Frequently Asked Questions:
Your A - Z Guide

If you're planning an overnight stay before or after your graduation ceremony, there are a wide range of hotels in the area. For ceremonies in Derby, please see hotels in the area.

For ceremonies in Buxton, there are plenty of hotels and guest houses in the area if you wish to stay overnight – we recommend you book well in advance. For more information, please see the Visit Buxton website.

Please help us to meet your requirements by stating clearly when you order your tickets whether you (the graduate) have any accessibility requirements that we should be aware of.

A ramp is used by all graduates to access the stage at the award ceremonies.

For any guests with accessibility requirements, please speak to one of our helpful members of staff in a maroon gown on the day as they can find a suitable space.

If you or any of your guests need to be seated near our BSL interpreters, please let us know in advance so we can make arrangements before the day. Please contact the team at graduation@derby.ac.uk

Accessible parking is available at the Derby Arena – you must display your blue badge. Please note that the car parking bay will usually be a standard size parking space rather than the wider accessible parking bay.

We can also arrange on-campus car parking at our Buxton ceremonies taking place at the Devonshire Dome. This is available for blue badge holders. However please bear in mind we only have a limited number of these spaces. You can request this at the time of booking your attendance and guests tickets.

If you (the graduate) have specific needs, you can be accompanied by your carer for your ceremony. You can request this at the time of booking your attendance and guest tickets. Your carer will not require a guest ticket therefore you do not need to purchase one for them. If you're not sure whether this applies to your circumstances, please contact us at graduation@derby.ac.uk.

Any carer accompanying a guest will require their own guest ticket.

Wheelchairs are not available at the venue for guests. You can hire a wheelchair via the British Red Cross website.

For Derby Award Ceremonies, there is a significant amount of walking to and from the Arena and Pride Park stadium. We recommend that any graduates and guests with walking or mobility difficulties bring their own wheelchairs or mobility assistance.

Keep connected with the University after you graduate through your Alumni Relations team. Register now to receive our monthly newsletter which will keep you up to date with the latest news and events at Derby. Plus you’ll receive inspiring career opportunities and information.

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Our Careers and Employment Service give recent graduates free careers advice and helps with interview techniques, CV writing and completion of application forms. This is available for all University of Derby graduates for up to three years after completion of studies.

The ceremony you’ll need to attend is shown on your official invitation as well as your ticket purchase screen. It is not possible for you to change your ceremony allocation, but you will be provided the opportunity to defer to our next set of ceremonies if required.

More information on the Award Ceremonies can be found on our Derby Award Ceremonies or Buxton Award Ceremonies webpages.

The length of each Award Ceremony varies. You can find a schedule with timings through our Derby Award Ceremonies or Buxton Award Ceremonies webpages. Select your ceremony to view the schedule.

You will be asked to remain seated for the duration of your ceremony.

When you (the graduate) register at your Award Ceremony, you will be informed of your allocated seat. It is important that you remain in this seat for the duration of your ceremony, so you are in the right place when your name is called to cross the stage.

You will be allocated your seat in order by your cohort/course and in alphabetical order.

If you are unsure where to find your allocated seat, please find one of our helpful members of staff in a maroon gown – they will be able to show you where to sit.

Your official invitation will have a form you can fill in to request deferral to the next available award ceremony. Please note that you can only defer your attendance once. Please see our  terms and conditions or contact graduation@derby.ac.uk for further information.

A cloakroom is available on the day of the ceremonies – there is a charge of £1 per item. There will be space for small items under your chair. After you cross the stage, you will return to your original seat.

If you're attending a Derby Award ceremony, you can visit the Grad Lounge located at Pride Park Stadium after your ceremony. You (the graduate) will receive a voucher for a complimentary drink here after your ceremony.

If you're attending a Buxton Award ceremony, there will be a drinks reception taking place after your ceremony at the Devonshire Dome where complimentary drinks will be available.

If you have not already received your certificate, it will be presented to you during the ceremony as you cross the stage. If you have already received your certificate, you will receive a letter as you cross the stage.

Both the certificate and the letter are presented in a folder as you cross the stage to celebrate the occasion.

If you are not attending your Award Ceremony, your certificate will be posted to the home address on our system after the ceremonies have taken place. All students will receive a physical and digital copy of their certificate.

If you have an address outside the UK, we will contact you with delivery options prior to posting your certificate.

We ask that you ensure that your home address is up to date.

We issue one copy of your certificate free of charge. If you require additional copies for a fee, please visit our online shop.

Please wear formal dress. Please do not wear jeans or casual trousers. The University colours used on the gown hood are mainly light blue and red.

We recommend you dress appropriately for the weather on the day of your ceremony, as you may be outside for a duration of time before entering your ceremony venue. We would also recommend wearing comfortable shoes as you may be required to walk between locations.

Yes, you can bring a small umbrella into the venue. Large umbrellas are not permitted.

Gowns can be hired from Ede & Ravenscroft after you receive your official invitation. Alternatively, you can hire a gown from an alternative supplier that provides University Regulation compliant academic dress (a gown, hood and mortarboard cap).

To order the correct gown, you’ll need to measure your head circumference, chest, and height. You’ll also need to know the level/qualification and title of your award, and provide your surname as it is on our system. You’ll also be asked to provide your ceremony number as confirmed in your invitation email.

You do not have to hire a gown, however we strongly encourage students to hire the formal ceremonial wear (gown and hood), as this adds to the occasion and enjoyment of the day. We find that the majority of graduates will choose to hire a gown.

For gowns purchased with Ede & Ravenscroft, you can collect your gown at Pride Park Stadium for our Derby Award Ceremonies, or from the Devonshire Dome for Buxton Award ceremonies. Your gown can only be collected on the day of your ceremony for Derby, meanwhile for Buxton ceremonies you can collect gowning on the day of your ceremony or the day before from 2pm to 5pm.

Please see the schedule on our Derby Award Ceremonies or Buxton Award Ceremonies webpages for timings to collect your gown. Please remember to bring confirmation of your order with you on the day to assist staff in finding your gown order.

Ede & Ravenscroft gowns can be returned after your ceremony.

For our Derby Award ceremonies, gowns should be returned by the time specified on your order confirmation at the Grad Lounge at Pride Park Stadium.

For our Buxton Award ceremonies, gowns should be returned after your ceremony to the gowning room in the Devonshire Dome (where you collected your gown).

If you have not been awarded and are not eligible to attend the award ceremonies, Ede & Ravenscroft will refund your hire payment if they receive your claim for a refund 7 full days before the date of your ceremony.

You can cancel your Ede & Ravenscroft order online using the ‘Review/Amend/Cancel’ option on the Ede & Ravenscroft website, or by emailing student@edeandravenscroft.co.uk

If you arrive once the Award Ceremony has started, whether you can collect your gown is dependent on the remaining duration of the ceremony. We advise you to report to the Registration Desks immediately to register your arrival.

We can make arrangements for your gown (if hired through Ede & Ravenscroft) to be collected on your behalf and brought to you at the Registration Desk.

A limited number of gowns will be available to hire on the day and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. To avoid disappointment, we recommend you arrive ahead of schedule where possible to increase the likelihood of securing one.

If you have or are planning to hire a gown through Ede & Ravenscroft, enquiries should be made directly with them by calling 01223 861854.

If you want to purchase something to remind you of your time at Derby, we’ll be selling graduation mementos and gifts at the ceremony venue before and after each ceremony.

For our Derby Award Ceremonies graduation mementos and gifts can be purchased in the Grad Lounge at Pride Park Stadium.

For our Buxton Award Ceremonies, graduation mementos and gifts can be purchased in the Devonshire Dome.

These can also be purchased online.

An Award Ceremony brochure which names graduates eligible to attend is produced and is available to all graduates on the day of their ceremony. If you don’t want your name to appear in the brochure, please email the team at graduation@derby.ac.uk.

Yes – a complimentary GraduationClip of you crossing the stage will be available to download.

Your GraduationClip is a short video of you crossing the stage and celebrating your achievements.

You can access your GraduationClip within 24 hours of you crossing the stage and attending your ceremony. You can register to access this here.

We have introduced an exciting partnership with GradFinale where you can purchase a yearbook. This yearbook offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on your student journey and share special memories with your fellow graduates. You will receive an email from us with the details on how to register for and purchase your yearbook.

You will receive an email from us with the details on how to register for and purchase your yearbook.

We suggest that small children do not attend the ceremony as it can be a long occasion. However, if you are bringing a child, you will need a guest ticket for those aged 3 and over. Unfortunately, we can't guarantee a separate seat for children under 3. Children must be seated with an adult guest and cannot be seated with the graduate.

Please note: If you or your guests bring children in a pushchair we cannot guarantee space in the venue for pushchairs.

The Honorary Awards are made to individuals carefully selected by the University. Honorands are deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to their field and have a connection to Derbyshire or the University.

Your invitation will be sent to you in May for the Summer ceremonies and in September for the Winter ceremonies. This will be sent to your Unimail and any other active email address we have on record for you, so please make sure we have your up-to-date email address, this can be changed via UDo.

Your invitation will include links to information about the ceremonies and how to obtain tickets.

If you receive an invitation and know that you won't complete your course of study in time then please disregard it, you will be invited to a future ceremony.

If you were expecting an invitation but don't receive one, please email graduation@derby.ac.uk as soon as possible.

If you don't wish to attend your Ceremony, please select the non-attendance option online and confirm your name and address for certificate posting purposes.

Please note if you have an AED or RAC in place which gives you an extension to your coursework hand-in date you'll need to check with your tutor to ascertain if they will be able to mark your work and process your award in time for the ceremonies.

Further information:

• Academic Regulations - Student Guidance RAC
• Academic Regulations - Request for additional consideration

If you arrive late, you should report to the registration desk at Derby Arena immediately. We may be able to change the ceremony listings so that you can cross the stage at the end of the presentation.

You can purchase photographs directly from the official robe makers for the University, Ede & Ravenscroft, or an alternative supplier that provides University Regulation compliant academic dress.

For photographs purchased with Ede & Ravenscroft, on the days of the Ceremonies, photographers will be located at Pride Park Stadium. Photography at Derby Arena is limited to prize photography and is available on request for graduates and guests with mobility concerns. Photography will be available at the Pride Park stadium until 6.30pm.

If you would like a group photograph of up to six people, please ask for details of this service on the day.

All enquiries should be made directly to Ede & Ravenscroft on +44 (0)1223 861854 or email photography@graduation-services.co.uk.

Our press office is on the lookout for interesting news stories that involve student research and academic success. If you'd like to tell the Press Office at the University about your final year work contact them on 01332 591942 or email pressoffice@derby.ac.uk - you could be our next media star!

Students who have purchased tickets but fail to meet the eligibility and attendance criteria will be automatically refunded their ticket purchase after the ceremonies have taken place.

All other refund requests must be made via email to graduation@derby.ac.uk. ( if a refund is requested after the ticket purchasing deadline , we will require a form of proof relating to the circumstances as to why you have requested the refund before we can advise further).

All graduates must register their attendance at the Arena, after collecting their gowns at the Pride Park Stadium. The registration desks will close 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony so please ensure you arrive in plenty of time.

If you're arriving late (within 45 minutes of your ceremony start time) please go directly to the registration desks at the Arena. Alternative arrangements for your gown collection will be made.

There will be signs together with coloured balloons/banners to indicate your registration desk.

If you do not register your attendance your name will not be called out for you to cross the stage and you may not be able to take part in the ceremony. 

Graduands don't have to pay to attend the ceremony. The guest tickets are priced at £20 each. Please refer to your invitation for further details or email graduation@derby.ac.uk.

Tickets will be sent electronically to your email address where you will receive a QR code which will be scanned to tell us how many tickets you have purchased.

Train

Derby Station is located just a short walk away from the venue. We provide a courtesy bus between the Pride Park entrance at the station and the venue before and after the ceremonies.

Buses

The Arriva buses service Park and Ride, 4 and 4A runs from the bus station and takes 8 minutes to a stop a 1 minute walk from the venue.

Car Parking

Car parking is limited at the rear of the Arena, as spaces are reserved for blue badge holders (disabled parking). There is car parking in front of the Arena and at the pride park stadium.

After you have confirmed your attendance and purchased any guest tickets you require. If you or your guests require a visa in order to attend the ceremony, please email us at graduation@derby.ac.uk or visit our Graduation visas webpage.

First Sight Media stream our ceremonies live on our website.