Your graduation

Summer graduation will take place on Wednesday 24 until Friday 26 July 2024.

Winter graduation will take place on Tuesday 3 December until Wednesday 4 December 2024.

Both events will take place at Twickenham Stadium.

Dates

Four graduates celebrating outside the University of West London

Wednesday 24 July

  • 10:30am - London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism and The Claude Littner Business School
  • 1:30pm - The Claude Littner Business School
  • 4:30pm - The Claude Littner Business School

Thursday 25 July

  • 10:30am - School of Computing and Engineering
  • 1:30pm - School of Computing and Engineering and School of Law
  • 4:30pm - College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare

Friday 26 July

  • 10:30am - School of Human and Social Sciences and School of Medicine and Biosciences
  • 1:30pm - London School of Film, Media and Design and The Institute for Policing Studies (IPS)
  • 4:30pm - London College of Music and Drama Studio London

Due to capacity issues we may move you to a different ceremony than originally advertised; however, we will aim to keep any disruption to a minimum by moving you to the nearest available ceremony where possible.

Book your graduation ceremony place

Graduates in gowns celebrate at Twickenham Stadium

Registration is now open and invitations have been sent to both University and personal e-mail accounts.

You can also access the registration through your MyRegistry account. Registration for graduation will close on Sunday 16 June.

Essential information

  • Animals

    With the exception of guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for the deaf, pets and other animals are not permitted.

  • Attendance and tickets

    • You must confirm your attendance and book your ticket online.
    • You can initially book up to two guaranteed guest tickets (£20 each). These tickets are guaranteed and are available until the registration deadline of Sunday 16 June.
  • Children

    Guest tickets are not available for babies and children under six years of age. Babies or children aged five years or under will not be permitted to enter Twickenham Stadium.

    Children aged six years and above may attend the ceremonies as guests. Please note that all guests, including children, must sit in an allocated seat. This means that seats for children will need to be reserved and purchased as a guest ticket. Children aged six years and above will not be permitted entry to the venue on the day of your ceremony without a valid guest ticket.

    All children aged 15 years or under must be accompanied at all times in the stadium grounds by their parent, guardian or other responsible adult with a guest ticket. Responsibility for a minor remains at all times with the parent or guardian.

  • Deferrals

    As part of the registration process you are given the option to request a deferral. We will review these requests after the ceremonies have taken place. Please note that students are only able to defer for one year from initial eligible invitation.

  • Eligibility

    You must have settled any academic debts (such as tuition fees) with the University of West London in order to attend graduation. You also must have your award ratified at an academic board by Friday 28 June 2024 and registered your attendance by Sunday 16 June.

  • Guests from overseas

    If you are inviting guests or family (maximum of two) from abroad who need help in obtaining a visa to attend your graduation ceremony, please go to the UK Visa and Immigration website for full visa information.
    You may wish to write your own invitation letter to your family to invite them to visit you and provide this to your family members. You can use the sample letter below as a guide, but please note that this is only provided as guidance and not an official guidance document.
    Once you have registered and booked your graduation tickets, you can then request a letter from the university confirming your graduation ceremony details and provide it to your family to support their visa applications. You will need to email studentletters@uwl.ac.uk to request this letter.
    You may also wish to use the below documents to support any visa applications:
    • your email invitation
    • your online registration confirmation
    • your transcript
    For any further visa advice please contact studentadvice@uwl.ac.uk
  • Seating

    • Graduands will be informed of their seat number on the day of graduation at registration.
    • Guest seating is not seat specific and therefore guests can sit where they wish in any of the allocated seating.
    • Children (over the age of six) attending as guests must also be accompanied with an adult guest. Graduands and guests are not seated together.
  • Special requirements

    As part of the registration and booking process, you will be asked to confirm whether any of your guests have special seating requirements. You will be contacted before graduation to discuss these needs so that we can reserve appropriate seating for your guests.

    Disabled parking is available at Twickenham Stadium.

  • Student Visa holder

    If your graduation ceremony is after the expiry date of your visa you need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa from outside the UK in order to return to the UK.

    Once you have registered to attend graduation, you can contact your academic administrator to provide you with a supporting letter confirming your graduation date. You can use this together with your email invitation and registration confirmation to support your Standard Visitor Visa application.

    You can contact studentadvice@uwl.ac.uk for more guidance and information.

Tickets

UWL's hospitality, tourism, computing and engineering students graduating at Twickenham Stadium.

Guest tickets

  • You can purchase up to two guest tickets. 
  • Guest tickets cost £20 each. 
  • We do not automatically allocate your two guaranteed guest tickets. You must reserve these online when you register for graduation.
  • You may change your ticket booking request until the registration period is over. Once registration has closed, it will no longer be possible to request further tickets. 
  • Guest tickets are not transferable, so you cannot give your guest tickets to another student or use them at another graduation session.
Graduating students in computing and engineering

Additional guest tickets

During the registration process, you can request how many additional tickets you would be interested in purchasing in addition to the two guaranteed tickets.

  • You can request up to three additional tickets at this point. 
  • Additional tickets cost £20 each. 
  • Once registration closes on Sunday 16 June, we will allocate any additional tickets (subject to availability). 
  • We cannot guarantee there will be any additional tickets available, as it depends on whether there is sufficient capacity once registration closes. 
  • If you request additional guest tickets, we will be in contact nearer the date of your ceremony to inform you of the outcome.
  • Refunds

    Paid for guest tickets are non-refundable or transferable to other graduation ceremonies unless you have not had your award ratified by the deadline.

Gowning

Two students at graduation tossing their caps in the air

All graduands attending a graduation ceremony must wear academic dress. This is made up of a gown, a hood and a hat. It is your responsibility to order the appropriate academic dress from the official gown supplier, Ede & Ravenscroft, ahead of your graduation ceremony. 

  • Ordering your gown

    • You should pre-order your gown hire online once registration is open.
    • Gown orders will close no earlier than 21 days before your graduation date. 
    • If you have not ordered your gown by this deadline then you will be able to state your interest with Ede & Ravenscroft who will then do their best to accommodate this on the day of graduation at Twickenham Stadium. 
    • For gowns, please give your full height, in metres and centimetres or feet and inches. If your chest is over 52" (132cm) you will be asked to supply exact measurements. When measuring your height please do not wear any footwear with a heel.
    • For hats, please supply the measurement for the circumference of your head, taking the measurement from one inch (2.5cm) above your eyebrows. 
  • Collecting your gown

    Once you have ordered your gown you can collect it on the day of your ceremony from the Spirit of Rugby room at Twickenham Stadium. Before you collect your gown, make sure you collect your registration card.

    You can collect your gown during the following times:

    • Gown collection is available from 8:30am for 10:30am ceremony
    • Gown collection is available from 11:30am for 1:30pm ceremony
    • Gown collection is available from 2:30pm for 4:30pm ceremony
  • Returning your gown

    All academic dress must be returned in The Lock (unless by prior agreement with Ede & Ravenscroft). If you do not return your gown on time you risk additional hire charges.

    The gown return deadline is 7pm on each graduation day. You should return your gown prior to leaving the stadium as we cannot guarantee re-admission to do so.

  • Ordering with another company

    The official academic dress provider for University of West London is Ede & Ravenscroft who are commissioned by UWL to design and make available to students for hire or purchase and we strongly recommend them for the quality of robes and service provided on the day of your ceremony.  

    It is not mandatory for you to hire your academic dress from Ede & Ravenscroft, therefore you can decide to deal elsewhere. If you do use another company, please consider that we cannot assure the authenticity, quality, and timely delivery. You will have to arrange for delivery to your home address and bring your academic dress with you on the day of your ceremony as the venue cannot accept delivery of such items for individual students. You will also be required to gown yourself on the day. 

Student Support Fund on graduation dress hire

UWL’s Student Support Fund (SSF) has a separate application process for those students whose unforeseen financial hardship prevents them from meeting the costs of dress hire for their graduation ceremony.

Applications for the summer 2024 Graduate Dress Hire Student Support Fund (SSF) are now open. The closing date for applications to be received is Sunday 23 June 2024. We would strongly recommend that you submit your application and supporting evidence as soon as you are able, to allow for processing time, requests for any additional information and consideration of your application.

Coins in a glass jar pouring out

This will allow UWL’s SSF panel to conduct a financial assessment of your circumstances and make a decision on whether you can be supported with the costs of the dress hire for your graduation ceremony.

Photography

Two male graduates posing for a photo.

Ede & Ravenscroft are the official photographers for our graduation ceremonies. Their studios will be located in The Live Room for portrait and family photographs (all family participants must have a guest ticket). 

You can make it quicker on the day by pre-booking your photography online once registration is open.

The photography studios will be open from the following times:

  • Photography is available from 8:30am for 10:30am ceremony
  • Photography is available from 11:30am for 1:30pm ceremony
  • Photography is available from 2:30pm for 4:30pm ceremony

All guests participating in photography must have a paid for guest ticket as the studios are within the stadium grounds. There is no access to the photography studios for guests without a ticket.

Schedule for the day

A group of graduates throwing their mortarboard hats in the air at Twickenham Stadium.

10:30am ceremony

  • 8:30am: Doors open at Rose and Poppy Gates
  • 8:30am: Registration desks open in Spirit of Rugby
  • 8:30am: Robing open with Ede & Ravenscroft in The Live Room
  • 10 - 10:15am: The Rose Suite open for ceremony seating
  • 10:15am: Registration desks close
  • 10:20am: Briefing for graduands in The Rose Suite
  • 10:30am: Ceremony begins
  • 11:45am: Ceremony ends (approx)
  • 11:45am - 1pm: Ceremony reception in The Lock

The last entrance for guests to the 10:30am ceremony is at 11am.

Two UWL graduates sitting in the stands at Twickenham Stadium.

1:30pm ceremony

  • 11:30am – Doors open at Rose and Poppy Gates
  • 11:30am – Registration desks open in Spirit of Rugby
  • 11:30am – Robing open with Ede & Ravenscroft in The Live Room
  • 1 - 1:15pm – The Rose Suite open for ceremony seating
  • 1:15pm – Registration desks close
  • 1:20pm – Briefing for graduands in The Rose Suite
  • 1:30pm – Ceremony begins
  • 2:45pm – Ceremony ends (approx)
  • 2:45 - 4pm – Ceremony reception in The Lock

The last entrance for guests to the 1:30pm ceremony is at 2pm.

Four graduates standing pitchside at Twickenham Stadium, throwing their hats in the air to celebrate graduating..

4:30pm ceremony

  • 2:30pm – Doors open at Rose and Poppy Gates
  • 2:30pm – Registration desks open in Spirit of Rugby
  • 2:30pm – Robing open with Ede & Ravenscroft in The Live Room
  • 4 - 4:15pm – The Rose Suite open for ceremony seating
  • 4:15pm – Registration desks close
  • 4:20pm – Briefing for graduands in The Rose Suite
  • 4:30pm – Ceremony begins
  • 5:45pm – Ceremony ends (approx)
  • 5:45 - 7pm – Ceremony reception in The Lock

The last entrance for guests to the 4:30pm ceremony is at 5pm.

Venue

Summer 2024 graduation will take place at Twickenham Stadium.

Twickenham Stadium, 200 Whitton Rd, Twickenham TW2 7BA

Public transport, parking

  • Train/Tube

    • Twickenham Rail Station - 10 min walk 
    • Whitton Rail Station - 20 min walk 
    • St Margaret's Rail Station - 20 min walk 
    • Richmond Rail & Tube - 8 min train 
    • Hounslow East Tube - 30 min bus 
  • Bus

    • 281 route - 1 min walk 
    • 481 route - 1 min walk 
    • 681 route - 1 min walk 
    • H20 route - 5 min walk 
    • 267 route - 8 min walk 
    • R68, R70, 33, 290, 110, H22 or 490 - 10/15 min walk 
  • Air

    • Heathrow - 6 miles 
    • London City - 20 miles 
    • London Gatwick - 30 miles 
    • Stansted - 50 miles 
  • Car parking

    There will be free parking available at Twickenham Stadium that requires students and guests to register their car for a permit before the day. Instructions on how to complete this will be sent to students via email before graduation. 

Entrance

All entrances will be through the Rose and Poppy Gates (West Stand). 

On entry to the venue, your ticket and bags will be checked.  If after this point you choose to exit the venue either before, during, or after the ceremony you will not be able to gain re-admission.

Access

The graduation day itself uses different areas of the stadium, therefore there is movement required.

The venue is fully accessible with lifts that can accommodate wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties.

Student stories

Ellen, BA (Hons) Acting and Theatre-Making alumna, takes us along to her July 2023 graduation held at the iconic Twickenham Stadium. 

Stay in touch

Two students using macbook laptops in a cafe area

Your links to UWL do not end here – you will soon be joining a community of over 100,000 people in over 60 countries around the world, all of whom are UWL graduates (alumni). 

The Alumni Association offers a range of benefits and services to our alumni worldwide and provides a point of contact between former students and the University, helping you keep in touch with the University as well as with each other. 

Benefits include; career and employment support for three years after graduation; quarterly e-newsletter; an Alumni Card to gain access to the campus and Library; discount on postgraduate study; and invitations to alumni events. 

As a former UWL student you automatically become a member of the Alumni Association after graduation – but please remember to keep your contact details updated via the alumni page.