Booking your tickets and gown

Information about ticketing, fees, guests and regalia for your graduation ceremony.

Last Updated Friday 19th July

How to book

Graduation booking service

The graduation booking service will open in the weeks leading up to your ceremony.

When the graduation booking service opens, you will need to:

  • Reserve your graduation regalia (academic gown/dress)
  • Reserve your two guest tickets (Doctoral graduates receive five guest tickets)
  • Pay your graduation fee.

Please ensure you complete the above steps prior to your graduation day. If you reserve your regalia (also known as your graduation gown) and ceremony tickets on the day of your graduation, this will incur a $50 late fee.

Fees

All graduands attending a ceremony need to pay a graduation fee.

FeeCostPayableDescription
Graduation fee $243.00 Online card payments only. You will receive an email when your ceremony fee is available to be paid. Includes:
  • 1 graduate ticket
  • 2 guest tickets (Doctoral graduates receive five guest tickets)
  • Hire of official UoM regalia
  • Graduations booklet
  • Post-ceremony celebration

Students facing financial hardship can seek assistance by making an appointment with Financial aid. This service provides student loans, advice and advocacy around government student payments, grants based on financial need (including housing/rent assistance grants) and welfare support.

You must pay all fees or fines owed to the University before you can graduate. Find out more about how to how to pay outstanding fees and debts.

What happens to my graduation fee if I do not attend my graduation?

If you do not attend your ceremony and have paid your ceremony fee, you will automatically be refunded within two weeks of the last ceremony date. Please submit an online enquiry if you do not receive your refund within two weeks. Please include a copy of your proof of purchase with your enquiry.

Extra guest tickets

Each graduating student is allocated two guest tickets included in the ceremony fee, which can only be reserved through the graduation booking service.

You will be notified by email when the booking service opens if extra guest tickets are available for purchase. Extra guest tickets are very limited and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis until sold out.

Extra guest tickets will incur a cost of $23 and are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Guests who cannot attend the ceremony can still watch via the graduation ceremony recordings.

Your regalia

The University of Melbourne has established conventions of academic dress which the University abides by.   Academic dress conventions are observed at all graduation ceremonies hosted by the University.

Your University of Melbourne approved academic dress (academic regalia) is available from and must be collected from the regalia collection point at the Royal Exhibition Building. Only the University of Melbourne approved regalia supplied with your ticket is permitted for graduates.

The University does not provide the option of buying your academic regalia.

You need to make sure you are wearing your academic dress (academic regalia) correctly:-

  • The gown should remain uncovered without any additional decorations or alterations including conferred medals or accessories (these are worn underneath your gown on your clothing).
  • The regalia must not be defaced or damaged in any way.
  • The trencher cap (hat/mortarboard) must sit flat on your head, unpinned and without any embellishments. If a graduate has a specific reason for not wishing to wear a trencher cap they must inform the graduation team on the day. Generally, if the graduate usually wears culturally specific headwear such as a turban, then wearing of the trencher cap is a matter of preference for the graduate.
  • The gown is a three-quarter length robe with full-length, flowing sleeves and drapes at the front and is worn on top of your clothing and accessories.  Your clothing will still be visible underneath the gown so you should wear clothing appropriate for the occasion.
  • The hood displays your degree colours and is worn on top of the gown as the outermost garment layer.
  • Students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander may wish to wear a cloak or University-supplied Indigenous stole as part of their formal regalia which recognizes their heritage.
  • Graduates are not permitted to wear self-sourced regalia.

Your graduation regalia includes your gown, hood or hat. This will vary depending on your qualification.

Degree

Gown

Hood

Hat

Bachelor, Bachelor (Degree with Honours)

Plain black gown

Black hood, bound with white silk, partially lined with discipline colour

Black trencher with black tassel

Master degree

Black master gown

Black hood, fully lined with discipline colour

Black trencher with black tassel

Extended Master degree (MD, JD, DPT, DVM, DDS, DCD, DO)

Black master gown

Black hood, fully lined with discipline colour

Black trencher with tassel in discipline colour

Doctoral degree (PhD)

Black gown with 
cherry-red facings

Cherry-red hood, fully lined with cherry-red discipline colour

Black velvet bonnet with red tassel

Higher doctorates

Cherry-red gown faced with discipline colour

Red hood fully lined with discipline colour

Black velvet bonnet with red tassel

Certificate and Diplomas (Faculty of VCA and MCM only)

Plain black gown

None

None


Collecting your regalia

You will collect your regalia on the day of your graduation ceremony. Please refer to Graduation Day event information for collection times and locations.

Returning your regalia

Regalia must be returned to the collection point within two hours after the conclusion of your ceremony. Regalia cannot be returned during the ceremony.


Step 1, complete your degree. Step 2, ceremony dates. Step 3, invitations. Step 4, book tickets and gown. Step 5, graduation day!