Graduation day
The ceremony experience for PhD and higher doctoral graduates is different to undergraduate and master students. This page outlines the key differences to your participation before, during and after the ceremony.
Key differences for PhD and higher doctoral graduates
- PhD and higher doctoral graduates participate in the academic procession
- Briefing location before ceremony
- On-stage moment.
PhD and higher doctoral supervisor invitations
The Graduations team will contact PhD and higher doctoral students. If you’d like your supervisors to attend your ceremony, please share their details.
If you provide your supervisors details, we will invite them to attend your ceremony as either:
- a seated guest
- or as a part of the academic procession.
If your supervisor has not received an invitation by the week before your ceremony, contact the Graduations team
Please keep your supervisors informed if you request any late changes to your ceremony date or are unable to attend.
Before the ceremony
PhD and higher doctoral degree recipients must check in by the time outlined in the ceremony schedule.
- You will receive information about the briefing location via email in the lead up to the ceremony date.
- Our protocol team will brief you on:
- Your role in the Academic Procession at the beginning of the ceremony
- Where you will be seated, before and after your presentation
- Receiving your degree on stage
- Your role in the Academic recession at the end of the ceremony.
Academic procession
At the start of the formal ceremony, university leadership and the academic community, including your supervisors if they are attending, enter the venue. They process together in traditional regalia. As a PhD or higher doctoral graduate, you will also walk in the procession.
During the ceremony
After formally entering the venue with the procession, you will be directed to your allocated seat. You can find the seating information on your ticket. Graduation staff will guide you when it is your turn to take the stage.
Your moment on stage
- When it's your turn to be presented, you'll be guided from your seat to the presentation point on stage
- Your name will be called by the Presiding Academic Board Officer from the lectern
- Acknowledge the Presiding Academic Board Officer with a 'doff' (nod and pinch the front of your hat). Stay here while someone reads your citation
- The Academic Board Officer will read a short citation of your doctoral thesis at the lectern. Smile, because you’ll be on the big screen during this!
- Walk to centre stage and stand next to the Presiding Chancellor, pose for a photo with them
- Then return to your seat as directed by the graduation staff
- As you cross the stage, 'doff' again to the Presiding Academic Board Officer at the lectern in acknowledgment and return to your seat
- All graduates are to remain in their assigned seat until the end of the ceremony.
How to graduate - Doctoral degree
After the ceremony
Academic recessional
At the end of the formal ceremony, all academic procession members will stand and recess together to leave the seating area and into the post-event celebrations. Graduation staff will help to guide the academic recessional.
Post-event celebrations
The post-event celebrations include refreshments for you and your guests. It will commence as soon as your ceremony has finished and will last for one hour. This is a chance to celebrate with your guests, supervisor, and fellow graduates. You can also take photos around the venue.
Ceremony schedules
Select your ceremony start time:
Take note of key timings like where to register, collect your regalia and when to arrive for your ceremony – this will help your day run smoothly.
You must arrive on time for registration and gowning.
For everything you need to know about your graduation ceremony, please visit the Graduation Day page.
More graduation information
Find out more about graduation fees, what to wear and services available on graduation day.
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Graduation
Understand the steps from completing your degree to attending a ceremony.
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Graduation fees, tickets and gown hire
Know when bookings open and what’s included.
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Photos and merchandise
Explore what’s available at your ceremony.
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Graduation ceremony recordings
Share your celebration with friends and family.
Help and support
Graduation ceremonies
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Conferral: The Conferral is the date your course is officially complete, and you become a graduate of The University of Melbourne. Your conferral date is listed on your official Graduation documentation. This process takes place before the Graduation ceremony and occurs automatically on set dates. You won't be able to attend a Graduation ceremony unless you have been officially conferred.
Graduation Ceremony: The Graduation ceremony is the date the University holds a public celebration of the successful completion of your course. It marks a significant milestone in your academic journey, providing you with an opportunity to celebrate with your friends, family and peers.
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After you've received your final results and completed your course, you'll receive an email confirming your official conferral date (this date will appear on your testamur).
After your degree has been conferred, you'll be invited to the next available in-person graduation ceremony. You can view the current graduation schedule here.
Please note, Stop 1 can’t confirm the date of your conferral or graduation ceremony until it has been made available by the Graduations team. Stop 1 also can’t confirm when you’ll graduate if you haven’t completed your course yet.
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It's not possible to join a Graduation ceremony after the deadline to RSVP to your invitation. However, you can request to be included in the next ceremony round if you haven’t already postponed your attendance at a ceremony for more than 12 months. Please submit an enquiry to the Graduations team to request an invitation to the next ceremony round.
View Ceremony dates.
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If you have RSVP'ed to attend an in-person graduation ceremony, you will be emailed by our Graduations team in the lead-up to your ceremony with further details on how to book your tickets and regalia. Please continue to monitor your student and personal inbox for this correspondence.
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Due to limited availability, these tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Once any extra allocation is exhausted, there will be no more tickets available. Find out more about graduation fees and tickets here.
You can book these tickets online via the Reed Graduations website.
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You’re unable to change your Graduation ceremony date once you’ve been allocated to a ceremony. However, you can:
Postpone your attendance:
Respond to your invitation link before the RSVP deadline to postpone your ceremony for up to one year. If you miss the deadline or need to change your response later, you can submit an enquiry to the Graduations team.
Please be aware of the specific Graduation ceremony rounds, as you may not be able to postpone your ceremony an additional time.
Exceptional Circumstances:
If you have exceptional circumstances for why your ceremony date needs to be changed, you can submit an enquiry to the Graduations team for consideration. Please note, reasons such as employment, study, or wishing to attend the same ceremony as friends will not be considered.
Refund for Non-Attendance:
If you don't attend the ceremony on your registered date and have purchased tickets, you will automatically receive a refund if you don't check in on the day of your graduation. Please allow 5 business days after the final ceremony of the graduation round for your refund to be processed. Any additional guest tickets purchased are not eligible for a refund.
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Please submit an enquiry to the Graduations Office below to request a change to your ceremony attendance response.
Please note that if the deadline has passed to secure your place in a ceremony, it may not be possible to change your response in order to attend.
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You must have your degree officially conferred before being eligible to attend a graduation ceremony.
If your conferral has been deferred, you will not receive a graduation ceremony invitation until that conferral happens.
Please submit an enquiry to the Graduations team below to have your degree conferred.
Conferral dates usually take place at the end of each month.
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The Graduations team does not send invitation letters to guests. Invitations are only sent to graduating students.
For further assistance, contact Stop 1.
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If your visa is not granted in time, you can submit an enquiry up to one day before the ceremony to cancel your attendance.
If you’ve already paid the ceremony fee, your payment will be automatically refunded after the graduation ceremony round concludes.
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