Graduation day

Graduation is a celebration of your academic achievements while studying at Harper Adams University and marks the start of a new chapter in your life.

Your graduation ceremony will be held on the Harper Adams University campus, inside our Graduation Marquee behind the Bamford Library. Throughout the day, you can relax and celebrate at our Graduation Village, offering food, refreshments, and seating, conveniently located outside Queen Mother Hall. For more details on how to get to us, view our Travel Information page.

If you still have any queries or concerns there is a list of contacts that you can email for more information.

Graduation day guidance

What to wear

Graduation is a formal event. You should wear smart clothing beneath your gown. Most people tend to wear smart dresses, suits, smart shirts with chinos and a tie, or similar.

Smart, comfortable shoes are important. Please consider the stability of your shoes, you will be walking up and down a ramp to enter and exit the stage; no jeans or trainers.

Please leave personal items, such as handbags and mobile phones, with your guests. You will not be able to carry them with you in the procession at your graduation ceremony.

You are required to wear your academic gown (cap, hood, gown), which you should have hired from Ede & Ravenscroft (see Deadlines for final order date). If you still need to order your gown and photography, please complete your order form.

Please be aware, we reserve the right to prevent you from joining the procession and graduating on the day if you are not dressed appropriately in smart clothes.

Food and drink

A variety of food and drink options will be available throughout the Graduation celebrations. Guests are welcome to purchase refreshments from the following locations:

 The Welly Inn: Serving a selection of alcoholic beverages.
Graduation Village: Offering a range of food and non-alcoholic beverages, including soft drinks.
The Barn: Water is available to purchase here.

We also have a number of pre-booked catering options available on our online store.

FAQs

What happens if I'm late?

We make best efforts to accommodate the late arrival of graduands, although, regrettably, once the proceedings have reached a certain point, latecomers will not be admitted. If you are running late, please call the main University reception on 01952 820 280 to let us know.

  Last entry for the graduation ceremony marquee:

 Morning ceremony: 09:45am
Afternoon ceremony: 14:15pm

Where will I sit?

All graduands are assigned a specific seat within the ceremony marquee, firstly in course order, then alphabetically.

Approximately 45 minutes before the ceremony, you will meet with your fellow graduands and course tutor at the Graduation Marquee. Here you will be given a seat number and instructions on how to proceed.

Where do my guests sit?

Guests take their seats separately from graduands and are advised to do so in good time. Guest seating is not pre-assigned and fills very quickly.

We will reserve seating for guests with disabilities where special requirements have been indicated via online registration. If you have requested accessible seating please advise your guests to enter the marquee via the accessible entrance where they will be greeted by a steward and shown to their seats.

Can I bring more than two guests?

Graduation is a ticketed event and in order to be fair to everyone, all students are allocated two guest tickets to the marquee ceremony. Additional guests are welcome to join the live stream held in the Graduation Village.

Note: unfortunately, at this stage, we are unable to supply any additional tickets for the 2025 graduation ceremonies.

Depending on the number of graduates attending the ceremonies, we may be able to accommodate additional guests in the ceremonies for those with exceptional circumstances.

More information relating to additional tickets will be made available closer to the graduation date.

How do I get to Harper Adams?

Information on travelling to the University can be found on our How to get to Harper Adams page.

What time should I arrive?

To see full instructions for both ceremonies, please refer to your ceremony guides:

Will I be able to get something to eat?

The Graduation Village, located directly in front of the QMH building, will be your base camp for the day, where you and your guests can buy alcoholic and non-alcoholic refreshments, choose from a range of street food vendors and celebrate your success with your guests, fellow students and faculty.  Your ticket will include a voucher for a complimentary glass of fizz, which can be exchanged at any point in the day.

Catering outlets on campus will also be open. Details will be available on the day.

We also have a number of pre-booked catering options available on our online store.

Is there somewhere I can store luggage?

Unfortunately, we do not have a secure area for storing your luggage or belongings.

What accommodation is there in the area?

Whilst we cannot offer any accommodation on campus, we have listed a range of accommodation options close by:

What happens if it rains?

Graduation will still go ahead if the weather is wet. Please check the forecast and bring an umbrella if it looks like rain!

What if I have unpaid fees?

If you have unpaid fees you will need to have reached an agreement with the Director of Finance before graduation or you may not be permitted to attend.  This is set out in the published Collection of Student Debt Policy. Please contact the Finance Office for further information if you are in this position, at income@harper-adams.ac.uk or on 01952 815214.

Can I defer my graduation ceremony?

Unfortunately, deferrals are not possible. Please still register online to let us know that you will not be attending.

Can I opt out of my graduation ceremony?

Yes, you can graduate in absentia. This means that you do not have to attend the ceremony and your Certificate will be posted to your address. If you do not want to attend graduation, let us know by completing the graduation registration form.

The graduation ceremonies will be filmed and streamed live on the Harper Adams University website, and the recordings will be available online for the month following the ceremonies. If you have any queries or concerns regarding the above please let us know at graduation@harper-adams.ac.uk

I am not attending graduation, how do I get my degree certificate?

If you qualify for your award but do not register to attend graduation, your certificate will automatically be sent to your registered home address, by secure post, usually within four weeks of graduation. Please ensure the University has your correct postal address when you complete the registration form.

Please contact Exams Office for any queries in relation to your certificate.

Graduation day

Graduation day guidance

What to wear

Food and drink

FAQs

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