July Degree Congregations

Graduation is the highlight of the academic year and we are really looking forward to the celebrations. Degree Congregations for our Class of 2024 Birmingham graduates are due to take place in the Great Hall between Tuesday 9 and Friday 19 July 2024 (excluding weekends).

Further information about the Degree Congregations and the schedule of our July ceremonies can be seen below. We will be adding to this content in the run up to graduation. We will also email our graduands with important information about the day, so it's really important that you keep your contact details up to date. Please add graduation@contacts.bham.ac.uk to your contacts list. You may also need to check your junk folder in case our emails have been redirected there. 

We are really looking forward to these special occasions and to helping you to celebrate your achievements. We hope you are getting excited about them too!

When is my ceremony?

Ceremonies will take place between Tuesday 9 and Friday 19 July 2024 (excluding weekends). You can now find out the date and time of your ceremony, which will be subject to your meeting the terms of your degree by the relevant deadline, by logging into the Student Gateway. Information on how to access the Gateway is provided below. 

 

When is my ceremony?

Tuesday 9 July - 10.00am

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

School of Biosciences

 

Tuesday 9 July - 12.30pm

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

 

Tuesday 9 July – 3pm

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences (excluding Physiotherapy)

 

 

Wednesday 10 July - 10.00am

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences (Physiotherapy only)

School of Psychology (excluding BSc Psychology and BSc Psychology with Year Abroad)

 

Wednesday 10 July – 12.30pm

College of Life and Environmental Sciences

School of Psychology - BSc Psychology (including BSc Psychology with Year Abroad)

 

Wednesday 10 July - 3.00pm

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Mathematics

 

Thursday 11 July – 10am

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Computer Sciences - all undergraduate programmes

 

Thursday 11 July – 12.30pm

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Chemistry

School of Metallurgy and Materials

 

Thursday 11 July - 3.00pm

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Computer Sciences - all postgraduate programmes

School of Physics and Astronomy

 

 Friday 12 July – 10am

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Engineering

Department of Civil Engineering

Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering

 

Friday 12 July - 12.30pm

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

 

Friday 12 July – 3.00pm

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

School of Chemical Engineering

 

 Monday 15 July – 10.00am

College of Social Sciences

Birmingham Business School:

All MBA programmes, including Wiley and Degree Apprentice programmes.  Department of Finance

Department of Marketing

Department of Strategy and International Business

Department of Economics (excluding BSc Economics)

 

Monday 15 July – 12.30pm

College of Social Sciences

Birmingham Business School:

Department of Management

 

Monday 15 July – 3.00pm

College of Social Sciences

Birmingham Business School:

Department of Economics (BSc Economics only – including Economics majors)

 

Monday 15 July – 5.30pm

College of Social Sciences

Birmingham Business School:

Department of Accounting

 

Tuesday 16 July – 10.00am

College of Social Sciences

School of Education

Health Service Management Centre

 

 

Tuesday 16 July – 12.30pm

College of Social Sciences

School of Social Policy (excluding Health Services Management Centre)

 

Tuesday 16 July – 3.00pm

College of Social Sciences

School of Government

 

Wednesday 17 July - 10.00am

College of Arts and Law

School History and Cultures

 

Wednesday 17 July - 12.30pm

College of Arts and Law

Birmingham Law School:

All Postgraduate programmes (Excluding LLB for Graduates).

Undergraduate Law programmes with minors

LLB Law with year abroad

Liberal Arts and Natural Sciences

 

Wednesday 17 July - 3.00pm

College of Arts and Law

Birmingham Law School:

LLB Law (Surnames A-L inclusive)

 

Wednesday 17 July - 5.30pm

College of Arts and Law

Birmingham Law School:

LLB Law (Surnames M-Z inclusive)

LLB for Graduates

 

Thursday 18 July - 10.00am

College of Arts and Law

School of Language, Culture, Art History and Music

 

Thursday 18 July - 12.30pm

College of Arts and Law

School of English, Drama and Creative Studies

Department of Drama and Theatre Arts

Depart of English Language and Linguistics

Department of English Literature

 

 Thursday 18 July - 3.00pm

College of Arts and Law

School of English, Drama and Creative Studies

Department of Film and Creative Writing

The Shakespeare Institute

School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion

 

Thursday 18 July  - 5.30pm

College of Medical and Dental Sciences

School of Dentistry (including Dental Hygiene and Therapy)

School Nursing and Midwifery

School of Pharmacy

 

 Friday 19 July - 10.00am

College of Medical and Dental Sciences

Birmingham Medical School

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) (Surnames A-K inclusive)

All other programmes.

 

Friday 19 July - 12.30pm

College of Medical and Dental Sciences

School of Biomedical Sciences

All Institutes (excluding Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences)

 

Friday 19 July  - 3.00pm

College of Medical and Dental Sciences

Birmingham Medical School

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) (Surnames L-Z inclusive)

Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences

 

How to access the Student Gateway

To access the Student Gateway you will need to use either your @student or @alumni email address and latest password. If you can't remember your password and are unable to access the Gateway, please go to the MyPassword website if you are a current student, or contact the IT Servicedesk if you are an alumni. If you missed the deadline to reply to your invitation please email us at graduation@contacts.bham.ac.uk to join our wait list and we will do our best to find a space for you. 

To check your ceremony date and time via the Gateway, please click on ‘reply to Degree Congregation invitation’, which will be under ‘exams and assessment’. This will take you through to a screen on which you will be asked to select your programme of study. Check the box next to your programme and then ‘submit’. You will then be taken through to a screen that confirms which ceremony you are due to attend, subject to meeting the terms of your degree.  

I did not respond to my invitation, can I still attend? 

If you did not respond to your invitation by 1 March 2024 and would like to attend a ceremony, please email graduation@contacts.bham.ac.uk as soon as possible so we can check if a place is still available in your School's ceremony.   If you do not let us know in advance of the ceremony that you wish to attend, we cannot guarantee will can allocate you a place.

 

Preparing for the day

There are always lots of questions when preparing for your graduation, so we've answered some of the most commonly asked ones below.

 

How do I hire my robes?

You should hire your academic dress with Ede & Ravenscroft. You need to place your order with Ede & Ravenscroft using their online order form by 23:59 (GMT) on 21 June 2024. If you experience any problems with your order, please contact them at customer_services@academic-services.co.uk or 01223 734759. If you missed the deadline, please speak to Ede & Ravenscroft on the day of your ceremony to see if you can place an order on the day. 

You will be able to collect the robes you have ordered in the Bramall Music Building on the day of your ceremony. Robe collection will be based on the first floor of the building and will open at 08:00. You will need to return your robes by the end of the day. We will email you a week before your ceremony with all the information on where to return your robes.

What should I wear?

Degree Congregations are formal events and graduands and their guests are encouraged to dress for such an occasion. Please be aware that when being presented for your degree you will climb a set of steps up to the Great Hall stage, so please bear this in mind when choosing your footwear.

What happens if I cannot attend my Degree Congregation?

Please email us at graduation@contacts.bham.ac.uk if you have booked to attend your Degree Congregation and can no longer attend the ceremony.

You have two options available to you:

1. You can choose to graduate in your absence and have your certificate and transcript posted to you. If you choose to graduate in your absence, this will means that you can't attend a future Degree Congregation as your degree will have already been conferred.

2. You can choose to defer your graduation and attend a Degree Congregation in December 2024. If you choose to defer, you will not receive your certificate and transcript until your degree is conferred at the graduation ceremony.

Please get in touch with us as early as possible so that we can reallocate your place at the Degree Congregation to someone on the waiting list. If you do not get in touch with us by the end of June 2024 then you will graduate in absentia and will no longer be able to defer to a later ceremony. 

How will I receive my certificate?

Students who attend a Degree Congregation in the Great Hall will be able to collect their documents on campus on the day. The collection point will be located next to robe return and details will be emailed to you a week before the ceremony.

Student graduating in their absence will be emailed in late June to express how you wish to receive your certificate, with an option to collect this from campus on the day of your ceremony. Students who did not book to collect from campus will be asked to confirm the delivery address for their documents and if you would like these sent by standard post, or if you wish to pay for us to send this by courier for you.  The email will have a deadline to complete the address confirmation by 23:59 (GMT) on 31 July 2024. Please do not come to campus to collect your documents if you have not had confirmation of your collection booking as the documents will not be available and please note these cannot be collected by anyone other than the student. Documents will be posted in August. 

You will also be able to view, download and share an electronic copy of your degree certificate and transcript online via our Secure Documents website three working days after your Degree Congregation has taken place. Current and potential employers can also register with us, allowing them to directly verify your qualifications with us while you wait for the physical copies of your documents to arrive.

How can I book official photography?

Ede and Ravenscroft offer a range of photography packages, which can be booked online using the same form as for hiring academic dress. Portrait photography will take place in the Nuffield Building. The studios will be open from 08:00 until 20:00 on ceremony days. 

What if I have access requirements?

We have a dedicated Accessibility & Support at Graduations webpage that contains additional information about the day. If you are a graduand and have any access requirements that you would like to discuss with a member of the team, particularly with regard to your being presented for your degree in the Great Hall, please email gradhelp@contacts.bham.ac.uk and we will be happy to talk you through the options available to you. Please also get in touch with us if you require a ticket for a registered carer. 

If you are driving to the celebrations, parking for blue badge holders is available on campus and is identifiable via the campus mobility map. Some disabled parking may require you to enter restricted campus areas. If this is the case, please press the buzzer to speak to security, who will be able to open the appropriate gate for you. Please ensure that you display your blue badge clearly. 

The campus mobility map also shows level access routes to the Great Hall. You should enter via the Bramall Building (reference R12 on the campus mobility map).


Tickets

Each graduand is allocated their own ticket to the ceremony plus two guest tickets, which will grant access to the Great Hall for your Degree Congregation. There is no charge for tickets.  Please note you will also only receive two guest tickets to any reception arranged by your School. 

 

When will I receive my tickets?

Your graduand ticket and two guest tickets will be available to collect from the ticket desk on the ground floor of the Bramall Music Building on the day of your ceremony. The ticket desk will open at 8.00am and close when the last ceremony has started each day. You need to check in at the ticket desk and collect your paper tickets before proceeding upstairs to collect your robes. To ensure that you have plenty of time to do this ahead of your ceremony, please arrive at the ticket desk two hours before your ceremony is due to start. Don't forget that the doors to the Great Hall close 15 minutes before the ceremony start time, so you need to already be in your seat before then. To help reduce waiting times and make the queues more manageable, we ask that only graduands join the queue for tickets in the Bramall Music Building where possible please.

You must collect your ticket in order to gain access to the Great Hall. Graduands with blue tickets should enter the Great Hall through the left-hand doors. Graduands with red tickets should enter through the doors on the right. Guests enter through the middle doors. You will be asked to show your ticket to the staff on the doors. Guests should then proceed to the front of the Hall to find an available seat - guest seating is not numbered. Graduands will need to check in at the desk inside the Great Hall before taking their numbered seat. This is crucial as otherwise you will not be presented for your degree in the correct order and you risk your name being crossed out of the list!  

How many guests can I bring with me?

In the interests of safety, we limit the number of guests who can join you in the Great Hall to two. Please note that this number includes children of any age as it relates to the capacity limit of the building and not to the availability of seats. No extra tickets will be available for the Degree Congregations (unless for a carer) but we may operate a queue outside the Great Hall prior to the ceremony, subject to capacity. Please see the section 'will any extra tickets be available' for further information.

You are welcome to bring additional guests to campus with you but please note that admission will also be limited to two tickets for your School reception too. Additional guests that can't enter the Great Hall can watch the ceremony from our viewing room which will be signposted on campus on the day. No tickets are needed for the viewing room, for which seats are not reserved in advance. The ceremony will also be webcast so that anyone unable to join you on campus can watch online. The recordings will then continue to be available on the University's YouTube channel, should anyone miss them live.

Will any extra tickets be available?

Extra guest tickets for the Great Hall are not available in advance of the Degree Congregations, unless needed for a registered carer. Subject to guest numbers, a limited number of spare seats may become available in the Great Hall on the day. Where this is the case, we will operate a queue outside of the Great Hall and allocate seats on a first-come, first-served basis before the ceremony starts.  We do not guarantee that extra guests you bring to campus with you will be able to enter the Great Hall. 

Will the Degree Congregations be shown online?

Yes, the Degree Congregations will be webcast live so that anyone unable to join you on campus can watch online. The recordings will then continue to be available on the University's YouTube channel, should anyone miss them live.

 

The Venues

Your Degree Congregation will take place in the Great Hall at the centre of our Edgbaston campus. Our students have been graduating from this iconic building since the early 1900s.  After your Degree Congregation you and your guests are welcome to spend the day enjoying our beautiful campus, where you can take your own graduation-day photographs against the backdrop of Old Joe and the Aston Webb Building.

 

Important information

It is important to remember that communications about your graduation and related activities do not confirm successful completion of your degree and should not be taken as proof that you are, or will be, eligible to graduate. Only students meeting the terms of a Degree of the University as listed under Ordinance 4.1.1  will be eligible to actually attend the July graduations. Some students will be allocated a place at a Degree Congregation but will not be eligible to graduate by the time of the ceremony (if, for example, you have not yet submitted your dissertation, you have not paid all of your tuition fees, you are resitting any examinations or have not met the terms of your degree in time). 

You will be able to access your official progress and examination results online through the 'Exam marks and progress decisions – end of year marks' link in the 'Exams and Assessments' column of the Student Gateway. Please note that there are additional requirements for research students. You can find out more by reading the Terms and Conditions.

If you have already had your degree conferred, whether in person or in absentia, then you cannot attend the July Degree Congregations. This includes our Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 graduates. 

In the event of the Degree Congregations having to be cancelled, delayed, postponed or curtailed due to circumstances beyond the control of the University, the University shall give as much notice as is reasonably practical to students of such cancellation, delay, postponement or curtailment. Circumstances that would constitute a force majeure may include, but are not limited to: fire, flood, explosion or any other incident that renders the venue in which the Degree Congregation is due to be held unsafe to use; terrorist act (or threat of a terrorist act); natural disaster; pandemic; industrial action; or a period of national mourning. The University will not be liable for any losses, direct or otherwise, incurred by students or their guests in the event of the University of Birmingham’s graduation ceremonies being cancelled, delayed, postponed or curtailed due to circumstances beyond the control of the University.