Graduation FAQs
Graduation
Am I eligible to attend a graduation ceremony?
All students who are registered on the final year of their course and are eligible, subject to successfully passing their course, will normally be sent an email to their university email account inviting them to register.
This is a provisional registration subject to not being blocked by the University and your award being released officially on Solar by 14 February 2024. Results released via AULA or other platforms are not official results.
You will not be eligible to attend the graduation ceremony if your Progression and Awards Board determines that you have not met the requirements of your award or you intend to enrol on a further stage of your course (e.g. a top-up to honours) or you have an appeal in progress or you are blocked or excluded.
If you are not accepting an award you have been offered and are continuing on your course you must inform your Registry team in writing within seven days of the notification of your results. If you have not informed your faculty within seven days and you do not re-enrol before the enrolment deadline, your award will be conferred at the next opportunity.
Any student who has an outstanding debt to the university, at the time of registration, or is blocked after the registration deadline but prior to the ceremony, will not be allowed to attend the graduation ceremony nor will receive their certificate, so you should ensure any outstanding debts are cleared no later than 14 February 2024 and no other blocks go on to your account. You should disregard any registration confirmation if you have a block or exclusion as you are not eligible.
When will I receive my degree certificate?
Certificates will be given to you during your graduation event. For those that do not attend they will be posted following the graduation event. It is therefore important that we have your correct address, so please be sure to update your correspondence address on SOLAR by 19 February 2024 and remember to keep your contact details updated after you’ve finished your course. Certificates are posted by standard post within UK and Europe, and by DHL to overseas.
Your correspondence address is where you want your post sent to and it may be different to your term time or home address, so be sure to update the correct one; there is a tick box at the bottom of the screen on SOLAR.
You should allow up to three weeks for delivery to a UK address, or up to six weeks, following the event, for delivery to an address outside of the UK before contacting us via email graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk to report that your certificate has not been received.
Please note that it is not permitted for someone to collect your certificate on your behalf as it is a legal document, even if that person has written consent to do so.
Please note that the university is not responsible for any certificates not received by post due to an incorrect address.
If this happens and you require a replacement then you must order via the online shop and pay the appropriate fee.
Please note you cannot receive your degree certificate before your award has been legally conferred and we do not provide electronic certificates but if you need evidence of your award for employment or further study then employers/embassies etc. can request verification of your award via HEDD or you can share your HEAR with them (see below).
Higher Education Achievement Report
- The HEAR is an electronic system which allows you to follow your academic progress with a digital diploma supplement called a HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). This is your official transcript which you can share electronically with employers or other universities that you might want to study with. If you have not registered all you need to do is: Visit HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). You are NOT provided with a printed copy of your HEAR/Transcript.
- Log in
- Reset your user name and password (best to use your personal email address so that you can “take” your HEAR with you when you leave)
- View your Higher Education Achievement Report
If you would like to know more about it, then take a look at our FAQs.
How will my name appear on my certificate?
Your name will appear exactly as it is on your student record. If your name is incorrect or you wish to add a middle name you must provide Academic Registry with a copy of your passport or birth certificate, via email from your student email account, to enable us to correct your name before the deadline for registration.
Important: Please take care when registering your name because we are unable to change this in any way after the deadline for registration once your certificate has been printed even if it is an error.
Contact Academic Registry: graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk.
I am not sure if I have any outstanding debt to the University: should I check?
Yes. Any student who has an outstanding debt to the university will not be allowed to attend the graduation ceremony nor will receive their certificate, so you should rectify this in advance of the registration deadline. If you do not, you will miss the deadline for graduation and will not have your award confirmed so you will not be included in the brochure permitted to attend, nor will you receive your certificate. Please note that payments can take up to 10 working days to go through the system so if you make payment on the final day of registration it may still be too late. You will also not be allowed to attend, even if you registered, and the blocking has been entered after the registration deadline but before the ceremony. A registration confirmation does not mean you have no outstanding debt or are eligible.
Can I have my certificate if I have an appeal in progress?
No. If your appeal is still in progress or not concluded prior to the registration deadline your award will not be legally conferred and you will not be able to have your certificate or attend the graduation event.
Can I defer my ceremony?
No, normally students cannot choose which ceremony they attend. However, if there are exceptional circumstances then you can make a request. Exceptional circumstances, for example, would be hospitalisation or deployment if you are in the armed forces. You would need to send a request to graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk stating why you are requesting a deferral and provide formal third party evidence. This must be done prior to the registration deadline. You will be notified of the decision once it has been considered.
Alumni - What is Alumni and how can I update my details?
As an alumni, you will receive regular news about events, reunions and ways to get involved. This includes career assistance, mentoring programmes and further opportunities in work or study. You will also have access to our exclusive alumni platform where you can reconnect with others, share memories, volunteer to mentor others and post and search for jobs and internships. Use our form to update your details.
Ceremonies
Where is my graduation ceremony?
All physical ceremonies will take place in Coventry Cathedral.
Please note that once you are in the Cathedral you must remain throughout the ceremony. You are not permitted to leave once your name has been read out. You are issued with a numbered ticket. You are required to remain in that numbered seat as this ensures your name is called out at the appropriate time. If you move from this seat during the ceremony your name will not be read out and you will not be permitted to go up on to the stage.
How do I order my gown?
Gowns, hoods and hats must be ordered online via the Ede and Ravenscroft website. Note that Ede and Ravenscroft have a deadline for ordering gowns of about ten days before the ceremony. There is no guarantee that the company will have spare stock on the day so it is important you order by their deadline. If you do not order in advance and are able to purchase a gown on the day, please note that the company does charge more. We are not able to assist you with ordering gowns or answering questions about gown hire as it is a third party supplier, please contact them directly.
Where do I collect my tickets and hired gown from?
Tickets and hired gowns are collected on the day of your ceremony. Remember to bring some photographic ID (ideally your Student ID card) and your gown hire receipt with you. You must collect your tickets before collecting your gown. Tickets are collected on the day, they are not sent out in advance. You collect them from The Refectory, Priory Hall, Priory Street, CV1 5FB. The ticket desk will open two hours in advance of the ceremony start time and will close 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony. If you fail to collect your tickets, on time, you will not be permitted to attend your ceremony.
See our campus map for directions.
How many guests can I bring?
All graduates are guaranteed two guest tickets for their ceremony whether you have registered or not. We therefore do not issue extra tickets in advance unless you have special needs, see below. We must abide by the Cathedral’s fire regulations which require every guest to be allocated a seat inside the Cathedral this includes children and babies. We do not advise children under the age of 10 attending as it is a very formal event and once you are seated you must remain throughout the ceremony. Please note that graduates and guests sit separately during the event so any child must be accompanied by a guest over 18 years of age. Children are not permitted to be left on their own under any circumstance.
For those extra guests without tickets, there will be live streaming on campus so guests can watch from a location close to the Cathedral, and still feel part of the event. The live streaming will take place in George Elliot, Hillman Lecture Theatre, GEG32. There are no tickets for the live streaming venue seats will be available on a first-come-first-served basis.
If you or one of your allocated guests require a carer please contact us at graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk, providing third party medical evidence to support this request. Requests must be made by no later than 1 March 2024. The request will be reviewed and you will be notified of the decision.
Should you have any guests travelling from overseas, we would encourage them not to book flights before you have received official confirmation of your award. The university will not be held responsible for any costs incurred by your guests.
Should your guests require proof of travel or an invitation letter please contact infopoint.ss@coventry.ac.uk after you have registered. Please do not contact graduation.reg as we cannot assist with invitation letters.
Are children allowed to attend the ceremony?
We advise that the ceremony is not suitable for children under ten.
To ensure the safety of all guests, in no circumstances can a child be seated on a guest’s lap. Any guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Please note: any child regardless of age will require a ticket, this includes infants in pushchairs to comply with fire regulations in the Cathedral. Please note that graduates and guests are seated separately in the cathedral so, as a graduate, if you are bringing a child with you and have no other guests attending, you will not be permitted to graduate as you need an adult to look after your child throughout the ceremony.
Extra tickets
Due to the size of the ceremonies and the fact that we allocate every students who is entitled to attend a seat for them and their guests, we are unable to offer extra tickets in advance. There may be extra tickets available on the day, please ask when you collect your tickets. These will be issued on a first-come-first-served basis. The event will be livestreamed from our website to allow your friends and family to watch you graduate from home and there will also be live streaming on campus so guests without tickets can watch from a location close to the Cathedral, and still feel part of the event. There are no tickets for the live streaming venue, seats will be available on a first-come-first served basis. Thank you for your co-operation.
How long does each ceremony last?
Each ceremony lasts for approximately one hour.
What happens if I arrive late?
We suggest you arrive at Coventry University at least two and a half hours before your ceremony start time (please check the schedule for ticket desk opening times). The ticket desk will close 30 minutes before the start time of each ceremony. If you arrive after this time, it will be too late for you to attend that ceremony. There is a process which needs to be followed, prior to the commencement of the ceremony which the graduation team needs to carry out. Anyone arriving after the ticket desk has closed will have had their name removed from the order of proceedings. The University is not responsible for any costs incurred as a result of people arriving late and is not obliged to allow you to attend a later ceremony.
The doors to the Cathedral will close 15 minutes before the start time of each ceremony. If you have collected your tickets, on time, but then do not arrive at the Cathedral on time, we reserve the right to refuse entry at this point as we have to ensure we are ready to commence at the appropriate time.
We look forward to seeing you and hope you have an enjoyable day!
Disclaimer
In the event that any or all of the Graduation ceremonies have to be cancelled, rescheduled or postponed, Coventry University cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred.
Coventry University graduation ceremonies are considered to be public events. There may be a university photographer present and by attending you give us permission to use any general crowd photos you appear in for marketing purposes.
Coventry University does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for:
- Any loss or damage to any personal property left unattended during an event organised by the university unless caused by the negligence of the university or its employees; or
- Death or any personal injury suffered by you at a university event unless caused by the negligence of the university or its employees.
- We understand graduation can be a very stressful event for you and your guests.
However, our staff work extremely hard to try and make it a pleasant experience for everyone involved. We will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse of staff and if this occurs we have the right to remove you and your guests from the graduation event and campus and the University Group we will not be liable for expenses occurred attending the event by you or your guests.
