Getting ready for Graduation
Find everything you need to know about registration for graduation — from buying tickets, to gown hire, photography, and visas.
Registration and eligibility
You are not eligible to attend your Graduation ceremony if:
- You have been unsuccessful in your assessments
- You are in debt to the University for unpaid 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.
How to register
Registration for July Ceremonies opens on Tuesday 11 March 2025 and closes at 5 pm on Friday 25 April 2025. Please click on the registration button below to register your place.
If you cannot attend your ceremony due to extenuating circumstances, you must inform us. Each request is assessed on a case by case basis and is not guaranteed.
Students with outstanding course fees
Students with outstanding tuition fees will not be eligible to attend their designated ceremony unless payment has been made in full by 25 June 2025. In these circumstances students will not be deferred to a later round of ceremonies.
For assistance, please contact our Finance Office at +44 (0)115 848 6500 or complete this enquiry form. Alternatively, you can visit this page to find out how you can pay your tuition fees in full.
In the event of a change to the Graduation ceremonies
If the Graduation Ceremony cannot take place or is delayed or the ceremony time needs to change due to events beyond the control of Nottingham Trent University, including (without limitation) fire, explosion, terrorist act (or threat of terrorist act), act of God, outbreak of communicable disease, epidemic, pandemic, civil emergencies, any Government restrictions, order, rule, regulation or action by a Government or public authority, national mourning (any member of the royal family) or as a result of any industrial action or dispute involving Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Trent University will contact you as soon as possible to let you know.
Nottingham Trent University will not be liable for any losses direct or otherwise incurred by the graduates or their guests for delays caused by the event being cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.
Have a question?
No problem, please visit our frequently asked questions page, or alternatively, please email ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk.
Unable to attend Graduation?
If you are unable to attend or decide not to attend your Graduation ceremony, you will graduate in absentia. We will post your certificate to you after the ceremony. You will still need to register before the deadline to confirm your details for posting out 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 2025. Please allow up to 12 weeks for your certificate to arrive via Air Mail.
Find out more on our Frequently asked questions page.
Guest tickets
If you have registered for Graduation and ordered your two guest tickets, you'll be able to view your ticket order for University Hall via the booking summary screen on your registration portal at any point leading up to your ceremony.
Please note: Babies and toddlers are required to have their own ticket to access University Hall, and an adult who holds a University Hall guest ticket must accompany them. These tickets are inclusive of the post-ceremony refreshments.
We understand how important a graduation ceremony is for family and friends and if you wish to bring more than two guests, we can accommodate this via the refreshment ticket option. Guests with Refreshment tickets will watch the ceremony live streamed directly from University Hall and then join you for celebratory refreshments.
Refreshment tickets are available to purchase from 30 June 2025 from our online store and are priced at £7.50.
Only two tickets can be purchased by each graduate in advance, until capacity is reached, and the ceremony will be removed from sale.
You can re-join your guests who do not have tickets outside of the ticketed area.
Remember, your family and friends can also watch your ceremony via our live streaming you tube channel, wherever they are in the world. And our City campus is in the heart of Nottingham city centre should they wish to explore Nottingham. You can find information about exploring the city on our Life in Nottingham page.
Please note: Refreshment tickets are not available to buy on the day and graduation is a ticketed event and only guests with tickets will be permitted to enter the venue.
We realise your Graduation is a time for family celebrations of your achievements and children are welcome to attend. However, the Graduation ceremonies are formal occasions and we do not recommend that babies and young children attend as the ceremony will include loud music and noise. We respectfully request that small children be taken outside if they become unsettled during the ceremony so as not to disturb proceedings.
Please note that ALL guests, including babies and children, need to be possession of their own ticket within University Hall. Babies and toddlers of any age are NOT permitted to sit on the lap of other guests within University Hall, this is to ensure that we comply with the venue fire regulation capacity restrictions. Students can only book up to two guest tickets during registration.
Guest tickets booked for the live streaming venue and University Hall are not interchangeable.
If you or your guests require special arrangements to be put in place for your ceremony, please let us know by completing the comments section during registration or contacting us before Friday 27 June 2025. This can include wheelchair accessibility, dietary requirements, vertigo, and any hearing impairments.
All graduating students will need to collect their tickets upon arrival on the day from the ticket desk, which will be located in the Newton building and open an hour and a half prior to your ceremony. We will not be posting tickets out prior to the ceremonies.
You can find further details on what to do on the day of your Graduation in the on the day section of the website.
Please note that all guest tickets are non-refundable as stated at the time of booking, with the exception of students who are no longer eligible to attend due to having to retake an assessment, in which case you will receive a refund once the ceremony has taken place. A further invitation to the next set of ceremonies will be sent to you in due course. Tickets cannot be transferred between ceremonies and you must complete the online registration process again.
Relaxed Graduation experience
NTU is dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for all who work and study with us, and this includes our Graduation ceremonies.
Our next relaxed ceremony is on Tuesday 29 July 2025.
Graduation is a time to celebrate your achievements with your family and friends; however, we understand that some students and guests may find attending a ceremony in University Hall overwhelming.
To make Graduation more accessible NTU are 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 those who may find this alternative format more comfortable.
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 are interested in the relaxed ceremony, please email ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk.
Have a question?
No problem, please visit our frequently asked questions page, or alternatively, please email ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk.
Hire your gown and hood
It is compulsory for all graduands to wear the University academic dress at their ceremony. Graduation Attire is our official gown hire company and all gowns should be hired directly through them.
Order your gown through Graduation Attire's website.
Before you start your booking, please make sure you know your head circumference in centimetres plus your chest and height measurements. On your Graduation day, we recommend that you bring hair grips to secure your hat.
Please note that Graduation Attire cannot guarantee that they will have additional gowns available on the day for graduands who have not pre-ordered.
Want to know what your gown will look like? Take a look at the Guide to Academic Dress.
Gown collection and return
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 the Forum area of Newton before the end of your Graduation day. These will be clearly signposted for you.
Did you know that 30 plastic bottles are recycled per gown?
All of our black ceremonial gowns are made from certified recycled materials, saving 30 bottles from polluting the earth with every gown made.
Not only that but if you’re graduating this year, you’ll become one of the very first people to wear one of the brand-new ceremonial gowns and hoods designed by our own NTU student!
Book your photography
Book your official Graduation photography to beat the queues and enjoy a discount.
Marston Photography
Marston Photography are NTU's official Graduation supplier. You can see all their traditional photography packages that they have available on their website.
Marston Photography can provide you with high quality Graduation photography to cherish the occasion forever. Their Graduation photography service includes an individual portrait, as well as pictures with friends and family.
We recommend that you pre-book a time slot to have your photographs taken to save time and money on the day. Please ensure your photography booking is no less than 45 minutes before your ceremony start time to avoid being late and missing your ceremony. It is possible to book your photography session for after your ceremony too.
Visit Marston Photography's website to book your photography.
Photography will be located in the Arkwright building.
Should you have any questions or queries regarding Graduation photography, please contact Marston Photography direct on + 44 (0)1293 82 22 11 or email enquiries@marstonevents.com.
On stage photography
As you cross the stage a photograph will be taken of you with the Presiding Officer. Following your ceremony, these will be available for you to purchase from Marston Photography, in the Newton building.
Please note that no cameras or phones are permitted to be used on stage. However, your guests are welcome to take photographs from their seats.
Visa information
Instructions on what to do if you or any of your guests require a visitor visa to enter the UK for your Graduation.
Visa information for students
If you need a visa for yourself, please complete this visa request form before 27 June 2025 so we can produce a letter for you.
Please email ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk if you have any enquiries.
Visa information for guests
If any of your guests require a visitor visa to enter the UK, you will need to obtain a letter of invitation.
To obtain a letter of invitation you will need to register your attendance and reserve your two free guest tickets online first, and then complete this invitation request form before 27 June 2025.
Once we receive your request we will produce the letter(s) for you and email them to you.
If you are unsure whether you require a visa to enter the UK, please contact the International Student Support Office on int.support@ntu.ac.uk.
You must ensure that all guests travelling to the UK have tickets to attend the ceremony. If you have more than two guests travelling, you will need to purchase a Live Streaming ticket for each additional guest.
Please email ntu.graduations@ntu.ac.uk if you have any enquiries.
Graduation communications
Missed an email about Graduation? Find copies of the emails that you should be receiving in the lead-up to your special day.
Graduation communications