Graduation FAQs

The booking form will confirm which ceremony you have been allocated to, so please log in there if you are unsure which department you belong to. Joint honours students will always go to the ceremony for the subject they majored in. If the subjects are equally weighted, the first subject alphabetically determines the ceremony (e.g. a Biology and French student would graduate with Biological Sciences). Students cannot choose which department they graduate with. 

Ceremony One

• Biological Sciences
• Centre for Professional and Economic Development
• Computer Science
• Marketing, Tourism & Destinations
• UCR
• Physical, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences

Ceremony Two

• Accounting and Finance
• Management

Ceremony Three

• Midwifery
• Nursing (Pre-reg)
• Sport & Exercise Sciences
• Acute Adult Care
• Mental Health & Learning Disability
• Public Health & Wellbeing
• Social Work & Interprofessional Education

Ceremony Four

• Clinical Sciences & Nutrition
• Chester Medical School

Ceremony Five

• Psychology
• Academic and Professional Programmes
• Art & Design
• English
• Geography & International Development
• History & Archaeology
• Initial Teacher Training
• Institute of Policing
• Languages and Cultures
• Law
• Music, Media and Performance
• Social & Political Science
• Theology & Religious Studies

If you are unable to attend your graduation ceremony you can choose to either graduate in absentia or defer your ceremony to the next scheduled dates (Chester ceremonies are held in March and November, and UCS ceremonies are held in September. Students based in Chester may not defer to a UCS ceremony, given the limited capacity of this venue). If you choose to defer you must email graduation@chester.ac.uk as soon as possible and at least 4 weeks before your ceremony date.

• Graduating in absentia means you will receive your award but not attend the ceremony. If you choose to graduate in absentia you will not be able to attend a ceremony at a later date.
• Alternatively, if you are unable to attend your graduation you can defer your ceremony to the next scheduled ceremonies. You can only defer once.

You collect your gown from the Main Sports Hall in the Northgate Arena, Victoria Road, Chester, CH2 2AU.

The University of Chester is one of the few institutions that does not charge for Graduation and Awards Ceremonies.

Your tickets will be emailed to you approximately two weeks before your ceremony. They will be sent to the email address you provide on the booking form.

Up to 2 guest tickets are allocated to each Graduand/Diplomate who has registered by the deadline. You may request additional tickets at a later date but these are not guaranteed. Admittance is by ticket only. If it is not possible to provide you with extra tickets, the Ceremonies can be watched, subject to availability live via the internet by returning to our graduation pages. It may also be possible for additional guests to watch your Ceremony from a venue closer to the Cathedral, details of which will be confirmed as soon as possible. Streaming times will be published on the website closer to the event. Please note live streaming cannot be guaranteed.

There is limited parking at the Northgate Arena, but we would encourage you to use the excellent Park and Ride facilities around the city. Please note Park and Ride car parks are locked when not in use so please observe closing times. If you enter the Northgate Arena car park you will be asked to pay even if you do not wish to stay.

There is very limited disabled parking on the surrounding streets, but it does get extremely busy during the day. Access by car directly to the Cathedral is restricted for pedestrian safety reasons and road closures are in operation for the duration of the graduation ceremonies.

We do not allocate seating for guests, they are offered on a first come first served basis on the day of the ceremony. Due to the design of the Cathedral, it is possible that some guests may have a restricted view of the Ceremony.

It is extremely important that you arrive in good time for your Ceremony, at least 30 minutes before your ceremony start time. If you are not present when the ceremony begins, your absence will have been recorded and you cannot be presented with your award.

The Graduation Office will have recorded your absence on the day.

Please remember this is an official ceremony that is being filmed and streamed live over the internet and we would not want to disturb the enjoyment of others. Therefore, bringing young children to the ceremony is not recommended. However, if you choose to do so, you will be asked to remove them immediately if they become agitated or distressed.

N.B. Whether your child is old enough to occupy their own seat or if you intend to bring them in a pram/pushchair, all children must have a ticket to be able to attend the ceremony.

Each ceremony will be followed by a complimentary celebratory drinks reception in the Cathedral Gardens for all graduands. This will take place immediately following the conclusion of your ceremony. All graduands and guests who have a ticket to the ceremony are invited to attend the reception.