What you need to know about 2026 September graduations

What you need to know about 2026 September graduations

In just under a month, we will be starting the celebrations for our Class of 2026 at Curve Theatre.

From Tuesday 8 to Tuesday 15 September, thousands of proud DMU graduands will be walking across the stage to receive their degree certificates and thus graduate from their courses.

It’s a wonderful occasion to celebrate with your friends and loved ones, and to alleviate any stress you may have going into the big day, we put together this short, handy guide to ensure you’re prepared.

Preparing for the big day

Graduation is a formal event, so we ask that you don your Sunday best and wear something smart. Looking for some inspiration? Check out our galleries online.

Before heading out for the day, double-check that you have:

• Email confirmations of your student booking (this can be on your phone or you may prefer to print a copy)
• Robe and photography booking confirmation
• Depending on where you are planning to park, you might want to bring along comfy footwear too.
• Please note there is no storage facility for luggage and large bags at Curve Theatre.

On the day:

Collecting your tickets is quick and simple, just pop down to our Student Registration Desk at Curve Theatre and state your name.

After receiving your tickets, head over to Rehearsal Room 3 on the second floor to collect your robe.

To ensure the ceremony starts on time and the day runs as smoothly as possible, please take your seat 30 minutes before the stated start time.

The ceremony is usually 90 minutes long, longer if there’s an honorary degree conferred. Despite that, each individual's moment onstage can feel short-lived, so it’s important to make the most of every second. Smile, cross the stage and soak in the moment – you’ve earned this!

Graduands doff their hat to the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor. It’s a very straightforward gesture; you simply place your right hand on the edge of your hat and tilt your head towards the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor as you pass by or approach them. Just a gentle tip forward is fine!

Please note: employees from the university will be taking pictures for our social media and internal channels. They may approach you for a photograph or short interview. If you don’t want to take part, please just politely decline and the team will move on.

FAQs

What do I need to wear on the day?

You must wear full university academic dress of robe, hood and hat for your graduation ceremony. You'll need to order your robes in advance from our graduation gown partner, William Northam Ltd.

More on robe hire can be found on our graduation hub. Under your robes, please wear formal attire.

How long is the ceremony?

The ceremony takes approximately 90 minutes, although if your ceremony includes an individual collecting an honorary degree, it may take longer.

What happens in the ceremony?

Well, you are the main event. When your name is called, walk, strut or dance across the stage. Enjoy every moment – you’ve earned it.

The ceremony officially begins with the academic procession of the Chancellor (or Pro-Chancellor) before the curtain lifts and you (the graduand) are revealed to the cheering auditorium.

There will be a series of speeches from the Vice-Chancellor or Dean of the Faculty before a live performance from the Curve Quintet choir.

Then it’s your moment to shine! You will be called out school by school and course by course.

If you are inviting guests outside the UK to your ceremony, who are from a country which requires a visa, they will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa.

Students cross the stage and doff their hat to the Chancellor, seated in the middle of the front row in a golden chair. Towards the end of the platform, the Vice-Chancellor (or nominee) will greet you and award you your degree certificate.

Your moment of crossing the stage will be captured on video as a clip. This will be emailed to you after the ceremony.

Does my degree classification (grade) get read out when I collect my certificate?

No, your grades won’t be read out – just the name on your certificate.

Is there any recording of me crossing the stage?

Yes. We use StageClip to capture your special moment. You’ll see a camera at the end of the stage when you cross it.

Within hours of your graduation ceremony, you will receive an email with a link to your own personalised StageClip video, so that you can capture the moment and share it forever.

Alternatively, you can rewatch our graduation live ceremonies on YouTube at your leisure!

I’m an international student coming back to Leicester for graduation. What do I need to do?

We offer general advice for international students in more depth here. If your current Study Visa expires after the date of your graduation, you will not need a visa to attend graduation unless your course finishes early.

If your current Student Visa expires before the graduation ceremony, you won’t be able to extend it for the purpose of attending the ceremony.

Unless you are eligible to switch to a different type of visa in the UK, you should leave the UK; you may return to the UK under the Standard Visitor visa as you will no longer be a student. This visa cannot be applied for inside the UK.

I have family and friends who want to watch but don’t have a ticket. Is there a way for them to watch my moment?

Absolutely. We livestream all of our ceremonies on Facebook or on the screens around campus. If you’re on our Facebook livestream, your family can drop a shoutout to you in our live chat.

I can’t attend my graduation ceremony; will I still receive my certificate?

Yes, don’t worry if you can’t make it. You will receive your certificate in the post by the end of October. If you haven’t received it by then, please contact our academic awards team.

Please note that you won’t be able to collect your certificate in person on campus.

A full graduation hub page is available on our website.

If you do have further questions, please reach out to the academic awards team.