Graduation FAQs

Graduands will receive an email to their student email address (on 18 March 2024) advising you of the ceremony date and inviting you to register to attend. Please ensure you check your email address for regular updates. The email will contain a link to the graduation registration task.

Registration opens 18 March 2024 and closes 31 May 2024.

You'll receive an email in your student or personal mailbox advising when registration for Graduation will open. Once open, you can register by clicking the link in the registration email.

As a graduating student your place at the Graduation ceremony and Beach Reception is free.

During registration you can also purchase and pay for your guest tickets (a maximum of two guests per student) and advise if your guests have any special requirements that we need to be aware of (e.g. access support, wheelchairs, blue badge holders).

Yes, upon successful completion of your course and providing you have no outstanding fees to AUB/BPC (tuition fees, library fines, equipment hire etc). All fees must be fully paid prior to graduation or you won't be permitted to attend.

Yes. We recommend registering as soon as possible once registration opens. If you're unsure if you wish to attend, we recommend registering and if necessary we can cancel your registration and refund you at a later date should you change your mind.

Please note, whilst we provide a full refund for guest tickets cancelled seven days prior to the event, there's an administration fee for refunds of gowns and photography, as this is hosted by an external company. Please check the terms and conditions of the supplier.

It's possible that you may not have accrued enough credits nor successfully completed your course. In this instance, we'll let you know if this affects your attendance at Graduation. In terms of the resubmission of assessment work, the Academic Office will contact you with what you'll need to do. If you successfully pass the resubmission of work, then it'll be possible to attend next year’s Graduation ceremony.

If you've already registered to attend Graduation this year, then we can provide a refund for any tickets purchased. Please contact graduation@aub.ac.uk.

AUB won't allow any student to attend Graduation if they have outstanding fees. These fees could include things such as library fines, equipment hire and tuition fees. In the event that you have unpaid fees, your Graduation tickets will be withheld and not released until all debts have been cleared.

Please visit the Finance Team to discuss or make payments of any outstanding fees.

All 2024 graduands attending their graduation ceremony will receive their official certificate at the event after crossing the stage. If you can't attend graduation, your certificate will be posted to the address that you've provided on your student record (unless otherwise requested). Please speak to the Student Records team if you wish to discuss your postal address (contact via email at studentrecords@aub.ac.uk).

E-tickets for graduation will be sent approximately seven days prior to the event.

Please email graduation@aub.ac.uk and the Graduation team will be pleased to help you.

No, unfortunately you have to attend the day that your course ceremony is taking place along with the rest of the graduands on your course, you're unable to transfer to another day.

Guest tickets can be purchased via the registration task. Each student can purchase a maximum of two guest tickets.

No, as a graduating student you attend graduation free of charge. You do, however, need to hire a gown – see gowning section of FAQs.

Each student can purchase a maximum of two guest tickets. They're priced at £25 per ticket. This includes the ceremony and post-ceremony Marquee Reception.

It's not possible to buy additional tickets for the ceremony/beach reception only. Each guest needs to have their own ticket for the ceremony and entrance to the champagne reception.

In the event we have additional tickets to offer, all graduates will be emailed in advance of the on-sale date, tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Please do not email us requesting extra tickets as we'll need to decline your request.

Yes, children can attend the ceremony; however, we advise that this is a formal proceeding of events, which is being filmed and therefore may not be suited to younger children/babies. Should there be disruption in the theatre, then one of our ushers may politely ask for any young children/babies to be entertained in the foyer area by their parent/guardian so as not to disturb the ceremony. Please note that children over 3 do require their own ticket for admission.

Yes, we need to know if you're attending in order to include you in the seating plans.

Yes, you can edit your booking or contact Marston Events to arrange the cancellation/refund of any guest tickets purchased that are no longer required, if you provide seven days notice prior to the event.

During registration, you're able to indicate any special requirements they may have, the Graduation Team may then contact you for additional information, to ensure we can meet your needs effectively.

We'll be pleased to discuss any arrangements with you on a one-to-one basis. Please contact us to discuss further on graduation@aub.ac.uk.

If you're an international student, a visa may be required for you to invite your friends or family to the UK for your graduation ceremony. You can find out more information on requirements on the Home Office website, or by contacting our International Team at international@aub.ac.uk.

Registration opens on 18 March 2024 and closes on 31 May 2024.

Contact Marston Events, or edit your booking to cancelled status and Marston Events will then arrange a refund of any guest tickets purchased (if seven days notice prior to the event is given). If you experience any difficulty contact graduation@aub.ac.uk.

Contact Marston Events or edit your booking to cancelled status and Marston Events will then arrange a refund of any guest tickets purchased (if seven days notice prior to the event is given). If you experience any difficulty contact graduation@aub.ac.uk.

All students attending graduation must hire a gown in advance of the graduation ceremonies. Marston Events are the nominated suppliers of AUB graduation gowns and you can order as part of the registration process. However, if you wish to source and order via another provider, this is fine as long as they carry the AUB colours.

Once you receive your invite to register for graduation, you can book your gown, hood and cap at the same time. We recommend hiring these directly through Marston Events by the booking deadline.

Costs to book your gown (2024)

Undergraduate (BA) Gown – £24
Postgraduate (MA) Gown – £24
PhD - £36

You can hire your gown at the same time as registering to attend graduation, or you can register and add your gown hire at a later point prior to the closing deadline.

Gown/Photography booking opens 18 March 2024 and closes 7 July 2024.

The gown company will require your height and head measurements for the booking.

You must hire in advance – you can't hire on the day, so please ensure you make a booking in good time before the event.

There'll be a choice of BA, MA or PhD, dependant upon your course level studied.

The hood colours for AUB are deep purple and green and the hood and mortarboard hat will be included with your gown hire order.

It's possible to cancel your booking a minimum of seven working days prior to the ceremony and receive a refund if booking with Marston Events; however, there may be a small admin fee. Cancelling any later and additional fees are incurred – please check Marston Events' Terms and Conditions. If booking via another company, please check their refund policy.

Yes. Commemorative photo packages are available and can be booked in advance via the registration process. We recommend booking in advance to help us manage demand and reduce delays. Photography will be taken after the ceremony in Pavilion Dance South West located on the side of the Pavilion.

Tickets aren't required to enter the photography studios; however, we recommend a maximum of six people per family as a comfortable number.

You can hire your gown and book photography as part of the registration process. However, if you want to register and then hire your gown or book photography at a later date, you can do so, providing you’ve registered to attend prior to 31 May and processed an order for gown hire or photography before the closing deadlines listed above.

Instead of the traditional stage photograph, we're working with Stageclip who are brilliant at bringing that special moment to life and capturing it on video to share with all your family and friends! This clip can be accessed free of charge after graduation by registering on our Alumni platform AUB&.

Graduands and their guests won't be seated together.

Graduands will be seated in a reserved section of the stalls, and guests will be seated between the remaining stall space and the circle balcony.

Please note, guests have pre-allocated seat numbers on their e-tickets. Please follow staff guidance to locate the right seats. Each graduand is permitted two guest tickets, these will be allocated together. If we have extra tickets to offer, any extra purchased will be allocated alongside the original booked guests unless otherwise specified.

There's no parking at the Bournemouth Pavilion; however, there are several local car parks close to the venue – please download the parking map for further details.

Bournemouth in summer is extremely busy with tourists and parking can be limited, so we advise leaving plenty of time prior to the ceremony in order to park your vehicle.

We suggest you arrive at least 90 minutes before your ceremony is due to start to allow time for you to be gowned prior to your ceremony commencing. Please allow time for traffic and parking, as Bournemouth in the summer months is a bustling town busy with locals and tourists.

It's important we keep the Pavilion (ceremony location) and PDSW (photography location) and Beach Marquee (post-ceremony reception location) environments as safe and secure as possible. To assist us with this, we politely request that you and your guests DO NOT bring large bags/backpacks/suitcases into these venues.

Please ensure you make alternative arrangements for safe storage of larger items – note that we don't have storage facilities on site at any of the locations used for graduation.

No.

Late arrivals can't be guaranteed admittance into the theatre once proceedings have commenced, therefore it's possible you may not be able to cross the stage to ‘receive’ your degree. Please ensure you allow plenty of time for both you and your guests to arrive at the venue prior to the start of the ceremony.

Approximately 75 minutes, though timings per ceremony can vary slightly.

If we're in a position to offer further tickets, this will be on a first come, first served basis, and we'll inform everyone in advance of the on-sale date. Please don't contact us to ask for additional tickets, as we'll need to refuse your request.

Please note, any extra tickets purchased will NOT be allocated seats alongside the original booking due to the way the system works.

• On arrival at the Pavilion, graduands will head to the Ballroom to be gowned – family/friends can't accompany you into the gowning room, so please say your goodbyes as this will be the last time you'll see them until the ceremony has ended.
• You'll be ticked off the registration list and given your name card.
• The theatre will open 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony and all guests will be able to take their seats
• Student ushers will meet you in the Ballroom and call out each course, ready to take you to locate your allocated seat. Please follow their instructions.
• Sit in the allocated seat you're given as this ensures your cross stage at the right time.
• Once in your seat, the student ushers will direct you from your seat to the stage. Please ensure you have your name card ready to present to the name announcer when taking the stage.
• Graduands are presented individually by name (alphabetically) within their course.
• Once the name announcer announces your name, walk to the centre of the stage and doff (tip) your hat to the Chancellor, continue to then cross the stage to the far side and then exit via the stage steps.
• You'll then be ushered back to your seat. This may be a different seat to the one you previously occupied.

No, we only read your name out.

You'll be provided with a name card that has your first name and surname as per your student record (and a pronunciation if this has been previously provided during registration). This will be read out by the name announcer as you cross the stage.

If you've officially changed your name, we require confirmation of the Deed Poll certificate in order to make any changes.

We'll do our very best to announce all names correctly; if you're concerned and need to whisper to the name announcer to ensure they call your name correctly, please do so. We appreciate the importance of this special occasion and want to ensure we get your name right.

Once the ceremony has concluded, all graduates and guests will be directed out of the Pavilion Theatre to reunite at the designated meeting point on the lower terraces of the Pavilion before making your way to The Beach for the post-ceremony Marquee Reception.

Please note, to help assist with a safe departure from the theatre, we'll operate a staggered departure. Please remain seated until our orator advises your section to depart – graduands will depart via the West side of the building and guests on the East side of the building.

You can all re-group at the rear of the Pavilion, which acts as the central meeting point post-ceremony and can either queue for photography or make your way to the marquee reception.

The reception lasts one hour (last entry is 15 minutes prior to closing). Your reception ticket is required for entry and entitles you to one glass of bubbly. A live band will be performing. During this time, or once the reception has ended, you also have the opportunity to:

• Get your official photos taken, located in Pavilion Dance South West (PDSW)
• Purchase your official AUB Graduation memorabilia such as AUB Graduation Hoodies from the Campus Clothing stand

Finally, please make sure you return your gown to Pavilion Dance South West by 18.00 at the latest.

On arrival, the security team on the Pavilion car park entry will have a list of those approved to park. They'll tick off your name and direct you to your reserved space.

Please note, this option is only available if you pre-registered your badge details during the registration process.

For those without blue badges, there's a passenger drop-off area in front of the main entrance of the Pavilion, which can be used to drop off guests. The car will then need parking in one of the local town car parks.

Please note there are a few steps to negotiate leading up onto and off the stage. There are also steps both on entry to the Pavilion Ballroom (gowning) and several exiting the building post-ceremony to the lower terraces. However, there's an alternative accessible route that will avoid the entry/exit steps – please follow the signs or ask a member of staff to assist you.

If you've reserved a parking spot at the Pavilion or your guests are dropping you off at the Pavilion for gowning, guests are welcome to gather outside the main entrance of the Pavilion for photos (before graduands enter the building to collect their gowns). There'll be a coffee/tea cart in the car park selling refreshments, as well as a stand selling AUB memorabilia. Doors open for guest seating 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the ceremony.

For anyone who can't negotiate steps, please follow the accessible route signs that will direct your guests to a lift, which will take your guests to the lower terrace level. AUB staff will be available to assist and direct.

At the end of the ceremony there'll be a staggered exit. The special requirements co-ordinator would be pleased to assist any guests that may need support departing and directing them to the central meeting point (signposted) at the rear of the Pavilion to meet up with the graduands following the ceremony. From there you can mingle and take photos (or visit professional photography in PDSW that is fully accessible on ground level) before relocating to the Beach Marquee, approximately 10 minutes walk left of the pier. The route along the promenade is flat and accessible.

On arrival at the Marquee, there's track matting into the Marquee making it accessible for all, and the Marquee is fully carpeted. It's a standing reception, however some chairs will be available on request. If you require a chair, please ask a member of staff who'll retrieve one from back of house for you. There are also disabled toilets at the rear of the marquee.