Graduation FAQs
Coventry University Awards
Graduation
Am I eligible to attend a graduation ceremony?
All students who are enrolled on the final year of their course and are eligible, will normally be sent an email to their university email account inviting you to register.
This is a provisional registration subject to not being blocked by the University and your award being released officially on Solar by Monday 16 September 2024. Results released via AULA or other platforms are not official results.
If you have not had your result officially released, even if you receive the registration email and register, by Monday 16 September 2024, you are not eligible to attend graduation. You will be eligible to attend events later in the year. If you are eligible to graduate but have not received an invitation to register by early October 2024 please contact Academic Registry.
Students studying at our Collaborative Partners, both overseas and in the UK, will be contacted by our Academic Partnership Unit regarding registration. Please do not contact the Academic Registry team.
You will not be eligible to graduate if:
- You have outstanding resits determined by the Progression and Award Board.
- You intend to enrol on a further stage of your course (e.g. a top-up to honours).
- You have an appeal in progress.
- You have outstanding debt (blocked or excluded).
If you have any outstanding debt that has not cleared by 8 October 2024, or you are blocked at any point after the registration deadline, but prior to the graduation ceremony, you will not be eligible to attend and should ignore your registration email. Once the debt has been cleared, you will be able to register for the Spring 2025 graduation event.
When will I receive my degree certificate?
Certificates will be given to you when collecting your tickets and gown on the day of your ceremony. For those that do not attend, they will be posted following the graduation event. It is important that your correspondence address is up to date on SOLAR by no later than Monday 14 October 2024 as this is where your certificate will be sent to.
Your correspondence address is where you want your post sent to and it may be different to your term time or home address, so be sure to update the correct one; there is a tick box at the bottom of the screen on SOLAR.
Following the ceremonies, certificates not collected will be posted to correspondence addresses.
| Country | Courier | Delivery Time |
|---|---|---|
| UK | Royal Mail | Up to 3 weeks |
| Europe | Air-Mail | Up to 6 weeks |
| Rest of World | DHL | Up to 6 weeks |
If you have not received your certificate by 6 weeks please contact via email at graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk to report it.
Please note that it is not permitted for someone to collect your certificate on your behalf as it is a legal document, even if that person has written consent to do so.
We do not provide electronic certificates. Please note that the University is not responsible for any certificates not received due to an incorrect address. If you have not updated your address by Monday 14 October 2024, and your certificate is posted to an incorrect address, you can request a replacement certificate via the online shop.
While you await your certificate, if you require evidence of your award for employment purposes or further study, you have access to your HEAR, which is your formal transcript. Further information about the HEAR can be found here: Higher Education Achievement Report | Coventry University.
Higher Education Achievement Report
- The HEAR is an electronic system which allows you to follow your academic progress with a digital diploma supplement called a HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). This is your official transcript which you can share electronically with employers or other universities that you might want to study with. If you have not registered all you need to do is: Visit HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Report). You are NOT provided with a printed copy of your HEAR/Transcript.
- Log in
- Reset your user name and password (best to use your personal email address so that you can “take” your HEAR with you when you leave)
- View your Higher Education Achievement Report
If you would like to know more about it, then take a look at our FAQs.
How will my name appear on my certificate?
Your name will appear exactly as it is on your student record. If your name is incorrect or you wish to add a middle name you must provide Academic Registry with a copy of your passport or birth certificate, via email from your student email account, to enable us to correct your name before the deadline for registration.
Important: Please take care when registering your name because we are unable to change this in any way after the deadline for registration once your certificate has been printed even if it is an error.
Contact Academic Registry: graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk.
I am not sure if I have any outstanding debt to the University: should I check?
Yes. Any student who has an outstanding debt to the university will not be allowed to attend the graduation ceremony nor receive their certificate, so you should rectify this in advance of the registration deadline. Failing to clear debt will result in you not being eligible to graduate. Note that payments can take up to five working days to go through the system so if you make payment on the final day of registration it may still be too late. You will also not be allowed to attend, even if you registered, and the blocking has been entered after the registration deadline but before the ceremony. A registration confirmation does not mean you have no outstanding debt or are eligible.
Can I have my certificate if I have an appeal in progress?
No. If your appeal is still in progress or not concluded prior to the registration deadline your award will not be legally conferred and you will not be able to have your certificate or attend the graduation event.
Can I defer my ceremony?
No, normally students cannot defer their ceremony. However, if there are exceptional circumstances then you can make a request. Exceptional circumstances, for example, would be hospitalisation or deployment if you are in the armed forces. You would need to send a request to graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk stating why you are requesting a deferral and provide formal third-party evidence. This must be done prior to the registration deadline. You will be notified of the decision once it has been considered.
Alumni - What is Alumni and how can I update my details?
As an alumni, you will receive regular news about events, reunions and ways to get involved. This includes career assistance, mentoring programmes and further opportunities in work or study. You will also have access to our exclusive alumni platform where you can reconnect with others, share memories, volunteer to mentor others and post and search for jobs and internships. Use our form to update your details.
Ceremonies
Where is my graduation ceremony?
Graduation ceremonies will be held at Coventry Cathedral.
When you collect your tickets you will be issued with a ticket with a number on. You must sit in this seat as this ensures your name is read out at the correct time and are congratulated by the presider. If you move from that seat you will miss you name being read out.
Once you and your guests are seated you are required to remain for the entire ceremony.
How do I order my gown?
Gowns, hoods and hats must be ordered online via the Ede & Ravenscroft website.
Ede & Ravenscroft have a deadline for ordering gowns of about 10 days before the ceremony. Therefore, make sure to order at least 10 days before the ceremony to avoid higher charges and limited availability. Coventry University is not able to assist with gown orders or questions, therefore contact Ede & Ravenscroft directly for further information.
Telephone: 01223 734759
Email: student@edeandravenscroft.com
There will be a small number of gowns available to hire on the day, but these do cost more and there is no guarantee of availability. You are strongly advised to book your gown in advance.
Where do I collect my tickets and hired gown from?
Tickets and hired gowns are collected on the day of your ceremony and will not be sent out in advance. Bring photographic ID (ideally your Student ID card) and your gown hire receipt. You must collect your tickets first before collecting your gown. Collect your tickets from The Refectory, Priory Hall, Priory Street, CV1 5FB. The ticket desk opens two hours before the ceremony start time and closes 45 minutes before it starts. If you don't collect your tickets on time you will not be allowed to attend.
Check our campus map for directions.
Accessibility
We want all our graduates and guests to enjoy their special day. For detailed guides to help your plan your day visit, please visit Coventry University AccessAble.
You can also find detailed accessibility information about Coventry Cathedral by visiting the Coventry Cathedral website.
How many guests can I bring?
All graduates are guaranteed two guest tickets for their ceremony regardless of registration. We do not issue extra tickets in advance unless there's a special need, further information below. All guest, including children and babies, must have a tickets and seat as we have to abide by the cathedral's fire regulations.
How do I apply for a carer ticket?
If you or one of your guests require a carer, please email graduation.reg@coventry.ac.uk, providing third party medical evidence. Requests must be made by no later than Monday 14 October 2024. The request will be reviewed, and you will be notified of the decision.
Are children allowed to attend the ceremony?
We advise that the ceremony is unsuitable for children under 10, as this is a formal event and everyone must stay seated and remain throughout.
For everyone's safety, under no circumstances can a child be seated on a guest’s lap. Any guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Important: To comply with cathedral fire regulations, any child regardless of age will require a ticket, including infants in pushchairs. Graduates and guests are seated separately in the cathedral. If you're a graduate you must therefore have one guest with you who is at least 18 years of age to remain with the child.
Any guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all campus locations. If a child is found unaccompanied, the Police will be called in line with Safeguarding regulations.
Is there a live stream of the ceremony on campus?
For guests without tickets, there will be a live stream on campus so guests can watch from a location close to the Cathedral. The live streaming will take place in the George Elliot building, Humber Lecture Theatre, GEG31.
Check our campus map for directions.
I have a guest travelling from overseas?
Should you have any guests travelling from overseas, we would encourage them not to book flights before you have received official confirmation of your award on SOLAR. The university will not be held responsible for any costs incurred by your guests.
If your guests require an invitation letter for visa purposes, please email engagement@coventry.ac.uk after you have registered your attendance. Please do not email graduation.reg as we cannot assist with these letters.
Can I get extra tickets?
Due to the size of the ceremonies and the need to give every student and their guests a seat, we are unable to offer extra tickets in advance. There may be extra tickets available on the day, so please ask when you collect your tickets. These will be issued on a first-come-first-served basis. The event will be live streamed from our website to allow your friends and family to watch from home. There will also be live streaming on campus so guests without tickets can watch from a location close to the Cathedral.
How long does each ceremony last?
Each ceremony lasts for approximately one hour.
What happens if I arrive late?
We suggest you arrive at Coventry University at least two and a half hours before your ceremony start time (check the schedule for ticket desk opening times).
The ticket desk will close 45 minutes before the start time of each ceremony. If you arrive after the desk has closed, you won't be able to attend that ceremony. The graduation team need time to complete necessary preparations. Anyone arriving after the ticket desk has closed will have had their name removed from the order of proceedings. The University is not responsible for any costs incurred if you arrive and is not obliged to allow you to attend a later ceremony.
The doors to the cathedral close 15 minutes before the ceremony starts. If you have collected your tickets but arrive late to the cathedral, we reserve the right to refuse entry at this point to ensure the ceremony starts on time.
Can I watch the ceremony afterwards online?
Yes, the recordings of the ceremonies are uploaded to youtube a few days after the ceremony has finished.
Is car parking available?
Coventry University is a city centre campus and as such does not have any available car parking for events.
However, there are many Coventry City Council car parks available. Further information regarding location, charges and blue badge tariff can be found on the Coventry City Council website here.
We look forward to seeing you and hope you have an enjoyable day!
Disclaimer
In the event that any or all of the Graduation ceremonies have to be cancelled, rescheduled or postponed, Coventry University cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred.
Coventry University graduation ceremonies are considered to be public events. There may be a university photographer present and by attending you give us permission to use any general crowd photos you appear in for marketing purposes.
Coventry University does not accept responsibility and expressly excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law for:
- Any loss or damage to any personal property left unattended during an event organised by the university unless caused by the negligence of the university or its employees; or
- Death or any personal injury suffered by you at a university event unless caused by the negligence of the university or its employees.
- We understand graduation can be a very stressful event for you and your guests. However, our staff work extremely hard to try and make it a pleasant experience for everyone involved. We will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse of staff and if this occurs we have the right to remove you and your guests from the graduation event and campus and the University Group we will not be liable for expenses occurred attending the event by you or your guests.
