Before the big day

You will be eligible to attend your graduation if you have successfully completed your studies prior to the date of your ceremony and your final exam board will have met in sufficient time for your graduation.

To be able to be included in the upcoming ceremonies your award would need to be considered and agreed upon by an examination board by the deadline set.

Please be assured that graduating at a later date would not impact upon you being able to receive your degree certificate as the ceremonies are celebratory events as opposed to conferment.

If you are in debt to the University you will not be eligible to graduate and the University reserves the right not to allow you to attend your ceremony. It is University policy to withhold degree certificates until the debt is settled in full.

If you are unsure whether you owe any money to the University, you should go to the Finance Office with your university student card to check your account for outstanding debt.  We would advise you to check with Library Services to ensure you do not owe any library fees or still have library books. 

All financial commitments must be cleared and all books returned regardless of the return date marked in the book. Students funded by employers or other external bodies must make sure that their sponsor pays any amount due by this date.

Please email fin_operations@aston.ac.uk if you are unsure. 

In the event that any or all of the graduation ceremonies have to be cancelled, rescheduled or postponed beyond the control of Aston University, we cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred. 

Aston University graduation ceremonies are considered to be public events. There may be a University photographer present and by attending you give us permission to use any general crowd photos you appear in for marketing purposes. 

The University does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for:

• any loss or damage to any personal property left unattended during an event organised by the University, unless caused by the negligence of the University or its employees; or
• death or any personal injury suffered by you at an University event, unless caused by the negligence of the University or its employees.

The University is transparent about how it uses personal data. We do this through our privacy notices. A privacy notice is a statement or document which sets out the ways in which the University will gather, use, disclose and manage personal data. 

Privacy notices relating to graduates and graduation can be found here.

Graduation invitations for the graduation ceremonies taking place in Summer will be emailed in advance of the graduation date.

Please ensure your personal (non-Aston) email address is up-to-date to enable you to receive your e-invitation, as well as important information around the graduation process. To do this, please log-into your MAP account and check your current personal email address is recorded.

It is essential that you complete your graduation registration online using MAP. 

For your graduation ceremony you will given two options:

1. to attend in person; 
2. to defer your ceremony*
3. to graduate in absentia* (not attend the ceremony) 

*Please note: if you choose option 2 or 3 you must still register online via MAP, even if you wish your degree to be conferred in your absence or wish to defer to a future ceremony. If you choose to defer, you are only permitted to defer your ceremony once.

Graduation ceremonies are formal occasions and graduands should dress accordingly. We welcome national dress for international students and military uniforms are also acceptable. Smart attire is expected and all graduands must wear academic dress robes. Smart attire is also encouraged for guests. 

Graduation Attire are the official gown suppliers for Aston University. All gowns should either be hired or purchased from Graduation Attire and not from any other supplier. 

Please make sure that you book your robes in advance of your ceremony, as advanced bookings have discounted prices. You can book robes as part of your graduation registration. . 

Before you order your robes, please ensure that you have the following ready:

• Your head circumference (please measure around your head just above the tip of your ears) and height measurements 
• The date and time of your ceremony  
• Your credit/debit card details

Please note that if you wear a turban this will exempt you from wearing an official graduation cap. If you wear a head scarf, your graduation cap will go over the top, but please measure your head with your scarf in place.

USEFUL TIPS:

• There is no need to bring safety pins for the attire as the gowns and hoods come with velcro fitted to secure the attire in place. However, hairgrips are useful to help secure your hat.
• We also recommend that you wear shoes in which you will feel comfortable climbing up/down steps and walking across a large stage.

After you have registered your attendance, you can order your robes by clicking here.

Update your contact details so that we can continue to support you with tailored careers guidance and networking opportunities.

Once you graduate, your University email account will expire, which means you won’t be able to access some of our online services. If you update your contact details today, when you leave the University we will still be able to contact you.

Our graduation ceremonies are at the Eastside Rooms, which is a venue adjacent to the Aston University campus on Woodcock Street. However, you will need to come to Aston University first to collect your robes prior to your ceremony.  

Detailed directions to Aston University

Everything you need to know about guest tickets.