Graduation terms and conditions

In order to Graduate, you must meet the eligibility criteria.

Any student who arrives at the Guildhall hoping to attend a Graduation ceremony knowing that they have not met the eligibility criteria, will not be allowed to attend the ceremony.

Any student who has an outstanding tuition fee and/or other University-related debt, such as a library fine or hall fee, will not be allowed to attend Graduation.   

If you have paid your tuition fees in full, but still have outstanding University-related debt, you will receive your award documents, but attending Graduation will not be permitted.

To be guaranteed a place at your ceremony, and two free guest tickets, you must book your tickets by the published deadline.  If you miss the deadline, the University cannot guarantee you a place at your ceremony, and/or your two free guest tickets.

No student or guest without a ticket will be allowed into a ceremony.

Tickets will only be issued to you and your guests once the University has confirmed that you are officially eligible for Graduation. 

Please note that the University does reserve the right to update the schedule timings where necessary.  If this happens, you will be informed via email, and any existing bookings/tickets will be transferred to the new ceremony time.  The University will not be liable for any losses direct or otherwise incurred by Graduates or their guests.

Find out more about tickets on our graduation web pages

The University of Portsmouth does not tolerate aggressive or threatening behaviour by or to our graduates, their guests or anyone in the employment of the University.

The University reserves the right to ask any person to leave the ceremony if they are being disruptive to the proceedings or to other guests.

You will be invited to your ceremony, relevant for your award. 

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider requests from students who would like to defer attending their graduation ceremony to a different day or the following academic year.  Exceptional circumstances could be bereavement, illness (including family members), deployment, or jury service. Requests to attend a social event such as a holiday or a wedding rather than Graduation will not be approved.  

Any request to be considered for a deferral to the following academic year must be submitted no later than 1^st July by using the "My Graduation" tab in your Student View.  Supporting evidence must be attached, for the deferral to be considered.

In the event of the University of Portsmouth’s Graduation ceremonies being cancelled, delayed or postponed due to circumstances beyond the control of the University, including: fire; explosion; terrorism; act of God; death of monarch; pandemic; industrial action or dispute involving the University or the venue(s) at which the ceremonies and Graduation services are due to be held, the University will not be liable for any losses direct or otherwise incurred by Graduates or their guests.

In the unlikely event that a ceremony must be cancelled or rearranged, the University will make every effort to contact you to let you know. The University will also use its social media channels and update its graduation webpages.

Any student who is unable to attend a graduation ceremony due to academic reasons will automatically receive a full refund of any monies paid to the University or any of its external suppliers.  

Otherwise, refunds will only be given in exceptional circumstances such as bereavement, illness (family member or graduate), deployment, visa refusal, or jury service. As a rule, refunds will not be given if you decide to attend another event (such as a holiday or wedding) rather than your Graduation.  

Any request for a refund should be submitted within 30 days of the last Graduation ceremony by contacting the Graduation team at graduation@port.ac.uk . Supporting evidence will be required, for the refund to be considered.  

All refunds will be credited to the account used when making the original payment.

It is your responsibility to ensure you select the correct academic dress (gown, hood and cap) for your Graduation ceremony when you complete the booking form to hire your academic dress.  If you do not have the correct dress we cannot guarantee we will be able to replace it on the day and this may stop you from taking part in the ceremony.

You will be able to hire the correct gown, hood and cap appropriate for the award you have successfully completed from the University’s official supplier, and also from other gown suppliers.

The University’s Graduation ceremonies are professionally filmed and photographed, so consequently graduates, their guests and staff are likely to be caught on camera.

The University broadcasts each ceremony live, and then stored, on the University of Portsmouth’s YouTube channel.   

Film footage and photographs taken will be used by the University for media coverage, advertising, the website and on social media.

By attending the Graduation ceremony, you and your guests understand that you may be recorded, and your image used in the manner described. 

If you do not wish your image to be captured in this way, please speak to a member of the Graduation Team at graduation@port.ac.uk as soon as possible, to discuss potential options.

You are allowed to take your own photographs or film during the ceremony, but no flash may be used. 

The University asks that you do not obstruct the views of others and that you take your photographs in as discreet a manner as possible so the use of selfie sticks and drones are forbidden.

You are not allowed to take photographs or film while you are crossing the stage.  However, your guests are welcome to take photographs from their seats.

All Graduates and guests must be seated by the time stated on the timetable for the day. Doors will close ten minutes before the start of each ceremony, and entry will not be permitted. 

The University will not admit anyone without a ticket. 

Random bag searches may take place for security reasons at all venues used during Graduation. 

No large items, such as suitcases or rucksacks should be brought to the Guildhall.  If you bring such an item, then it will be taken by security and stored in a holding area until the ceremony has ended. Parents with pushchairs/prams will not be allowed to take them into the auditorium and will be asked to leave them at the ‘buggy park’ in the Guildhall foyer. 

If you or your guests see anything suspicious or that gives cause for concern, please inform a member of the Graduation Team or Security at any venue.

In the event of an emergency, please follow all instructions on the day from Security, University staff or Emergency Services personnel.

All graduates, guests and staff must follow Health, Safety and Fire instructions of the University and of the venues in use during Graduations. The University reserves the right to eject anyone behaving inappropriately or causing concern in relation to safety, health, or wellbeing.

In addition, the Portsmouth Guildhall House Rules must be followed by those attending the ceremonies at this venue.

In order to be able to run the Graduation ceremonies efficiently, the University’s Graduation Team will need to ask you for some personal data and may need to share some of that data with its partners who help the University to provide Graduation services such as Gowning Suppliers, and with colleagues within the University such as the Alumni team. This section of the document explains how the University will use your data in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.

Booking Your Graduation Ceremony

When booking attendance at your Graduation ceremony your name and contact details are pre-populated from data within the student record system. The Graduation Team will ask you to confirm your contact details and the number of guest tickets you require, along with any additional and/or visa requirements you or your guests may have.

Your details will be used to produce your Graduation e-Tickets.

Class List and Order of Candidates

The Graduation Team will use your details to produce a Class List, and later an Order of Candidates.  Permissions for your name to appear in the Class List and in the Order of Candidates will be collected from you at the point you complete your ticket application for your free ticket and two free guest tickets.

The Class List will appear in your respective Faculty’s Graduation Programme.  This is a public document which will be given to graduands and guests at the ceremony.  The Class List will be correct at the point of the final deadline given by the Graduation Team

After Graduation, the University will publish online for each ceremony an Order of Candidates showing which graduates attended and those who achieved a first-class or distinction in their studies, and/or if they received a prize.  These Order of Candidates will remain in the public domain for six months following publication.

Attending Your Ceremony

If you attend a Graduation ceremony, your first name and surname will be announced on stage by the Presenting Head. Only the names of those students who attend a Graduation ceremony will be announced.

The University is unable to use names that do not appear within your official name as registered on your student record. 

If you have a query about your name, you should contact the MyPort Information Hub to make a change to your officially registered name. Names cannot be amended after an award has been made, unless there are exceptional circumstances.    

Third Parties

In order to produce the Graduation programme and to arrange your academic dress for the ceremony, your details will be shared with third party providers.  The details we share are only those that are needed to complete the necessary work, and the sharing is carried out under the terms of the data sharing contracts the University has with these third-party suppliers. 

The University believes that this processing of your personal data (and the filming of the ceremonies as explained below) is necessary for the University’s and its third-party suppliers’ legitimate interests in arranging, advertising and producing the annual Graduation ceremonies.

If you have any concerns about the use of your personal information, you should contact the Graduation Team at graduation@port.ac.uk. 

Please note that whilst the Graduation Team can explain to relatives how a Graduation ceremony works, the team cannot discuss your attendance at the ceremony with them, without your prior written consent.

If you have any queries about how your personal data will be used for Graduation, please contact the Graduation Team in the first place at graduation@port.ac.uk  or the University's Information Disclosure Manager, Samantha Hill, at samatha.hill@port.ac.uk 

Finally, you have the right to complain about the processing of your data to the UK regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office. For more information about this body and how to make a complaint, please see www.ico.org.uk.