In this article:
January 2026 graduation ceremonies
The dates for the January 2026 ceremonies have now been confirmed and will take place between Wednesday 14 — Friday 23 January. Specific dates can be found by faculty below.
Invites for the January 2026 ceremonies will be sent at the end of October. If you’re expecting an invitation and have not received one by mid-November, please contact the Graduation Team.
July 2026 graduation ceremonies
The dates for the Summer 2026 ceremonies have now been confirmed and will take place:
- Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 July (Faculty of Dentistry and MBBS only)
- Monday 27 to Friday 31 July (all other faculties)
Specific dates for ceremonies will be published in mid-February 2026. Invitations for Summer 2026 graduation ceremonies will be sent in early April.
The dates for the January 2026 ceremonies have now been confirmed and will take place between Wednesday 14 — Friday 23 January. Specific dates for ceremonies will be published in September 2025.
Important to know:
You will only be able to book your place at a ceremony, purchase guest tickets and order your gown once you receive your invite.
Please do not book non-refundable travel until you have received confirmation of your conferred award.
The deadline to book a spot at our January 2026 graduation ceremonies is Thursday 4 December at 17.00. Student bookings won't be accepted after this date. If you missed the deadline to book your place, please contact the Graduation Team to discuss your options and next steps.
All ceremonies will be held at the Royal Festival Hall in January 2026.
Dickson Poon School of Law
Monday 19 January 14.00
Faculty of Arts & Humanities
Thursday 15 January 10.30
Departments of:
- Film Studies
- Liberal Arts
- Theology & Religious Studies
Thursday 15th January 14.00
- Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries only
Friday 23 January 10:30
- Classics
- History
- Music
Friday 23 January 14.00
- Digital Humanities
- English
- Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
- Philosophy
Faculty of Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences
Friday 16 January 14.00
Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine
The exact graduation dates for students from the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine will be confirmed shortly.
Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences
Thursday 15 January 14.00
Departments of:
- Engineering
- Mathematics
Thursday 22 January 14.00
Departments of:
- Chemistry
- Informatics
- Physics
Faculty of Social Sciences & Public Policy
Wednesday 14 January 10.30
- School of Security Studies only
Wednesday 14 January 14.00
- School of Education, Communication & Society only
Thursday 15 January 10.30
- School of Global Affairs only
Friday 23 January 10.30
- School of Politics & Economics
- International School for Government
- Policy Institute
Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care
Wednesday 14 January 14.00
- Postgraduate Research students
- Students on Post-Qualification programmes
- Postgraduate programmes in:
- Clinical Research/Nursing
- Clinical Care & Management
- Advanced Clinical Practice
- Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
- Nursing
- Undergraduate programmes in:
- Nursing/Nursing Studies
- Cancer Care
- Critical Care Nursing
- Palliative Care Nursing
- Clinical Practice
- Specialist Community Public Health Nursing
Friday 16 January 10.30
- Students on Pre-Registration programmes
- Postgraduate programmes in:
- Nursing with Registration (Dual Award)
- Nursing with Registration as:
- An Adult Nurse
- A Children’s Nurse
- A Mental Health Nurse
- Undergraduate programmes in Nursing with Registration as:
- An Adult Nurse
- A Children’s Nurse
- A Mental Health Nurse
- Undergraduate programme in Midwifery with Registration as:
- A Midwife
Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience
Friday 16 January 14.00
- School of Academic Psychiatry only
Tuesday 20 January 14.00
- School of Mental Health & Psychological Sciences
- School of Neuroscience & King’s Digital and Distance Learning
King’s Business School
Tuesday 20 January 10.30
- All postgraduate taught programmes in Accounting, Banking, Economics & Finance, except for:
- Master of Science in Accounting
- Master of Science in Finance (Corporate Finance)
- Undergraduate programmes in Accounting & Finance
- King’s Digital programmes in Banking & Finance
Thursday 22 January 10.30
- All Postgraduate Research students
- Postgraduate taught programmes in:
- Executive Masters of Business Administration
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Human Resources
- Management
- Marketing
- King’s Digital programmes in Marketing
- Undergraduate programmes in Economics & Management
Thursday 22 January 14.00
- Postgraduate taught programmes in:
- Master of Science in Accounting
- Master of Science in Finance (Corporate Finance)
When will my ceremony take place?
For more information on ceremony eligibility, please read our article When is my graduation ceremony?
For more information on ceremony eligibility, 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, you will not be able to attend a future ceremony.
You can choose to graduate in absentia via the booking system on Student Records, or by accessing the booking system through your one-time access link. Instructions on how to access the booking system can be found in your invitation email.
Important to know: your degree certificate will still be available to you if you choose to graduate in absentia, 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’re committed to making it as accessible and inclusive as possible for our community.
We know a large ceremony doesn’t suit everyone’s needs, whether due to physical or mental health reasons, or other accessibility 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 don't want to attend our ceremonies at Southwark Cathedral or the Royal Festival Hall for accessibility reasons. This ceremony offers a quieter, informal setting where you and your guests can choose which elements of the ceremony to engage with, including gowning, photography and the presentation of a scroll.
If you couldn’t attend your ceremony in the Summer, whether for accessibility reasons or because large-scale events aren’t suitable for you, we invite you to register your interest now in taking part in Relaxed Graduation as an alternative celebration of your achievements.
We’ll be in touch closer to the time to let you know when bookings open and to provide further information on the event logistics, including time, location and cost.
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 your graduation ceremony 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 the next set of ceremonies. For more information, please contact the Graduation Team.
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.
I need a visa to attend my ceremony; what do I do?
Please see our article Visa assistance for your graduation ceremony for more information.
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 or by accessing the booking system through your one-time access link. Instructions on how to access the booking system can be found in your invitation email.
Important to know: 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.
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 and accommodation provider in the first instance. We would advise all attendees to ensure cancellation is available on any bookings.
Please see our article Visa assistance for your graduation ceremony for more information.
For information on booking tickets for you and guests, please refer to our article Key information about booking tickets and preparing for your graduation ceremony.
How will the Graduation Team contact me regarding my ceremony?
For anything related to King's graduation ceremonies, you’ll be contacted at the personal email address listed on your Student Record, so please ensure this is up to date.
If you experience any difficulties accessing Student Records, please refer to the troubleshooting guidance in our article 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 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’ll keep information up to date in this article, so please do check back regularly.
For anything related to King's graduation ceremonies, you'll be contacted at the personal email address listed on your Student Record, so please ensure this is up to date.
If you experience any difficulties 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.
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 our article 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’ll 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’re studying on a King's Digital programme, please do reach out to your dedicated Student Success Advisor directly if you have any queries.