We will be hosting two graduation ceremonies for our recently graduated and graduating students. This will be based on your completion date as well as the date you received your award, and whether these are on or before the initial deadline to express your interest in attending the ceremony.

All graduates must have their award confirmed to attend a graduation ceremony. If your award is confirmed after the expression of interest deadline, you will not be eligible to attend that ceremony. Instead, you will be invited to a later set of graduations once you have been confirmed your award.

Please note that when applying for an extension or deferral in your course, it is important to keep in mind that this could make you ineligible to meet the deadlines required to graduate with your cohort and attend your designated ceremony. You also need to comply to the completion processes set by your awarding partners.

Graduates must complete three important steps to attend their ceremony:

1. All eligible graduates should have received an email upon completing their expression of interest in attending graduation by completing the form before Monday 31st March 2025. Please note that if you did not submit your interest, you will not be eligible to attend your ceremony. Registering your interest is essential to receive an invitation to formally register and secure your place for the graduation ceremony. Please note we have limited seating for you and your guest, so it is important for us to know you are attending before the deadline date. This email will be sent by the end of February 2025.

2. Students who express their interest in graduation will receive an email notification with their specific ceremony date and time by the second week of April 2025. You will receive links to make your own booking, book tickets for your guests, as well as book your gown and photographer.

3. Complete your booking by reserving your seat along with your guests’ seats, gowns and photographer. The closing date for confirming all the bookings will be 19th May 2025. Please note that we will be sending an email to the address we are holding on our database. If you need to update this, please contact us on alumni@rcl.ac.uk

All RCL graduates due to attend a ceremony this year will receive a Graduation Checklist. We encourage you to thoroughly read through this document as it will provide a detailed walk through of your day before, during and after. It will answer many common questions, such as how long the ceremony lasts and when to arrive.

RCL’s 2025/2026 graduation ceremonies will be hosted over two dates. Attendees will be determined according to their cohorts and completion dates. These dates are Thursday 19th June 2025 and Thursday 19th February 2026.

We will pre-decide the invitation date and you will be called to attend one of the two events. The invite cannot be altered or swapped.

The graduation ceremony will take place at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.

The venue is very close to Euston station, which has very good links with all transport networks. Please note that the venue is in Central London and congestion charges may apply. The venue does not provide parking facilities for any users.

The timing for each student may vary according to the cohort and faculty. We will confirm the time directly with you via email when we confirm your place to attend the ceremony. Exact date and times of specific graduation ceremonies for faculties and departments will be provided to those who complete their expression of interest in attending a graduation ceremony.

The ceremony is conducted in multiple sessions throughout the day. Each session may take three or four hours to conduct. You will receive an invite with your time slot, the doors will open an hour before the ceremony, and you are expected to check in at least 30 minutes before the start time of the ceremony.

We would be delighted to have your presence to celebrate your achievements, However, attendance at graduations is optional. Your degree will be valid, and we will inform you when degree certificates and final transcripts will be available for collection at the campus.

It is advised for all graduates to wear academic dress to cross the stage during the ceremony. You will be able to book your gown via the links send to you with your confirmation.

Churchill Gowns is our appointed supplier. The link will take you to the RCL and the relevant university partners’ specific page, where you can order your gown and mortarboard (head gear). You will have the option to buy or rent the set. The link will have all details to make sure you order the right size for yourself.

The academic dress set will be posted to you two to three days prior to the event and will need to be returned using the return mail label provided. Alternatively, you can return the dress set at the venue after the event.

There will be assistance on site at the graduation ceremony to help graduates put on the gowns. You can arrange a gown from elsewhere, but if you have chosen to get your gown from another supplier, please make sure you have chosen the correct attire according to your qualification and university partnership.

We suggest that graduates wear smart or formal wear under the gown. We also recommend wearing appropriate footwear for walking up and down several steps and across the stage.

Along with the confirmation of attendance and the gown booking link, you will also receive a link to prebook your professional graduation photography. Please note that this is an optional service. Carmen Jane will be our appointed photographer. No other professional photographer team will be authorised to take pictures of the ceremony.

If you wish to have your pictures professionally taken by your personal photographer, please conduct this outside the premises. We will have additional photographers to capture highlights of the event. These pictures will be posted on our LinkedIn page and across our social media channels.

We want to make your moment crossing the stage feel as special as possible. When you register for your student ticket, we will ask you to share with us how you would like your name to be read out when you cross the stage, including phonetic spelling.

An example of phonetic spelling can be found below, where capitals are used to show where emphasis should be placed:

Example: Maja Bjorg (Maya Bi-org)

Please note that unless specified, the name you are registered with at RCL will be what is read out by default as you cross the stage.

The RCL team look forward to welcoming you and your guests. Our aim is to ensure that every graduate and guest feels at ease and has all necessary arrangements to fully participate and enjoy the festivities.

Upon booking your place for the ceremony, you will have the opportunity to specify any accessibility requirements for yourself or your guests. Please provide as much relevant detail as possible so we can have these in place for you. Additionally, we will be in contact closer to the graduation date to discuss how we can offer the best support to you and your guests. For details of the venue, please visit the Friends House website.

Yes. We welcome you to invite your friends and family who have supported you throughout your studies to join us in celebrating your special achievement. Please be aware that guests and graduates are seated separately on the day. Information on how to book guest tickets will be communicated via email upon confirming your attendance.

Based on the venue’s capacity, tickets may be limited per graduate, but we anticipate that each student will be able to bring up to four guests. All graduates will have the chance to secure guest tickets when they confirm their booking. Please note that guest tickets will be subject to a fee.

When deciding whether to bring a child as a guest, we ask you to consider the formal nature of the event and that guests will be required to sit for a long period of time. As a result, this may not be particularly suitable for babies or young children. Please note that only our graduates cross the stage, so children must be seated with another guest while you have your moment!

Children under five can attend for free and will need to be seated on a guest’s lap. If they are over five and/or need a seat, they will be required to have to buy a ticket which will be subject to a fee.

We can only provide graduation invitation letters for our graduates who will be attending the ceremony. We cannot write invitations to family and friends who want to attend. Please note RCL is not responsible for any visa-related obligation regarding the guest invites and are not responsible for the acceptance or rejection of the visa.

If you wish to see a template of a letter as a guide, that you would send on your behalf to invite your guests from abroad, please do contact us at visacompliance@rcl.ac.uk

No, you do not receive any certificates or transcripts during the graduation ceremony.

Once you have completed your qualifications and assessment, it takes on an average of eight to 10 weeks for RCL to receive your documents from the awarding partners. Once we receive the documents, we will email you to book an appointment and collect your award. Please note that the Graduation team does not directly deal with certificates. If you have any other queries regarding a certificate or awards, please contact your Student Support Officer (SSO).