Graduation FAQs

Graduation ceremonies for our 2026 graduates will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) between Monday 2 and Friday 6 November 2026.  

If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate taught student, you can find the date and time of the ceremony for your programme on our website.

If you are a postgraduate research student, the exact date and time of your ceremony will be confirmed in your formal invitation, which will be sent throughout September. Your ceremony will be based on your area of research.  

If you are unsure when your ceremony is taking place or you haven’t received your formal invitation by 1 October, please contact AskBU.

The Graduation ceremonies will be held at the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) in Bournemouth. You can find out more about the venue on their website.

Your graduation ceremony will last for approximately 1.5 hours. However, we recommend allocating time before and after your ceremony when planning your day.

When you arrive at the BIC, make your way to the Solent Hall to collect your gown and have any photographs taken. We recommend arriving two hours before your ceremony to allow ample time for this.

After the ceremony you can meet your family, friends and lecturers in the Purbeck Hall for your post-ceremony reception for a glass of fizz and entertainment - this part of the day will last about an hour.

Graduate seating

The graduate entrance to the Windsor Hall is found opposite the Solent Hall and will open 30 minutes before the ceremony. Please make sure you take your seat no later than 15 minutes before the ceremony starts. Marshals will be on hand to help you find your allocated seat for your course.

Guest seating

Guests seating is not allocated. Once guests enter the Windsor Hall they are free to sit wherever they would like (with the exception of student and reserved areas). All guests are required to have a ticket in order to attend the ceremony.

The ceremony

At the beginning of the ceremony, you will be welcomed by the Master of Ceremonies and asked to stand while the procession enter Windsor Hall. Once they are seated, you’ll be formally welcomed, and the ceremony officially opened. 

It’s now time to graduate! We encourage you to cheer and applaud everyone crossing the stage during your ceremony. When it is your turn, please follow our Marshals and make your way to the left side of the room whilst staying in your seated order.  

To conclude the ceremony, you will be asked to stand for the departure of the procession. We will be operating a one-way system throughout the event, so please follow the advice of our staff and find your way to our post-ceremony reception in Purbeck Hall. Guest(s) will be asked to leave via a different exit door and will be directed to Purbeck Hall to meet you.

Our post ceremony reception is the perfect opportunity to catch up with course mates, friends, and BU staff members. Taking place in the Purbeck Hall for approximately an hour, you will be greeted by our reception band and a glass of fizz or orange juice. 

Next to the Purbeck Hall is the Tregonwell Hall where you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take Graduation photos with family and friends. This is also where you will return your gown.

If you feel unwell, please do not attend graduation. You can watch the ceremonies live online instead, and we will post your certificate to your preferred address. 

If you purchased tickets and you or your guest are no longer able to attend your Graduation ceremony, please refer to the Graduation Refund Policy below.

All Graduation Ceremonies will be broadcast live on the BU website for friends and family that are unable to attend. Recordings will also be uploaded to the BU YouTube channel after the event for graduates and guest(s) to enjoy (www.youtube.com/bournemouthuni).

If you are arriving in Bournemouth by car, the car park at the Bournemouth International Centre is a public pay-and-display car park and isn’t reserved exclusively for this event. You can find out more details on the parking facilities available (including charges and facilities for the disabled) on the Bournemouth International Centre website.

More information on parking (including charges and car park locations) in the local area can be found on the BCP Council parking website.

When paying for parking, please consider that the duration of our Ceremonies can vary.

If you are looking to stay in Bournemouth, the Bournemouth Tourism website features a wide range of accommodation options. You can contact the Bournemouth Tourism Team on 01202 451781 for general information or visit their website (www.bournemouth.co.uk/accommodation).     

We recommend any travel or accommodation bookings are made with caution and where possible allow for free cancellation if necessary.

Many local businesses offer deals and discounts for students during Graduation week. We will include offers that we are made aware of here to help you celebrate.

You must have received your Graduation invitation to complete registration and book your ticket. You'll need to follow the link in your invitation to MyHub to let us know by the booking deadline of 11.59pm on Sunday 4 October 2026 whether you intend to:  

• Attend the ceremony with or without guests, including notifying us of any special seating requirements for you or your guests 

• Not attend, known as ‘Graduating in Absence’ where you don’t come to the ceremony. Your certificate will be posted to you in late November or December, to the address we hold for you in MyHub 

• Defer your graduation to next year. If you request to defer you will not receive your certificate until you attend that ceremony. Please see our Deferral Policy for more information. 

You will need to use your BU username and password to login to myHub. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it through myHub by clicking 'Forgotten your password?' and then selecting the 'Password Reset Tool'.

If you do not register by 11.59pm on Sunday 4 October 2026, you will not be able to attend your ceremony.

Invites will be sent throughout September to the email address we hold for you in MyHub. If you have any queries, please contact askBU before the booking deadline of 11.59pm on Sunday 4 October.

If you are granted an award by a BU Assessment Board by 25 September 2026 you will be eligible to attend the ceremony and you will receive an invitation in September inviting you to register your attendance. If you have any questions, please get in touch with AskBU.

If you are a PhD student expecting to graduate this year, your ceremony will be held between 2 - 6 November and you will receive your invitation for the specific date in September.

If you decide not to attend the Graduation Ceremony, it is just as important that you respond to your invitation and complete your registration so that we know where to post your certificate after the event. 

If you have finished your course and do not register, we will not automatically send your certificate out to you.

Please wait to receive your invitation email for your ceremony before attempting to register via MyHub. Invitations will be sent out in batches throughout September.

If you have received your invitation, but are having trouble registering, please contact AskBU for assistance.

You can access and amend your booking up until the registration deadline, 11.59pm on Sunday 4 October 2026. You will receive a confirmation email detailing any changes you make.

You can also request to defer your ceremony to the following year. If you request to defer you will not receive your certificate until you attend that ceremony. Please see our Deferral Policy for more information. 

You will need to use your BU username and password to login to myHub. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it through myHub by clicking 'Forgotten your password?' and then selecting the 'Password Reset Tool'.

If you do not register by 11.59pm on Sunday 4 October 2026, you will not be able to attend your ceremony.

Guest seating is not allocated, so once your guests enter the Windsor Hall they are free to sit wherever they would like (with the exception of student and reserved areas). This means they can choose an aisle seat if they need one.

During registration, you will be asked to let us know whether you or your guests have special requirements we need to be aware of such as:

• You or your guests require a BSL Interpreter (only available upon request, subject to availability)
• Wheelchair or mobility scooter user
• Guide/Assistance dog user
• Bringing pram(s)
• Mobility difficulty
• Visual impairment
• Hearing impairment
• Pregnancy
• Temporary disability (i.e. broken leg)
• Individual needs or access requirements
• Bringing a carer (free tickets for carers are available).

We may contact you prior to the day to discuss any special arrangements with you. You can find out what amendments can be made for people with special requirements below.

Any further special seating requirements will be dealt with by BH Live on the day. There will be an area of accessible seating at the front of the hall reserved for guests who require it.

Children under 12 are welcome to attend and we offer a discounted rate - tickets for children aged 6 – 11 are £10 and tickets for children under the age of 5 are free. Please note that guests will be seated in a separate area of the hall from graduates. There is room set aside for children and babies at the venue.

Additional requirements can be considered for graduates with very young children, such as family members being seated close by. If you need to let us know of any additional requirements, please let us know at the time of booking or get in touch with AskBU.

Please get in touch with AskBU for any outstanding queries relating to your Graduation. 

When you register to attend your ceremony, you will be given two free guest tickets. After registration closes on Sunday 4 October, if there are any spare tickets remaining, they will go on sale via the BH Live website (£1 booking fee applies) until the ceremony has sold out.

Additional guest tickets are charged at:

• £17.50 for ages 12+
• £10 for ages 6-11
• Free for under 5s.

Due to there being a limited number of tickets for each ceremony, additional guest tickets are purchased on a first come, first served basis and each graduate can only purchase a maximum of six additional guest tickets per transaction. Please be patient if you need to wait in a queue to make your purchase.

Additional guest tickets will be on sale:

• Monday 2 November ceremonies go on sale Wednesday 14 October, at 2:30pm
• Tuesday 3 November ceremonies go on sale Thursday 15 October, at 11:00am
• Wednesday 4 November ceremonies go on sale Thursday 15 October, at 2:30pm
• Thursday 5 November ceremonies go on sale Friday 16 October at 11:00am
• Friday 6 November ceremonies go on sale Friday 16 October, at 2:30pm.

We will contact you after registration closes with more information about purchasing additional guest tickets.

If you have any queries related to guest tickets please see our graduation web pages or email [email protected].

Should you wish to cancel guest ticket(s) for your graduation ceremony, please email [email protected] before 5pm on Friday 30 October 2026 (the “Refund Deadline”). Refund requests submitted before the refund deadline will be processed back to the card used to make the original payment within five working days. The full ticket price will be refunded to the purchaser. Please note that Transaction Fees paid upon booking are non-refundable.

When you register your attendance or opt to graduate in absence, you will be shown how your name will appear on your certificate and you will be asked to confirm it is correct. If it is not correct, you will be given instructions on how to update it.  

If you are due to graduate this year, you will receive your certificate at your award ceremony. If you register to graduate in absence, your certificate will be posted to the address you register with, after your ceremony has taken place. 

If any employers or other educational institutions wish to verify your award from Bournemouth University, they must use HEDD, the UK’s official degree verification hub at www.hedd.ac.uk.

Your Diploma Supplement will be emailed to your BU email address in late November.

If you have any further queries, please get in touch with AskBU.

Please ensure you check the latest UK government travel guidance for entering England, we suggest booking flexible travel options in case of changes to this guidance.

Seating arrangements can be made to meet additional requirements. Graduate seating is located on the flat floor area in front of the stage. Guest seating is normally on the tiered area behind the graduates, so it is important we know of any mobility issues to help us allocate seating.  

Wheelchair access: A lift is available to help you access the stage to receive your award; otherwise, steps are used to get on and off the stage. If use of the lift is required, please let us know when registering on-line and we will contact you to confirm arrangements for the day.  

If you or your guests require the loan of a wheelchair for the day, your local British Red Cross may be able to assist you. Their wheelchair hire is usually free of charge but may require a refundable deposit.  

Parking permits/blue badge holders: Dedicated parking for holders of special permits and blue badges is available at the BIC.  

Assistance for deaf or hard or hearing: BSL interpreters are only available upon request. Please let us know when you register if you need BSL interpreters at the ceremony and if you or your guests need to be seated in clear sight of them.  

The BIC are also able to supply additional equipment to anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing in order to make use of their induction loop system. Please let the BIC know in advance if you wish to use this service.  

Assistance for blind people: Assistance dogs are permitted into the BIC. Should special seating or any other arrangements be required please let us know when registering to graduate. Water for assistance dogs is available from the First Aid Room, located on the ground floor of the BIC.  

Please let us know when you register if you would like the Graduation Ceremony Programme to be made available in Braille. 

You will be able to add this to your basket online when you hire your gown. Please see Ede and Ravenscroft website for more details and the variety of packages available. There will also be the opportunity after the ceremony to purchase a photo of you crossing the stage as well as professional photography on the day.

No, the professional photography service is completely optional. You and your guests can take your own photos at any time – please note that all guests must remain seated in the hall during the ceremony.

Cloakroom facilities are available at the Bournemouth International Centre to store your belongings at a charge of £2 per item. This is available from the main foyer reception desk and must be paid for by card only.

Graduates should be gowned and ready to enter the hall 30 minutes before the ceremony starts.  If you are running late, we will permit you entry up until the ceremony start times at 10am, 2pm and 5pm, however late entry to the hall is not usually permitted once the ceremony has begun.

Yes, Graduation is a formal event, and you must wear the correct academic dress for your award if you attend the Graduation Ceremony.

Graduation gown hire can be ordered from Ede & Ravenscroft for £29 and you can find out more about the different gowns on our hiring your gown webpages.

We have some free gowns available to support graduates in financial hardship, estranged students and care leavers. If you wish to attend your ceremony but find the cost of the gown hire is prohibitive, please contact AskBU to request a free gown. The number of free gowns is limited, restricted to those in genuine need, and applications will be considered on a ‘first come first served’ basis.

Your clothes are still clearly visible under your gown, and it is expected that everyone will dress smartly as is appropriate for the occasion.

On the day you may find it useful to bring a couple of safety pins and hair grips to help secure your gown and hood.

Guests should also dress appropriately for the occasion.

We recommend that you hire a gown from Ede and Ravenscroft, Bournemouth University's official gown supplier. They have won a tender which takes into account quality, customer service and value for money, and they will be in the BIC on the day to help you in person. Please order your gown as far in advance as possible and no later than 11.59pm on Wednesday 21 October. You will need to bring your gown confirmation details with you on the day of your ceremony.

When booking your gown, you will need the following details:

Height
Hat size (circumference of your head taken just above your ears)
Qualification
Date and time of your ceremony.

Please see www.gownhire.co.uk for booking and all related information.

Graduates have the option to hire or purchase a gown from a different supplier, but you must ensure it's the correct style and colours for your award, outlined on our website. Always read the returns policy before buying from companies online and note any postage or delivery charges applicable.

If you have further questions about booking your gown or photography you can contact Ede & Ravenscroft using the details below:

Ede and Ravenscroft

Telephone: +44 (0)1223 861 854

Contact through online enquiry form

Gown hire FAQs: https://graduation-services.edeandravenscroft.com/faq?id=3