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Curve Theatre will once again welcome the final cohort of students from the Class of 2026 as our graduands prepare to walk, strut or dance across the stage and receive their well-earned degrees. 

Graduation ceremonies will take place between Monday 25 January and Friday 29 January at Curve Theatre, Leicester.  

If you are eligible for graduation, you will have received an email from our Academic Awards team, inviting you to secure your place at your ceremony. This email will go to your Â鶹ӰԺ and alumni email addresses, as well as any personal email address you registered on the university’s student record system. 

You must book onto your ceremony by 5pm on Monday 23 November.  

If you are expecting an email but you haven’t received one (even after checking your spam), then check out the eligibility criteria on our graduation guidance page. 

As you secure your place at your ceremony, you will also need to rent your gown and hood from , our official academic dress supplier. William Northam is the only place you can rent your robes from for your Â鶹ӰԺ ceremony.  

All graduands must wear the university’s full academic dress hired in advance of the ceremony. Please also wear formal attire. You may be turned away from the ceremony if you are dressed inappropriately.  

You must book your robes by 5pm on Friday 8 January 2027. 

Guest tickets and photography 

If you’d like to buy guest tickets for your ceremony, you can purchase up to two tickets at £22 each when you confirm your place on the . 

All students who confirm their place by the booking deadline of 23 November at 5pm can buy up to two guest tickets; after this date, the two guest tickets are no longer guaranteed. Further information on additional tickets is detailed below. 

You can also purchase a in advance of the ceremonies through our website. Simply book a time slot that works best for you (you can also book on the day, but may then need to queue). 

Travelling from abroad? 

If you are flying in from abroad to attend your graduation, please plan any travel, visa, parking, and accommodation needs.  

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. 

Graduation support fund 

Â鶹ӰԺ offers students who are facing genuine, unexpected and unavoidable financial hardship the opportunity to apply to our Graduation Support Fund by submitting an application to receive two guest tickets and gown hire at no charge.  

If applying to the Graduation Support Fund you must: 

• Still book your own place at the relevant Graduation ceremony by the deadline of Monday 23 November at 5pm 

• Purchase guest tickets - as the outcome of your application to the fund won’t be known until after the ticket booking window has closed, so you still need to book guest tickets. 

More information about the Graduation Support Fund can be found on our website. 

If you have any additional questions or need any help, our team are here to support you. Contact us at academicawards@dmu.ac.uk. 

 

FAQS 

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 YouTube 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 from 21 September and we aim to post all certificates before 13 November 2026. If you haven’t received it by then, please contact our academic awards team. 

Certificates can be collected on campus with an arranged appointment from 21 September. Please contact our Exams and Awards team via email at academicawards@dmu.ac.uk.