Higher Degree Research Graduands
What to expect on graduation day
Navigate the logistics of your graduation ceremony with confidence. To get the most out of your celebration, watch our video on what to expect on graduation day. From arriving to crossing the stage, we'll guide you through what you need to know.
December 2024
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Graduation ceremonies
To be eligible to graduate in the December 2024 ceremonies, the following deadlines need to be met:
- Both the Nomination of Examiners and Thesis Submission workflows will need to be approved by your Graduate Research Coordinator by COB Monday, 12 August 2024.
- The final version of your thesis will need to be received by the Graduate Research School for processing by COB Friday, 8 November 2024.
If you meet the Nomination of Examiners and Thesis Submission deadlines successfully, you will be invited to apply to graduate (19 August 2024) in the December 2024 round of ceremonies. If you do not meet these deadlines, you will be considered for a future graduation date based on your examination progress.
UWA December Graduation Ceremonies are scheduled for Monday, 9 to Wednesday, 18 December 2024.
Ceremony-specific information will be emailed to all students that applied to graduate at an in-person ceremony on Wednesday, 11 September 2024.
Additional information:
- General Graduation information can be found here.
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OVERVIEW OF THE GRADUATIONS PROCESS - DECEMBER 2024
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Check you have a unique student identifier (usi) Number
- It is an Australian Government requirement that from 01 January 2023, all higher education students must have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) for their degree to be conferred. Students who do not have a USI by their chosen conferral date will not be graduated, and will be moved to the next conferral.
- Please click on the link below for information on how to create your USI.
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Step 1: apply to graduate
- Applications are open from Monday, 19 August - Wednesday, 11 September 2024.
- You will receive an email inviting you to “Apply to Graduate” in StudentConnect on Monday, 19 August 2024.
- The “Apply to Graduate” deadline is Wednesday, 11 September 2024.
- It is important to “Apply to Graduate” to reserve a spot for you in the ceremony, even if there is only a small chance that you will not complete the course requirements before Friday, 8 November 2024.
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Applying to graduate as attending or in absentia
You can apply to graduate and attend an in-person ceremony or to graduate in absentia, without attending a ceremony.
GRADUATING AS ATTENDING AT AN IN-PERSON CEREMONY
- Your award will be conferred at an in-person ceremony inside Winthrop Hall
- You will receive your certificate at your ceremony
GRADUATING IN ABSENTIA
- You award can be conferred in absentia, without you attending a ceremony.
- Please be advised, once your award is conferred in absentia, you will not have the opportunity to attend a future graduation ceremony for your award.
- Your certificate will be mailed to you.
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Step 2: confirm your attendance for your in-person ceremony
- If you applied to graduate as Attending, you will receive an email on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, asking you to “Confirm your Attendance” in StudentConnect. In this email, you will also be advised of the date and time of your ceremony.
- You will have between Wednesday, 18 September to Thursday, 3 October 2024 to “Confirm your Attendance”.
- If you have Applied to Graduate in person, and you do not “Confirm your Attendance” by Thursday, 3 October 2024, your graduation status will be changed from attending to in absentia.
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Academic regalia and tickets
- Regalia and ticket orders are open via the GFP Online Ordering Portal, once you have confirmed your in-person Attendance in StudentConnect from Thursday, 19 September 2024.
- Should you place an order for regalia or Reception tickets, and subsequently do not attend the December 2024 Graduation ceremonies, GFP Events will refund you the cost of your regalia hire and Reception Tickets.
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Step 3: academic regalia
- GFP Events is the University’s preferred supplier of regalia and has the details of your academic regalia. You are not obliged to hire or purchase your regalia through GFP Events.
- Please be advised, that should a regalia supplier other than GFP Events provide you with regalia, which is incorrect, you will need to hire regalia from GFP Events on the day of your ceremony to ensure that you graduate in the correct academic dress.
- Please ensure you order regalia at least one week prior to the ceremonies, so that the supplier is sufficiently stocked.
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From July 2023, the graduation headwear for Doctor of Philosophy and other Doctorates, Higher Doctorates and Honorary Doctorates is as follows:
A. a black, velvet bonnet with a red tassel for:- Doctor of Philosophy
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Education
- Doctor of Clinical Pharmacy
- Doctor of Juridical Science
- Doctor of Musical Arts
- Doctor of Architecture
- Doctor of Social Work
- Doctor of Podiatry
B. a black, velvet bonnet with a gold tassel for Higher Doctorates and Honorary Doctorates:
- Doctor of Commerce
- Doctor of Dental Science
- Doctor of Economics
- Doctor of Engineering
- Doctor of Laws
- Doctor of Letters
- Doctor of Medical Science
- Doctor of Music
- Doctor of Science
- Doctor of Science in Agriculture
- Doctor of Surgery
Please note: black trencher caps (mortarboards) will not be accepted as official academic regalia for Doctor of Philosophy and other Doctorates, Higher Doctorate and Honorary Doctorate awards.
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If you are ordering your academic regalia (to hire or purchase) through a supplier other than GFP Events, please take note of this update to the University Policy on Graduation: Academic Dress.
- Graduation gowns are not the same for certain awards. If you have graduated previously with an Undergraduate qualification, you cannot reuse the same gown for a Masters or Doctorate award.
Your black graduation gown should have sleeves that open just above the elbow. The length of the sleeve should be as long as the gown.
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Step 4: guest tickets
- Complimentary Winthrop Hall tickets:
- Up to two complimentary guest tickets for Winthrop Hall per graduand, available for ordering via the GFP Online Ordering Portal from Wednesday, 27 November 2024.
- Reception Tickets with Live-stream Access:
- As each graduand receives up to two complimentary Winthrop Hall guest tickets, ticket sales for our on-campus livestream venue are available for your guests who wish to come to campus to view your graduation ceremony and attend the post-ceremony reception.
- These tickets are available for ordering via the GFP Online Ordering Portal, from Thursday, 19 September 2024, once you have confirmed your attendance.
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Step 5: final version documents submission deadline
- You need to submit the final version of your documents to Graduate Research School via HDRhub before Friday, 8 November 2024 to be eligible for the December 2024 graduation ceremonies.
- For courses not administered by GRS or outside of HDRhub, submit your electronic forms and final thesis via [email protected].
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Step 6: attending graduands: invite your supervisors to attend your ceremony
- Your supervisors are welcome to attend your ceremony as part of the Official Procession, which is dressed in academic regalia and seated on stage.
- You will be responsible for inviting your supervisor and notifying them of the date and time of your Graduation ceremony so they can registere. The Graduations Events team does not do this, as they do not have access to the data.
- It is a good idea to notify your supervisors of the Graduation dates early, so that they can plan accordingly.
- 2024 Graduation dates:
- December ceremonies will be held between Monday, 9 December to Wednesday, 18 December 2024 (no weekend ceremonies).
- Approximately two (2) to three (3) weeks prior to Graduations commencing, you will receive an email from the Graduations Events team, with a registration link to send on to your supervisor(s), so they register to join the Official Procession and be seated on stage during the ceremony.
- Your supervisor(s) must use the link to register. If they require academic dress (regalia) to be hired, they will need to request this at registration (hire is complimentary for supervisors). If they have their own academic regalia, they must bring it on the day.
- For those supervisors who cannot attend in-person, the live-stream link will also be shared
- Please note that the Graduations Events team cannot assist with requests to change ceremonies, for additional guest tickets, or other enquiries relating to your ceremony. All enquiries must be submitted via askUWA.
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Step 7: meeting course completion requirements
- If you have not met your course requirements by Friday, 8 November 2024, your application to graduate (in person or in absentia) will be moved.
- Applications to attend an in-person ceremony, are moved to July 2025 ceremonies.
- Applications to graduate in absentia, will be allocated to the next available monthly in absentia ceremony, as soon as course requirements have been met.
- If you would like to review your graduation status, log in to StudentConnect and click the “Graduations” tab on the left
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Attending graduands: information about the ceremony
- On Thursday, 28 November 2024, you will receive an email that gives you all the event-specific information for the day, for both you and your guests.
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Once you have graduated: access to my equals
- Once your award is conferred, you will be sent an email with how you can access your certificate and AHEGS statement via My eQuals
- My eQuals gives you the ability to access all your tertiary credentials through your own secure online portal and share them with anyone you like, anywhere in the world.
- It’s a secure and easy way for verification agencies, employers and recruitment professionals to receive and instantly verify your official tertiary credentials online.
- My eQuals takes away the hassle of keeping physical copies of your credentials, making copies, getting them certified and posting them when applying for a job or further study. Everything is online and available anywhere, anytime.
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Questions
- Should you have any questions, please contact us via askUWA.