Graduation is the time to celebrate your achievements with family, friends, and staff.
When you graduate from our York campus you get to celebrate this moment in one of York's most iconic buildings - York Minster. Soak up the atmosphere and share the moment with friends, family and staff who have supported you along the way. This is your day.
To ensure you receive specific and informed advice we produce a -Class of-- Graduation guide each year. The information listed in this guide will differ each year.
The information listed here is to be used as general guidance only. For information specific to your course/graduation day you will be provided with our graduation guide, these are released in August each year.
Our graduation ceremonies take place once a year for each campus, March (London campus) and November (York campus).
Ceremony dates for York campus students are confirmed in August each year. -We are unable to confirm any details before this time. Once these dates have been confirmed, they will be published on our website.
All students eligible to attend the November ceremonies will be sent a personalised invitation in August.
Please see our 'York Graduation' webpage for more information.
How do I know if my award is eligible to attend?
Programmes eligible for graduation are typically intended awards, programmes not eligible for graduation are normally exit awards.
Awards eligible for graduation as well as awards not eligible are outlined in our Code of Practice for Assessment and Academic related Matters, these policies are reviewed annually.
The guidance for 2024/5 can be found in Section 49: Graduation, certificates, transcripts, and prizes of the Code of Practice for Assessment and Academic related Matters 2024-5.
Confirming your attendance
For those with awards eligible to attend, an invitation to your graduation ceremony will be sent to both your personal and YSJ email address in August. Please make sure your contact details are up to date on e:Vision.
This invitation will confirm how you register your attendance, book your robes, guest tickets etc. You cannot confirm your attendance before this time.
The deadline for registration will change each year, this date will be confirmed in your invitation.
I am unable to attend the ceremony, what do I need to do?
You are not required to attend your graduation ceremony. If you are unable to attend this will not affect your award eligibility, you will still receive your degree certificate.
We hope that your arrangements will proceed without any difficulty and that your ceremony will prove both memorable and enjoyable for you and your guests.
Our invitations will confirm how to notify us if you are unable to attend. After notifying us, we will be able to advise you on the next steps and arrange the postage of your certificate.
Can I defer my attendance?
It is University policy that attendance at graduation ceremonies cannot normally be deferred; if opting to attend your graduation ceremony, you are expected to attend the ceremony that you receive an invite for, following the completion of your award.
However, deferral may be permitted if genuine circumstances prevent you from attending your ceremony. You must apply for a deferral before the date of your ceremony and attend a new ceremony within one year.
Information regarding the deferral process will be provided in our Graduation Guide each year.
Guest tickets
The number of guest tickets we can offer varies based on multiple factors, including the size of your School and cohort.
We typically offer 2 guest tickets per graduand; all graduand will have the opportunity to purchase their 2 tickets before the registration deadline.
When will I receive my tickets?
Your own seat number in the Minster will be on your e-ticket which will be emailed to you around a week before the ceremony, along with your guest tickets.
All guest tickets must be ordered before the ceremony.
If my friends/family cannot attend, can they watch the ceremony virtually?
Our ceremonies are live-streamed every year and will be available to view on the York St John University Events YouTube channel for a period following the ceremonies. The footage is not available for purchase. - footage is not available for purchase.
Although every effort is made to ensure the live webcast is available to all viewers, York St John University cannot accept liability for any loss of webcast availability.
Audio and visual images of the ceremony are publicly available through a livestream broadcast of the ceremony via the internet, which includes the announcement of graduand names. There may also be local media or University photographers and videographers present at the event and, by attending, you give permission to use any general images in publications, promotional materials, advertisements, websites or any other digital media or filming authorised by the University. By attending the event, graduands and guests consent to be party to these practices.
Please make yourself known on the day if you do not wish to be featured in any photography.
Do I sit with my guests during the ceremony?
Graduands and guests do not sit together.
Graduating students will find their individual seat number on their e-ticket (sent by email a week before the ceremony).
Guests do not normally have pre-allocated seats. Guests should follow instructions from the stewards on where to sit.
All seats have extra leg space to ensure guests are as comfortable as possible. Guests should remain in their seats until directed to leave the Minster by a steward after the ceremony.
Are the ceremonies child-friendly?
The University aims to make its graduation ceremonies as welcoming as possible, but the formal nature and duration of the ceremonies may make them unsuitable for babies and small children. All children that require their own seat must have their own ticket, babies and small children can sit on guest-s knees.
Any children attending graduation must be accompanied by an adult other than the graduating student as guests and graduating students do not sit together.
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My guests are travelling from overseas, do you provide anything to support their visa application?
It may be necessary for international graduands to request an invitation letter to support a visa application.
If you require a letter to support your visa application to attend Graduation, please visit our graduation webpage for instructions. We do not provide visa letters for family/ friends. For policy/regulatory purposes, we are not able to name guests, only the graduand we hold a student ceremony record for.
Dress Code
Gowns
Graduation is a formal occasion, and academic gowns are required for all participating students and staff.
You can hire your gown through our online booking at the same time as you confirm your ceremony attendance. You will need to provide details of your height and head measurements. Ensure you order the correct gown - they are different for each level of award.
Please do not purchase a graduation gown via third-party sellers, our gowns are equipped with -GradTag- features which allow you to access your on-stage photo. We do not sell or provide gowns through other companies; we will always inform you of any changes.
What should I wear?
Students must be wearing a gown in order to graduate.
Graduation is a formal occasion; please dress in smart clothes.
Students may wear their national costume if they would like to. The Minster can get very cold in November, so graduands and their guests are advised to wear warm clothes.
For York St John University graduation ceremonies mortar boards are not worn during the ceremony but may be worn following the conferral of all awards or when processing out of the Minster.
Photography and video
Photography packages are available via our online booking portal so you can pre-book your photography package at the same time as you confirm your attendance and hire your gown.
Photographers will also be present during the ceremonies to photograph every graduand receiving their award on the stage.
Can my guests take photos during the ceremony?
There are no restrictions on photography in the Minster, but we do ask graduands and their guests to consider others when taking photographs.
Accessibility
The entrance points at the Minster for both graduands and guests are accessible for wheelchairs.
Should you or your guests have any additional requirements you feel we should be aware of, you will be able to indicate this when you register your attendance via our booking portal.
We will then ensure suitable arrangements are made for you or your guests during the ceremony. This information is held securely and only shared with those involved in the running of the ceremony.
Further information will be included in your invitation. If you have any concerns regarding accessibility or specific requirements, your invitation will include details of how to contact the graduation team to discuss this.
Your certificate
You will receive your degree certificate at your graduation ceremony.
If you are unable to attend your ceremony, your certificate will be posted to you after the ceremonies have taken place.