Frequently asked questions

UWE Bristol holds graduation ceremonies in July and November. You can check which ceremony series you will be invited to by visiting Eligibility to attend.

Dates and deadlines details upcoming ceremony series and the booking deadline to confirm your attendance.

It is not possible to move ceremonies within a given ceremony series. If you are unable to attend your ceremony, you can defer your attendance a maximum of two times to a future ceremony series, however, please note this will mean you are unable to graduate with your cohort. Please contact the graduation team to request a deferral or discuss your options further.

To be eligible to attend, you must have completed and passed your award in full by the award board dates applicable to the ceremony series you are due to attend. For example, if you are due to graduate in July but are sitting a resit which is going to the August award board, you will not be able to graduate in July but will be invited to a November ceremony.

If you are unsure whether you will be completing a resit or will be able to attend a ceremony, we would recommend booking your place along with your free guest tickets by the booking deadline. There will be no cost payable and this would secure your place for yourself and your guests, providing you are eligible to attend. If you do not book your place by the deadline and then find you are eligible, it may not be possible for you to attend. We will contact any students who have booked and are not eligible to attend following the final award boards, to advise the next steps relevant to them.

Check your eligibility and see which ceremony series you will be invited to.

To cancel your attendance, you will either need to update your account with Ede & Ravenscroft or contact the graduation team. The actions you will need to take will depend on when you made your booking and how long before the ceremony series starts.

Refunds are issued through Ede & Ravenscroft directly as they are the company you purchased your robes, photography and any additional guest tickets through.

Please review our cancellations and refunds information for further details.

We recommend arriving two hours before the ceremony begins to ensure you allow enough time, as registration will close 45 minutes before your ceremony start time.

For more information, see a breakdown of a typical graduation day.

The ceremony will last approximately 90 minutes, followed by the alumni reception which will last for one hour.

Graduation is free to attend for graduates. Each graduate will receive two free guest tickets which will be available for them to book until the booking deadline, as well as a free ceremony programme and StageClip which will be sent to them following their ceremony.

Additional guest tickets (where available) will cost £15. Please note they may not be available for all ceremonies – the graduation team will contact you to advise availability.

Wearing a robe is not compulsory to attend your ceremony, although many students choose to do so. Robe hire starts from £45 depending on the level of award you are receiving. A discount is applied if you book online in advanced of the ceremony.

Professional photography packages start at £30 should you wish to purchase this.

All provisionally eligible graduates can book two free guest tickets to their ceremony, however they must be booked by the deadline to be secured.  

We cannot guarantee that there will be additional tickets available for your ceremony, however we will email all eligible graduates who have booked after the deadline has passed to advise of availability.  

For more information, see book your place and guest tickets.

Guest tickets will be available for collection from the registration desk on the day of your ceremony. We do not post tickets. Please bring your student card or a form of photo ID with you on the day to collect them. 

Guest tickets will be required for any child aged four and above. Children aged three or under can attend the ceremony free of charge providing that they sit on a guest's lap or in a pushchair. If the child will be coming in a pram or pushchair, please contact the Graduation team to let us know. We cannot guarantee appropriate seating if you fail to email us before the deadline.

Please see our terms and conditions for more information. 

Ceremony programmes are printed booklets which list all graduate names and outline the ceremony schedule, allowing guests to follow what is happening during the ceremony. They are also a great souvenir of the day!

A free ceremony programme will be provided to each graduate on the day when they register their arrival.

Certificates are posted to your home address on your student record – they are not given out at your graduation. On average you will receive your certificate four to six weeks after your ceremony.

For more information about when you will receive it, or if you have a query regarding your certificate, please contact the student support team for you school. If you are unsure how to contact them, please contact InfoPoint who will be able to assist.

You will receive an email from the prizes team advising you of the next steps to claim your prize. Your prize certificate and any prize associated will be sent to you following your graduation – they are not awarded at graduation. On average you will receive your prize six to eight weeks after your ceremony. Please note your prize will arrive separately to your award certificate.

If you have any queries regarding your prize, please contact the prizes team.

Professional photography is provided by Ede & Ravenscroft. They are a third-party provider, so please contact Ede & Ravenscroft directly regarding any queries.

Please refer to any communication from Ede & Ravenscroft which states the lead time for receiving photography following your ceremony, as this can often take up to 12 weeks.

Wearing academic robes is not compulsory to attend your graduation, however the majority of graduates do choose to wear them. If you would like to wear UWE Bristol academic robes, we strongly recommend you hire or purchase them from Ede & Ravenscroft to ensure you are wearing the correct robes on the day.

For more information regarding costs, what robes to wear and how to book, please see robe hire.

If you are wearing a robe for your graduation, this will be available for you to collect from the venue on the day of your ceremony. When you arrive on the day, you will register your attendance and then collect your robes.

If you have not pre-booked your robe but wish to wear one, you will need to arrive two hours before your ceremony to allow time to register and hire academic robes.

Please see robe hire for more information. 

Your stage clip should be sent to you the day after your ceremony - please check your junk or spam folders.  If you have not received your clip, please contact StageClip directly and include your full name, award title and ceremony date and time in the email.

Information about travelling to the UK for a graduation ceremony can be found on the visa support letters page. Graduates and guests can create a letter using the template available – this can then be used to support a visa application. Please follow the instructions available and read the supporting information to assist with your application.

If you need any more information on immigration requirements for coming to the UK, we recommend you contact our Immigration Advice team at immigrationadvice@uwe.ac.uk.

Bristol Beacon is located in the city centre. There is a large variety of shops, coffee shops and restaurants in the area should you wish to purchase refreshments or go for dinner.

Review restaurants near Park Street.

Unfortunately, it is not possible for you to bring your pet with you to your graduation ceremony. If you will be bringing an assistance or support animal with you, please contact the graduation team so we can discuss any additional requirements you may have. 

Parking is not available at the venue for graduates or guests.

Please see graduation travel for more information on how to travel to your ceremony, blue badge parking, charging for electric vehicles and clean air zones.

Prayer facilities are available for graduates and guests to use. Please ask a member of staff if you wish to use the facilities and they will be happy to show you to a quiet space.

We will be live streaming graduation ceremonies online and in a venue nearby.

Please see live stream for further information on how to watch.