Current Students: please email dts@reading.ac.uk or you can visit them on the 1st floor of the library.

Past Students: You should use your registered email address as the username together with the appropriate password: please refer to guidance emailed to you. For more help, please email the Student Information Systems (SIS) Team from the email address you have registered with the University.

If you change your mind after completing formal registration, you should contact the Graduation Team via graduation@reading.ac.uk.

If you amend your choice from not attending or deferring to attending then we will endeavour to accommodate you and any guest ticket requests that you may have as much as we can, however due to restrictions on numbers allowed in the Great Hall, we may not be able to put you back into in your preferred ceremony.

If you are not sure at this stage if you want to (or will be able to) attend your ceremony, we strongly recommend that you complete the registration process now as if you will attend, so that we can accommodate you in your ceremony. If you do not register to attend prior to the deadline then you run the risk of us not being able to accommodate you and any guests in your ceremony. If you decide not to come at a later date, you can email us at graduation@reading.ac.uk

Whilst Graduation is a celebratory family event, we do not consider it particularly child-friendly, especially if guests are seated in the Great Hall as they are required to remain quiet and seated for up to an hour at a time. This being said children are still welcome to attend.

Children aged 2 and under do not need a ticket but must sit on an adult’s lap. Children 3 and over require a guest ticket. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. This means that graduands cannot bring guests under 18 without an additional adult present.

We recommend guests with young children watch the ceremony from the Livestream rooms as this will allow them more flexibility to exit quickly for any reason.

Only service dogs can be accommodated during your ceremony. If you bring your dog to campus they must remain on a lead at all times.

No. Your graduation date will be allocated to you once the ceremony schedule has been created following the Expression of Interest process. If you are unable to attend your allocated ceremony, we will consider ceremony move requests once formal registration has closed. You will need to email us to explain your personal situation and request for an alternative ceremony time. Please note, if you request this you will not graduate with your peers.

Graduating students do not need a ticket to attend.

Attending your ceremony? You will receive your certificate on the day during the ceremony at which you graduate. After you descend the stage, you will be guided to a side room to collect your certificate before returning to your seat.

Graduating in absence? Your certificate will be posted to the address you confirmed during Formal Registration. If you need to update this address after registration, email us at graduation@reading.ac.uk. Updating your address elsewhere on RISIS will not update the address we hold for the posting of your degree certificate.

Collection: Complete the Authorisation Form to nominate your friend or relative to collect your certificate on your behalf. This can be completed once you have formally registered to graduate in absence and up until the last date of the current set of graduation ceremonies

Deferring your graduation? Your certificate will not be produced until our next set of ceremonies when you register to attend or graduate in absence.

It is University policy that a student cannot receive their degree certificate and diploma supplement documents until they have formally graduated, be that in person or in absence. If in the meantime you have passed your programme and require proof of your qualification (e.g. for entry to a programme of further study at another university) you can contact the Student Services Reception team via studenthelp@reading.ac.uk and request an Academic Transcript document.

We have a wealth of experience in working with students to ensure you and your guests can enjoy your day fully, but we do need to know about your requirements so we can offer options for your ceremony and put plans in place 

The ceremony is accessible, and the ramp to the stage (for students) will be in place. Wheelchair spaces must be booked in advance so we can ensure there is sufficient space for you or your guest in the seating area. 

If you or your guests have any disability or mobility issues, or any other concerns about your ceremony, please email graduation@reading.ac.uk so we can work with you and make any necessary arrangements as soon as possible.  

Alternatively, students can contact the Disability Advisory Service directly. 

Student/Guest disability or mobility difficulties deadline can be found on our key deadlines page. We may not be able to accommodate requests received after these dates. 

Certificates for those graduating in absence will be posted after the ceremonies to the address confirmed during Formal Registration. Updates can be emailed to graduation@reading.ac.uk

Standard services are: 

UK: Royal Mail 48-hour, 2-3 working days 

International: Royal Mail International Tracked & Signed, 5-7 working days outside Europe, 3-5 working days within Europe 

Private Courier Services can be purchased, but must be done prior to the last date of the current set of graduation ceremonies. 

If your address can be written in a non-Latin script, confirm in English via Formal Registration and email the local language version (e.g., Chinese, Thai, Arabic) to graduation@reading.ac.uk

Due to the space limitations of our historic Great Hall, each graduand may apply for up to two guest tickets during Formal Registration. Priority is given to those who completed the Expression of Interest process.  

Guest tickets are distributed on the ceremony day as wristbands, available 2 hours prior to the start of your ceremony at Wristband Collection Points. Guests may collect wristbands without the graduand being present, provided the graduand has completed registration. We recommend that they have your student number to hand to ease collection.  

If extra tickets are available, they will be distributed  at the Wristband Collection Points from 2 hours prior to the start of your ceremony on a first come first served basis on the day (maximum of two extra tickets per student). 

There is no limit on the number of guests able to celebrate with you on the day. Livestream room facilities will be available on both the London Road and Whiteknights campuses on a first come, first served basis for those guests without tickets to the Great Hall to watch your ceremony live. 

Guest tickets are free, and graduating students do not need a ticket. Ticket allocations will be confirmed by email shortly after registration closes.  


For family and friends unable to travel to Reading on the day, the ceremonies will be livestreamed via this webpage. 

Your name on certificate:  

We strongly recommend that the name on your certificate matches your passport and/or other legal document (BRP) exactly.  This is to avoid verification issues, especially if you plan to work overseas. Please note that name changes after graduation are only permitted in exceptional cases, such as gender identity changes. Titles and block capitals are not permitted. 

If you request a name change, you will be required to provide evidence of this. 

Pronunciation: 

If you are worried about the pronunciation of your name during your ceremony, you have two options: 

Before the ceremony – Email the correct pronunciation to graduation@reading.ac.uk

On the Day – Inform your Processions Marshal (in the Processions Marquee), who will relay it to the Orators.  


Preferred name to be announced during the ceremony: 

Your certificate must match your legal name, but you may choose to be presented under your preferred name during the ceremony. To arrange that, please email graduation@reading.ac.uk 

If you do not want to attend on the day, then you need to complete the registration process via the Portal by Monday 05 May and choose the option to graduate in absence. You will be asked to confirm how your name should appear on your certificate, and your delivery address. This is the address that we will post your certificate to, so please ensure you confirm an address that yourself or a family member will be occupying at that time. We only ever send out degree certificates to addresses that have been confirmed directly with the Graduation team, so if you do not complete registration we will not be able to post your certificate out to you.

Please note that by registering to graduate in absence you will not be able to attend a future set of ceremonies in person. If you want to do this you should instead choose the option to defer your graduation. Deferring your graduation also means deferring receipt of your degree certificate until that time.

If you want to attend your Graduation then you need complete the registration process via the Portal by Monday 05 May 2025.

If you are not sure at this stage if you want to (or will be able to) attend your ceremony, we strongly recommend that you complete the registration process now as if you will attend, so that we can accommodate you in your ceremony. If you do not register to attend prior to the Monday 05 May deadline then you run the risk of us not being able to accommodate yourself and any guests in your ceremony. If you decide not to come at a later date, you can email us at graduation@reading.ac.uk.

For family and friends unable to travel to Reading on the day, the ceremonies will be livestreamed via this webpage.

Guest tickets are only collected on the day of your ceremony itself and will take the form of wristbands. Wristband Collection Point desks will be open from 2 hours prior to the start of each ceremony and will remain open until approximately 45 minutes prior to the start of the last ceremony on each day. Guests can collect their wristbands without the graduand present, as long as the graduand has already completed the formal registration process and confirmed that they will be attending. Wristbands cannot be given out to graduands to give to guests who are not present.

These are rarely available. If we are able to release any, they will be made available at the Wristband Collection Points from 2 hours before your ceremony ONLY - none will be allocated in advance. There will be a maximum of 2 extra Great Hall wristbands per student, depending on the capacity of your ceremony (this can only be determined on the day itself).

After completing Formal  Registration, you will receive a confirmation email. If not received within 24 hours, email graduation@reading.ac.uk

The confirmation will provide details on gown hire and other essentials.

If you registered to graduate in absence, your certificate will be posted out to the address you confirmed following the ceremonies.

If you registered to defer your graduation, you will start to receive emails concerning the next set of ceremonies in due course.