Graduation

Check your confirmation email from the University (titled "Degree Ceremony Confirmation"): If there are any mistakes with your address, attendance mode or the degree you will receive; or if you did not get that email, then let us know.

Clear your College Battels and any Loans. You may not be permitted to graduate if you have any outstanding debt to the University.

Those taking a DPhil; MLitt; or MSc by Research: Make sure to submit a digital copy of your thesis to the Bodleian at least 5 days before the ceremony. You may not be able to graduate if you fail to do this.

You will receive an email from SJC Events Team closer to the date, which will invite you to book online to secure places for celebrations in College for you and your guests (maximum of 2).

The Events Team will be emailing in advance of your graduation with an invitation to book online for the reception and details of how to arrange gown hire.

Gowns for the ceremony can be hired from Ede & Ravenscroft, Shepherd and Woodward or Churchill Gowns.

Celebrations organised in College are free for graduands, and a maximum of two guests.

On the day, when you register at SJC prior to the ceremony, you will receive two tickets for your guests. No additional tickets will be available.

Guests are encouraged not to take photographs or record videos during the ceremony in the Sheldonian. However, please be aware that by attending a degree ceremony at the University of Oxford, either as a graduand or as a guest, you may be captured in photography or film footage.

The ceremony will be streamed online for those who can't travel to Oxford: http://livestream.com/oxevents

You must wear full academic dress (sub fusc) for the ceremony. Please read this carefully prior to your ceremony to ensure that you are appropriately dressed as the University will not permit you to enter your graduation ceremony if you are not wearing the right clothing:

One of:

dark suit with dark socks, or
dark skirt with black tights or stockings, or
dark trousers with dark socks or dark hosiery

Dark coat if required

Black shoes (no open toed shoes or sandals). To protect the flooring in the Sheldonian, stiletto heels are not allowed.

Plain white collared shirt or blouse

White bow tie, black bow tie, black full-length tie, or black ribbon.

Ministers of religion may wear clerical dress, with a gown over, when attending ceremonies. If you wear a head dress / scarf for religious reasons, a black scarf should be worn. Members of the armed forces may wear service dress under their gowns.

Please do not bring any personal items with you to the Sheldonian. We suggest that you leave any personal items with your guests (ie bags, phone etc).

Given the way the booking system works, it is not possible to arrange spaces at the same ceremony to a group of friends.

Please let us know in advance if you have any special requirements for the Ceremony or celebrations in College.

For guests: There is limited step-free seating available in the Sheldonian. This cannot be booked in advance. Please make yourselves known to the staff at the Sheldonian when you arrive and they will do their best to seat your party together.

View an Access Guide to the Sheldonian Theatre

View an Access Guide to St John’s

Contact degrees@sjc.ox.ac.uk. If you have had your place confirmed on a ceremony by the University and if you cancel within 60 days of the ceremony, you will automatically go through in absentia. All cancellations must be made in writing (an email is acceptable), and you cannot ask somebody to cancel on your behalf. Please note that if you cancel before the 60-day timeframe it may be some time before a place becomes available for you on a future ceremony.

If you are invited to a specific ceremony and want to change dates, please contact us If you swap dates, you give up your place on the current ceremony and might not be able to re-join it. You won’t be able to move dates if it is within one month of the ceremony.

If you are due to attend a ceremony in person, you can change your mind and decide to graduate in absentia within 1 month of the ceremony. Please let us know if you would like to do this as soon as possible.

If you attend a ceremony for your highest degree, you can collect your lower degrees at the same time in absentia. You won’t be able to go back and attend a ceremony for them retrospectively.

Yes, but you must confer them in order from lowest to highest (e.g. if you want to collect your BA, MA and DPhil, you need to first graduate for your BA, then your MA, then your DPhil).

If you obtained your lower degree in another College but want to graduate for a higher degree taken at St. John's, you can confirm your lower degree in absentia alongside your higher degree at St. John's.

The waiting list works on a 'first come first served' basis. There is no guarantee, but we will do our best to fit you in.

Please let us know if you are not able to attend a date any longer, so that we can remove you from that waiting list.

The University's booking system limits us to one waiting list per person. If you were unsuccessful securing a place, you will not automatically be added to waiting list of the next ceremony. Please contact us if you want to be added to the next suitable date.

You will receive an email from the University confirming your place on a ceremony. We expect this to be sent no later than one month before the ceremony.

Yes, we can add you to another waiting list. Please email degrees@sjc.ox.ac.uk. We will not enter you, unless you get in touch with us.

Graduands of MA, DD, DCL, DM or MCh are asked to kneel in front of the Vice-Chancellor, who touches them on the head with a Bible. You can opt out of this part of the ceremony. All other degrees are unaffected by this. You cannot request the non-Christian formula on the day of the ceremony.

Please email degrees@sjc.ox.ac.uk.