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Frequently Asked Questions about Graduation

Find the answers to your questions about NTU graduation in our frequently asked questions.

On this page you'll find...

About your Graduation ceremony

For dates and times of Graduation ceremonies, see our graduation page.

  • December 2026 Graduation ceremonies will be held between Monday 14 December and Friday 18 December 2026.
  • July 2027 Graduation ceremonies will be held between Wednesday 14 July and Friday 30 July 2027.

For dates and times of Graduation ceremonies, see our graduation page.

You'll collect your gown and tickets from the Newton building on our City Campus, and then your Graduation ceremony will take place across the road in University Hall. Celebratory refreshments after your ceremony will also be in the Newton building.

Graduates should be on City Campus one and a half hours before the ceremony start time.

You can find further information on our On the Day pages.

When you arrive, make your way to our Newton building at our City Campus to collect your ticket and gown.

You can find what to expect on our On the Day page.

Your ceremony will last around 45 minutes. Afterwards, celebratory refreshments will be offered at the Newton building for a further hour.

Graduates and guests will be invited to join us for celebratory refreshments in the Newton building. Please bring your ticket with you to collect your drink.

To make Graduation more accessible, NTU is offering an alternative Graduation experience. This experience is designed for students or guests with learning difficulties, autism, social anxiety, or sensory processing difficulties, but is open to any students or guests who may find this alternative format more comfortable.

We aim to create a unique experience for each student and a NTU colleague will discuss your requirements for the day. You will receive your certificate on the day and a programme will be provided. There will be staff members available on the day to assist as required and chill out areas provided for anyone who may become overwhelmed.

If you have any further questions or wish to attend this Graduation experience, please email ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk.

You will need to contact your School and they will be able to confirm when you will be graduating. Please contact your Course Leader or your Subject Admin team.

Your School will then inform us when you are eligible, and you will be invited accordingly to the correct round of ceremonies.

If you have not passed and ordered a gown, your gown hire will need to be re-hired for the next round of ceremonies. If you have made a photography booking, please contact them directly to discuss.

Please note that dogs and other pets are not permitted at Graduation ceremonies. The only exception to this policy is for registered assistance animals, which are welcome to accompany their owners.

Please contact NTUTranscripts@ntu.ac.uk for transcript requests.

Contact us for more information

Contact our Graduation team by email at ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk or call us on +44 (0)115 848 2999.

Registration and eligibility

Please visit our Getting ready page for more information on registering for Graduation.

If you are unable to attend, you must still register to confirm your details for posting out your certificate.

If you have an ongoing academic appeal or request for reconsideration in progress, you may attend your Graduation ceremony. However, you will not be presented with your certificate. This will be issued once the investigation has been closed.

You are not eligible to attend your Graduation ceremony if:

  • You have been unsuccessful in your assessments
  • You still have outstanding tuition fees

If you are subject to an investigation for misconduct (either Academic Misconduct under the Academic Integrity policy or Non-Academic misconduct under the Student Code of Behaviour), you may not be invited to your Graduation ceremony. You may be invited to a later ceremony once the situation is resolved.

Guest tickets and programmes

Allocation of the two free guest tickets can only be guaranteed if reserved during registration.

Your tickets will be available for collection on the day of your ceremony from the registration desk at City Campus in our Newton building.

Graduands are allocated a seat for their ceremony. You will be informed of your seat as you arrive and collect your tickets on the day of your ceremony.

Guest seating is not allocated, and guests are seated on a first come first serve basis as they arrive at University Hall, unless you have advised us of any alternative arrangements prior to the event.

Graduation programmes

You'll be able to collect a printed copy of your Graduation programme from the ticket desk on the day of your Graduation. The programmes will also be available online if you prefer a digital version instead.

Please note, each graduate can receive one complimentary printed Graduation programme. You will need to reserve this during your Graduation gown booking process. If you do not reserve one in advance, you will need to access it online or purchase it after the ceremony.

Additional printed programmes for July 2026 will cost £5 each and can be purchased from our NTU online store between 25 June 2026 – 31 August 2026 (link TBC).

Graduation gowns, photography, certificates, and transcripts

It's compulsory for all graduating students to wear University academic dress at their ceremony.

Order your gown through Graduation Attire's website.

You will collect your gown on the day of your ceremony from the Arkwright building in room 006 and return it to the drop off point in Newton before the end of your Graduation day. These will be clearly signposted for you. Please don't forget to have your code from Graduation Attire ready, when you collect your gown.

Marston Photography are NTU's official Graduation supplier. Book your photography slot in advance, get a discount and save queuing on the day.

Visit Marston Photography's website to book your photography.

Please ensure your photography booking is no less than 45 minutes before your ceremony start time. You can find more information on our Getting Ready for Graduation page.

We recommend that you pre-book a time slot to have your photographs taken to save time and money on the day. However, Marston photography should be able to accommodate requests on the day.

You will need to collect your certificate from the certificate desk, next to Cafe Newton Level 1 after your ceremony. If it is not available on the day, your certificate will be posted out to your home address following the ceremony. So please make sure your contact details are up to date, so we know where to send your certificate.

Degree certificates will be posted out to your home address after the graduation ceremonies. Please make sure your contact details are up to date, so we know where to send your certificate.

If you have an international permanent home address, your certificate will be automatically posted via Air Mail free of charge and untracked in August 2026. Please allow up to 12 weeks for your certificate to arrive via Air Mail.

Please contact NTUTranscripts@ntu.ac.uk for transcript requests.

Certificate tubes are available to purchase on the day of your ceremony from the gown drop area located in the Newton building.

Accessibility and special requirements

During the registration process you can detail any requirements that you or your guests may have (for example: wheelchair user, mobility problems, blind/partially sighted or deaf/hearing impairment), and we will make every effort to help you. We will contact you to discuss the arrangements, but if you have any questions, please contact us via email on ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk.

Unfortunately we do not have room to store large bags or luggage. We kindly ask these are not brought on to campus and stored off site.

No. Whether you have allergies, intolerances, religious, or cultural preferences, all dietary requirements are catered for.

There is the ‘Sensory Room’ and ‘The Rest Nest’ which are located in the Boots library for anyone (graduates/guests) who may need a calming space. Visit the Library spaces webpages for more information.

Travel and accommodation

Take a look at our travel page for more information on how to get to Nottingham.

Please carefully check your route before setting off as roadworks and traffic could delay your journey. A map displaying current roadworks and traffic incidents in the UK is available via the one network website.

We don't provide parking, but Nottingham has a variety of municipal car parks, as well as park and ride facilities. If you’re intending to park in the city centre, the closest (and largest) facilities to our City Campus are:

If your car has a blue badge displayed there are several areas near to University Hall where you can park. Visit the Nottingham Parking website for details of city centre parking locations.

Alternatively, there are a number of great public transport options available to get into Nottingham, including the tram, park and ride services, and trains.

Our City Campus is located in the very heart of Nottingham city centre, where you will find a number of hotels available.

At present, we are unable to offer University accommodation for our July 2026 ceremonies.

International student and visitor visas

If you need a visa for yourself, take a look at our Getting Ready for Graduation page for more information.

If any of your guests need a visitor visa to enter the UK, you'll need to get a letter of invitation. You can find the information on our Getting Ready for Graduation page.

Please note: Only guests with a ticket for the ceremony are eligible to receive an invitation letter. No invitation letters will be provided for guests without tickets.

Your name at Graduation

You can provide a phonetic spelling of your name during the gowning booking process.

Please note: This is not for name changes. If you require a name change, you must notify us by emailing ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk with evidence.

Graduands who wish to have their preferred name read aloud during their Graduation ceremony must notify us through gowning.

Should you wish for your preferred name to be included in the Graduation programme and on your ticket, please notify us by emailing ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk on or before Sunday 31 May 2026.

If we do not receive notification of a preferred name by the stated deadline, your full legal name will be used in all official documents. Please note that late submissions may result in your preferred name not being reflected in our records.

Yes, there are instances where a graduate’s full name is required, these include and are not limited to the below:

  • Confirmation to external bodies such as the Student Loans Company
  • Degree certificates
  • Transcripts