- Liberal Arts
- Music
- Philosophy
- Theology & Religious Studies
Wednesday 22 January, 14.00
Department of CMCI only
Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences
Monday 20 January, 10.30
Department of Engineering only
Monday 20 January, 14.00
Departments of:
- Chemistry
- Informatics
- Mathematics
- Physics
Faculty of Social Sciences & Public Policy
Thursday 16 January, 10.30
School of Global Affairs
Friday 17 January, 10.30
- School of Politics & Economics
- International School for Government
- Policy Institute
- School of Education, Communication & Society
Tuesday 21 January, 14.00
School of Security Studies
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
Tuesday 14 January, 14.00
All departments except Midwifery and Mental Health Nursing
Friday 17 January, 14.00
Departments of Midwifery and Mental Health Nursing only
Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience
Tuesday 14 January, 10.30
School of Academic Psychiatry
Monday 20 January, 10.30
School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences
Wednesday 22 January, 14.00
School of Neuroscience & King’s Digital/Distance Learning
King's Business School
Thursday 16 January, 14.00
- Postgraduate taught students from departments/courses in:
- Accounting
- Banking
- Economics
- Finance
- King’s Digital courses in Finance
Wednesday 22 January, 10.30
- All Postgraduate Research students
- All Undergraduate programmes
- King’s Digital programmes in Marketing
- Postgraduate taught programmes in:
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Human Resources
- Management
- Marketing
When will my ceremony take place?
For more information on ceremony eligibiliy, please read our article When is my graduation ceremony?
Can I attend a later graduation ceremony?
All students will have the opportunity to defer to a ceremony in the following session. This can be done through the booking task once you have received your invite.
Important to know: You are only permitted to defer once after which point it will not be possible to include you in a ceremony.
From October 2023, students whose graduation was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic are no longer eligible to attend a graduation ceremony. This is to ensure there is sufficient space for current graduating students.
Can I graduate without attending a ceremony?
If you don't want to attend your graduation ceremony, you can choose to graduate ‘in absentia’.
Selecting to graduate in absentia means that you will not attend your ceremony, your name will not be read out at the ceremony and it will not be included in the graduation ceremony programme.
Important to know: if you select this option then you will not be able to attend a future ceremony.
You can choose to graduate in absentia via the booking system on Student Records. Your degree certificate will still be available to you as you don’t need to attend a ceremony to receive it. For more information, please see our article Your Degree Certificate.
What if I have concerns about the accessibility of the ceremony?
Graduation is a milestone event in every student's journey and we are committed to making our ceremonies as accessible and welcoming as possible for our entire student community. We understand that a large ceremony can be intimidating or present challenges for some students, whether due to physical or mental health accessibility needs, neurodiversity or other specific requirements. A range of options are available to ensure all of our graduates can celebrate their amazing achievements with their loved ones in a way that accommodates their individual needs.
Accessibility requests
We can accommodate many accessibility requests at our graduation venues. During the booking process you will be given the opportunity to advise us of any particular arrangements that might affect your ceremony experience and we would be happy to discuss individual requirements with any student who has concerns. For more information, please contact the graduation team.
Relaxed Graduation ceremonies
We also organise a Relaxed Graduation event primarily for students who would not wish to attend our ceremonies at Southwark Cathedral or the Royal Festival Hall for accessibility reasons. This ceremony offers a more comfortable setting where attendees will be able to have professional photos in their gowns, invite guests and receive a scroll from a senior member of staff. To find out more, please contact the graduation team.
Important to know: this event is designed for students whose accessibility, neurodiversity or other specific needs cause them to feel unable to attend our main graduation ceremonies. If you were unable to attend summer graduation ceremonies due to scheduling clashes or other reasons, but would have otherwise been able to attend a graduation ceremony, you will have been given the option to defer your place to January ceremonies. For more information, please contact the graduation team.
I need a visa to attend my ceremony; what do I do?
We understand that some students will need to apply for another visa in order to attend their ceremony.
As part of the online booking process, you will be able to request a Visa Assistance Letter to assist the visa application process for yourself or your guests. This will be shared with you in your graduation ceremony invitation email.
Important to know: Visa Assistance letters produced by the Events team cannot be used to support a visa extension application. For support with this, please check Visa assistance for your graduation ceremony.
Can I reclaim costs for flights or accommodation if I am unable to attend a ceremony?
The university is unable to help with the reimbursement of flights, accommodation, or any costs associated with attending your graduation ceremony.
Please speak to your travel/accommodation provider in the first instance. We would advise all attendees to ensure cancellation is available on any bookings.
For information on booking tickets for you and guests, please refer to Key information about booking tickets and preparing for your graduation ceremony
Keeping up to date with ceremony news
How can I ensure I have access to my Student Record?
Please ensure that you have updated your Student Record with a personal email address, as this will be how we contact you regarding future updates.
If you experience any difficulties in accessing Student Records, please refer to our troubleshooting guidance in I need help accessing my student record.
The email address listed on Student Records will be the one at which we contact you going forward, so please ensure this is up to date if you wish to continue receiving communications regarding your re-arranged ceremony.
I’m a parent or guest of a graduating student. How can I keep up to date with the latest information regarding what options are available?
We know that graduation ceremonies can be just as important to parents and supporters as they are to our students themselves.
We will keep information up to date in this article, so please do check back regularly.
Will I still receive my degree certificate?
All graduates will receive their certificates by post within 3 months of the date of your award. Please ensure your home address is updated on your student record, as this is where the certificate will be sent.
We hope that your certificate will reach you sooner, but please be aware that this window allows for postal delays, international shipping and other unforeseen issues.
For updates and more specific information about degree certificates, please see Your Degree Certificate.
For details on how to access your transcript, please see I need a transcript.
To prove your degree award, module marks and other details about your course, we recommend using your HEAR.
How do I prove I have graduated whilst I wait for my hard copy degree certificate to arrive?
The quickest and simplest way for you to access documents proving your results, is to do so electronically.
To find out more about the options available, see our article I need to prove I’ve graduated.
Do I need to attend a ceremony to officially graduate?
Attending a graduation ceremony is not a requirement; you will still graduate and be awarded your degree once all your results have been ratified.
Once this process is complete, you have officially graduated. Attending a ceremony is a celebration event to mark your achievement.
Who can I contact with additional questions about graduation ceremonies?
If you’re still looking for more information, please check our related articles to the right, or take a look through our Graduation category for further articles about graduating and broader information about finishing university.
If you’re still not sure or can’t quite find what you’re looking for, don’t hesitate to log an enquiry with us and we will support you.
If you are studying on a King's Digital programme, please do reach out to your dedicated Student Success Advisor directly if you have any queries.