Your graduation

Additional information for Harper & Keele Veterinary School students

You will graduate together, as a single cohort, on Wednesday 16 September 2026.

On the day, there will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate your achievements at both campuses. Your Graduation Ceremony will take place at Harper Adams University, and the RCVS Admission Ceremony will take place at Keele University.

Your day

Harper Adams University

Time	Activity	Location
08:00 - 08:45	Arrival.	Main campus car parks.
08:00 - 09:00	Ticket collection.	Weston Building.
08:00 - 09:00	Robe collection.	Food Academy.
08:00 -13:00	Photography.	Queen Mother Hall (QMH 1^st Floor).
09:15 (entry 09:00)	Graduands to take their seats and be briefed by their Programme Director.	Graduation Marquee.
by 09:30	Guests to take their seats (ticket holders only^).	Graduation Marquee.
10:00 -11:30	Graduation ceremony (Ceremony One).	Graduation Marquee.
13:00	Bus from Harper Adams University to Keele University.	TBC.

Keele University

Time	Activity	Location
15:00 - 16:00	RCVS Admission Ceremony.	Chancellor’s Building.
16:00	Celebration Event.	Keele Hall.
by 18:00	Robe return.	Keele Hall.

^For those without a ticket to the Graduation Marquee, the ceremony will be live streamed on a large screen in the Graduation Village. No ticket is required for the Village – simply find a comfortable seat and enjoy!

RCVS Admission Ceremony

When should I arrive?

The RCVS Admission Ceremony will commence promptly at 15.00, please ensure you allow sufficient time to travel to Keele University. The ceremony will take place in the Westminster Theatre inside the Chancellor’s Building, location 54 on the Keele University campus map.

Travel information

Where shall I park?

When you arrive on campus, please make your way to the Chancellor's Building car park (C3), marked as location 54 on the campus map. This car park is reserved for graduates and guests attending the RCVS Admission Ceremony.

Parking is free for event guests, but please ensure you only use the Chancellor's Building car park (C3) to avoid receiving a parking fine.

Accessible parking spaces are also available in this car park, and outside Keele Hall for any guests attending the celebration event.

What happens in the RCVS Admission Ceremony?

On admission to membership of the RCVS, and in exchange for the right to practise veterinary surgery in the UK, every veterinary surgeon makes a declaration. Following an address from the RCVS, as a cohort you will be asked to take this oath, which, since 1 April 2012, has been:

"I promise and solemnly declare that I will pursue the work of my profession with integrity and accept my responsibilities to the public, my clients, the profession and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and that, above all, my constant endeavour will be to ensure the health and welfare of animals committed to my care."

A printed copy of the oath will be available on the day and displayed on screens around the venue.

The RCVS admission ceremony will last approximately one hour.

Where will I be seated?

Graduates will be seated together at the front of the venue. Guests, with tickets for the ceremony venue, will be invited to sit in the rows behind. Please note, seat numbers are not allocated for this ceremony.

Guests with tickets for the live stream venue can watch this in the Chancellor’s Lecture Theatres located opposite the Westminster Theatre and inside the Chancellor’s Building, location 54 on this campus map.

Closure of ceremony

A closing address will be delivered to the congregation to close proceedings.

Graduates and guests will stand as the platform procession leave the Westminster Theatre. Ushers will guide graduates to process behind the platform procession. All guests are asked to stand and remain by their seats until the last graduate has left the theatre.

After leaving the Chancellor’s Building, graduates are invited to have a group photograph taken outside Keele Hall.

Celebration event

The RCVS Admission Ceremony will be followed by a celebratory reception where you can mark the occasion with friends, family, and colleagues from across the School and both Universities. All graduates and guests are invited to attend this event which will take place at Keele Hall. Light refreshments will be available to purchase at this event.

Guest tickets

Graduands are entitled to a maximum of two guest tickets to the Graduation Ceremony and two guest tickets to the RCVS Admission Ceremony.

Additional guests are welcome to attend and watch the Graduation Ceremony from the live stream in the Graduation Village.

An additional two guest tickets are available to watch the RCVS Admission Ceremony from the live stream theatre in Chancellor’s Building.

Additional tickets may be available once registration closes.

Ticket collection

Once you have arrived at Harper Adams University, make your way to the Weston Building. Here you will be able to collect your ticket and your guest tickets from 08:00 on the day of your graduation ceremony. Please ensure you have your Student ID and registration e-receipt to collect your tickets.

Please note, only graduands will be allowed entry to collect tickets and gowns. Your guests will need to wait for you in the Graduation Village.

You will collect tickets for both ceremonies, please remember to bring these with you to the afternoon ceremony at Keele University.

Live webcast

We know that some family and friends won’t be able to join you in person on this special day, but they can still share this moment by watching both ceremonies live on our webcast. This service will allow your loved ones to feel more involved in the celebrations – wherever they are.

The live stream links to both ceremonies will be available on the Graduation homepage on Graduation Day.

Lunch

We are delighted to host ceremonies across both universities and have factored in time for you to celebrate at each, take a break for lunch, and travel between the two campuses.

More information about the catering available at Harper Adams.

Keele University catering venues:

Chapters Café, Union Square, 08.00-17.30
CENTRAL Café, The Food Court, Chancellor’s Building, 08.00-15.00
Students’ Union, Dirty Dunkz 12.00-18.00
Students’ Union, The Hub (branded merchandise) 09.00-15.00
The KPA Clubhouse, 11.30 until late
Courtyard by Marriott at Keele, including the Scholars Restaurant & Terrace and the Campus Coffee House

Gowns

Please ensure you keep your gown after the Graduation Ceremony at Harper Adams University, you will need to wear this for the RCVS Admission Ceremony.

Gowns can be returned to Keele Hall, Keele University, please ensure you return your gown before 18.00.

For more information about ordering your gown, please visit the Ede and Ravenscroft website.

Guest photography

Guests are welcome to capture your special moment during the ceremony.

Please note that to avoid obstructing the view of other guests or causing a distraction, members of the audience may take photographs from a seated position, but should not move about the venue, use flash apparatus or selfie sticks.

Use of images

All graduands and guests should be aware that the ceremony and receptions are public events. Audio/visual images of the ceremony and reception are publicly available and will often be used in Harper Adams University, Keele University, and Harper & Keele Veterinary School web pages and publications. Each ceremony will also be broadcast live on the day.

Please refer to this Privacy Notice summarising how Harper Adams University and Keele University collect and use personal data about you during your time at, and after you leave, the Harper & Keele Veterinary School.

Harper Adams University and Keele University will also process your personal data to take photographs and videos of graduands and guests at both ceremonies and throughout the event. These will be used for publicity purposes, which will include using images and video on the Harper Adams, Keele, and HKVS websites and social media channels and in other types of online and hard copy publications. We will film the graduation and RCVS admission ceremonies, which will be live-streamed. A recording of the ceremony will remain online to view after the live event.

If you have any questions about how we handle your personal information, please contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) at either university.

You have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.

Harper Adams University DPO contact details: dpo@harper-adams.ac.uk
Keele University DPO contact details: dpo@keele.ac.uk
ICO contact details: www.ico.org.uk

Staying in touch after graduation

There are several resources and support available to you after graduation, and as well as becoming a HKVS alumni, you’ll join the ever-growing alumni communities at Harper Adams University and Keele University.