Attending the Graduation Ceremony

Registration to attend the July 2024 graduation will open in May 2024.

The ceremony takes place at the Usher Hall, Lothian Road, Edinburgh.

Potential graduates will be sent an e-mail to their student and personal e-mail addresses in May 2024. This email will contain information about graduation and instructions to engage with the Graduation Registration system. 

Please contact graduation@qmu.ac.uk if you have any queries.

There is no fee for graduating students to attend the graduation ceremony.

There are fees for guests tickets, reserved directly with the Usher Hall. Details are below.

There are fees for gown hire and photography. Details are below.

Graduating students are expected to arrive at least one hour before the ceremony to allow time to check-in, collect their robes and prepare for the ceremony.

Upon arrival at the Usher Hall, graduating students should check-in at the Registration Desk. Graduating students will receive a ticket showing their own seat allocation. Under no circumstances should graduands change places or seats.

Graduating students should then proceed as directed to the robing area.

All graduating students must be robed and seated at least 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony.

Graduating students arriving after the beginning of the ceremony will not be allowed to take part.

During the ceremony, attending graduating students receive their certificate as they cross the stage.

All graduating students must wear the proper gown along with their appropriate academic dress.

Reserved robes can be collected at the venue before the ceremony and should be returned the same day, either to the robing areas at the Usher Hall or at the QMU campus where the reception is held.

Graduation ceremonies are a formal occasion.  The dress code consists of your gown, hood, and formal dress.

Gowns should be booked through Ede & Ravenscroft (from May 2024)

We recommend one of the following:

• Dark coloured clothes with a white collar and a tie
• Sleeved black or white dresses
• Black or white blouses and dark skirts or trousers
• Normal or full evening Highland dress
• Other formal attire related to your cultural tradition or national costume

You will be required to ascend and descend stairs on either side of the stage and when your name is called, you are required to walk across the stage (unless you have requested access assistance via the graduation reply form).  We recommend you wear flat or low-heeled shoes.

Attending graduating students can purchase up to three guest tickets initially via the Usher Hall at a price of £15 per ticket (plus £1.50 booking fee).

Details will be provided in the confirmation email students will receive upon completing the Graduation Registration system.

Graduating students will collect their own allocated seat ticket upon check-in at the venue.

Children can attend the ceremony, but you should note that it may not be suitable for very young children because of the content and length. Children under the age of 3 are able to sit on an accompanying ticketed adult's lap without requiring a ticket of their own. Children aged 3 and up require their own ticket.

Please note that there are unlikely to be extra tickets available for the Ceremony. Extra tickets for additional guests will be available to purchase via the Usher Hall at the end of June on a first come first served basis. Further details of this will be sent to those who have indicated that want to attend the ceremony closer to the date.

Please note that extra tickets are not available for the Graduation Reception held on campus.

Graduating students can arrange professional photography with Ede & Ravenscroft (from May 2024). Graduating students wishing to attend the photographer prior to the ceremony are reminded they must be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony.

Photographers will be present before and after the ceremony at The Royal Lyceum Theatre (adjacent to the Usher Hall).

Photographers will also be in attendance at the Reception held at Queen Margaret University from 5.00pm to 7.00pm.

The Ceremony will be filmed and the recording will be made available online after the event. If you have any queries regarding the filming, please contact Media Services on 0131 474 0000.

Graduands should remind guests that video recording equipment is NOT permitted within the hall.

You can find a statement and guidance on how personal data will be processed for and during the graduation event here.

Graduating students, guests and staff should be aware that graduation ceremonies are regarded as public events. Names and awards of graduates (including those graduating in absentia) are published in the graduation programme. Audio and visual images of the ceremony are publicly available through online video. If you object to publication of your personal data (name and award) in the press you should inform the Assistant Secretary (June Ross jross@qmu.ac.uk) at least three weeks before the ceremony. You can also use the online Graduation Registration system to indicate your consent for your name to be published.

Please note that your name, award and classification must be published in the graduation programme.

Graduating students should remind guests that video recording equipment is NOT permitted within the hall.

QMU Campus, July 2024, Monday 1st July 2024 at 5pm

QMU Campus, July 2024, Tuesday 2nd July 2024 at 5pm

Graduates are warmly invited to celebrate their academic achievements at the QMU Graduation Reception at 5pm on the day of their attendance at the graduation ceremony. 

Upon arrival at the campus, you and your guests will be greeted in the traditional Scottish manner by a pipe band. Within the atrium you can mingle with friends and academic staff whilst enjoying complimentary sparkling wine and canapés . A selection of non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.

Ede & Ravenscroft photographers will be in attendance for those who wish to preserve their graduation day memories. In addition, graduation robes can be returned to Ede & Ravenscroft at the campus following the reception.

We look forward to welcoming you and your guests in celebrating your achievement.

If you have any outstanding debts with the university or any unreturned library books you will not be eligible to attend the ceremony until the debt has been cleared or the library books have been returned. Please contact the Finance Department or the LRC if this affects you. All debts/books must be paid/returned at least 21 days before the ceremony.

Your certificate will be printed with your FULL NAME as recorded on your student record. Graduating students can request that another name be printed during the online Graduation Registration process.

Please note that we can usually only consider name changes that involve the reordering of names you have previously matriculated under, or the inclusion or removal of middle names. Requests to change your name from the official name you provided us with during matriculation cannot be considered without evidence that you completed your course under a different official name.

In the event of a change of name being requested, QMU reserves the right to request proof of identity. Please therefore forward copies of any documents which you consider relevant. Changes to names cannot be accepted after your award has been ratified by Senate.