Invitations to our graduation ceremonies are issued to all final year students in anticipation of the successful completion of a course. Therefore, you must register for your graduation ceremony beforeyou receive your results.
If you have any queries about preparing for your graduation please contact us:
Graduation merchandise will be available to purchase in the Hub on the day of your graduation. You can also pre-order graduation teddies and premium graduation hoodies online from the SU shop or by calling 01695 657301.
Key Dates
The next set of Graduation Ceremonies is taking place between Monday 20 July – Friday 24 July 2026.
Registration will open on Tuesday 21 April at the following times:
From 10am for ceremonies on 20 July 2026
From 11am for ceremonies on 21 July 2026
From 12noon for ceremonies on 22 July 2026
From 1pm for ceremonies on 23 July 2026
From 2pm for ceremonies on 24 July 2026
Registration closes: Friday 22 May 2026 (Midnight)
Deadline to order robes: Wednesday 1 July 2026
Tuition fee payment deadline: Friday 22 May 2026
Registration
To confirm your attendance at the graduation ceremony, you must complete the online registration through the Marston Events Graduation booking portal. Instructions will be sent to your personal email address (as listed on your student record) on Monday 20 April and will also be included in your postcard invitation.
All students who are eligible for graduation will receive a postcard invitation before registration opens.
If you have not yet received your results, you should still register your intention to attend.
Once you submit the online registration form, you will receive an email confirming that your request has been received.
If you choose not to attend your graduation, your degree will be conferred ‘in absentia’. It will not be possible to attend an alternative ceremony at a later date unless there are compelling exceptional circumstances.
Please note the following:
The schedule of ceremonies is based upon student attendance, therefore although the day of your ceremony will not alter the time of your ceremony may be subject to change. We will endeavour to adhere to the stated times and will inform you as soon as possible if there are any adjustments to your ceremony time.
Your details
Your name will be presented as it is recorded on the Marston’s registration system. If your name is incorrect, please email [email protected] to inform us of this.
If you have changed your name since enrolling at the University, you must complete a Change of Personal Details form available from the Student Administration Centre, to ensure that your award is issued in the correct name. Supporting documentation to verify your change of name will be required. Please note, it will not be possible to change the name on your certificate retrospectively.
Name pronunciation
If you have a name that is frequently mispronounced, you can provide guidance on how to say your name correctly. When you complete your registration form there will be a section regarding name pronunciation, please record your name as you would like it pronounced.
Tickets
Graduand tickets
Student tickets are free of charge and include:
Entry to the graduation ceremony
A graduation programme
Access to the post-ceremony drinks reception
Guest tickets
Graduation ceremonies are ticketed events and seating capacity is limited.
Students can book two guest tickets for the main theatre and up to four live-screening room tickets. Guest tickets and screening room tickets are free of charge.
Additional tickets are not guaranteed and will only be offered if capacity allows. You will be notified if extra tickets are available to purchase for your ceremony nearer the time.
To make changes to your booking simply log back into the Marston Events booking portal and you can amend your booking. If you wish to make any amendments after the booking deadline, then please contact the Ceremonies Team who will arrange this if possible.
Children
Children require a guest ticket and must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of two can sit on an adult’s knee.
Please remember that graduation is a formal occasion and very young guests may struggle to find the ceremony an engaging experience. Live screenings of each graduation ceremony are held in the Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Education (Lakeside) building) and the Rose Theatre in the Arts Centre. These areas may be more suitable for very young children. Tickets for these screening areas can be booked when registering.
Live Screening Room
As detailed above students can book up to four live screening room tickets.
Kindly note that children must be supervised by an adult at all times within the main theatre and live screening rooms.
The live screenings of the ceremony will take place in the Faculty of Education (Lakeside) building and at the Arts Centre.
Refund Policy for Graduation Services
All graduation tickets are non-transferable and cannot be moved between graduands, ceremonies, or ceremony periods.
Robe refund requests must be submitted by contacting Marstons before midday on the refund deadline. Requests may take up to 28 days to process. Refund requests submitted after the deadline cannot be accepted.
Students who have not successfully completed their course must contact Marstons to request a refund.
Gown hire: Refunds for gown hire are managed by Marston Events. To request a refund, please contact Marston Events by midday on Friday 10 July.
Photography: Refunds are available in line with the selected photography package.
If you are unable to attend your graduation ceremony and wish to defer to a later date, please complete this deferral form to inform us of your preferred graduation period. By completing the form, you will be added to a mailing list to receive updates about future graduation ceremonies.
Please note that submitting this form does not confirm attendance, reserve a ticket, or automatically transfer any existing payments. It is also not considered a refund request. For refund information, please refer to the section above on refunds.
To secure a ticket for your deferred graduation, you must monitor the graduation website for booking updates in the months leading up to your ceremony.
Visa information
If you or your guests require a visitor visa to attend your graduation, please refer to our visa advice pages.
You can create your own visa support letter for your guests to use in their visa application. The University does not supply the letter to you but you can use the template we have provided.
This can be accompanied by your invitation email and confirmation of your registration through Marstons.
Please note that this is only a suggested draft and you will need to look at the current UKVI rules to decide if it suits your guests’ requirements.
Additional requirements
At the time of registering please let us know if you have special requirements we need to be aware of such as:
You or your guests require a BSL Interpreter (only available upon request)
Wheelchair user
Guide/Assistance dog user
Temporary disability (i.e. broken leg)
Individual needs or access requirements
When you book your tickets online there is a box where you can provide these details for either yourself or your guest. If you forgot to note this when bookings were open, please email [email protected] to inform us of this.
Robe hire
You must hire the appropriate academic dress and collect it on your graduation day.
To ensure you are wearing the correct academic dress for your award please order it from the University’s official robe maker, Marston Events. You can do this while completing your registration form when booking your ceremony.
You will need to supply Marston Events with your height, chest/bust measurement and hat size (meaning the circumference of your head, taken just above your ears).
If you have any questions or issues with ordering your robes, please complete the Marston Events contact form.
Robe, hood and cap hire prices range from £45 to £55.
We recommend that you choose a smart outfit with buttons on it to wear under your gown on graduation day. This will make it easier for your hood to stay in place. You will have to walk up and down steps within the theatre so suitable footwear should also be worn.
The appearance of your academic dress will vary depending on your award. Please click on the ‘Additional information on gown styles’ tab below to view the academic dress for each award.
The deadline to order robes is 5pm, Wednesday 1 July 2026.
Please note gowns ordered on the day of your ceremony are subject to an additional £10 fee.
The University has entered into a concession contract with our current gowning and photography suppliers and receives commission from the hire and sale of academic dress/photography purchases. For more information, please contact [email protected].
Hood: Black hood in a CNAA shape lined in green with the cowl edged inside with one inch purple.
PGCerts, PGDips and PGCEs
Hat: Black Mortar Board
Gown: Black London University style
Hood: Black full shaped hood with square corners on the cape. Lined in purple and edged with one inch green inside the cowl.
Master’s degrees, Integrated Master’s degrees, and MBChB degree
Hat: Black Mortar Board
Gown: Black Master’s style featuring straight opening and straight ends at the bottom of the sleeve
Hood: Black full shaped hood with square corners on the cape. Lined in purple with one inch of green inside the cowl. The cape edged outside with one inch of gold.
Doctorate
Hat: Black Cloth Bonnet, trimmed with a purple cord and tassel
Gown: Blue/Purple Oxford Doctors style with the front facings five inches wide in green taffeta. The sleeve ends trimmed in five inches of the same green taffeta.
Hood: Purple full shaped hood with square corners. Lined in green with one inch of gold inside the cowl.
Photography
Marston Events provide the official photography service at all Edge Hill University graduation ceremonies. The photography studios on campus will open two hours before your ceremony commences.
Studios will close prior to the start of your ceremony to enable graduands to be seated. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to have your photograph taken prior to your ceremony getting underway. The studios will be open until approximately one hour after the last ceremony has finished on each day.
Although you do not need to choose your photo package in advance, you can view the options available. Marston Events staff will be on hand on the day to answer any queries you may have in relation to photography.
Further Guidance
Results
Your place at a graduation ceremony is subject to you successfully completing your programme (including any placement elements) and your degree being approved by your department’s exam board.
To find out when your results will be published, please email [email protected] or contact your department. There is no need to notify us of your results once you have received them.
If you do not complete your programme successfully in advance of your scheduled graduation date, you will not be able to attend your ceremony. In these circumstances, you will be invited to attend a future ceremony following the eventual completion of your course.
If you have ordered a gown and are unable to attend your ceremony for any reason, Marston Events will be happy to refund your payment provided the request is made by Friday 10 July. Please contact Marston Events directly on 01293 822211 to arrange this.
Tuition fees and payments
To be eligible to attend your graduation ceremony, you must not be in debt to the University.
If you are unable to attend your intended ceremony due to being in debt to the University, you will not be eligible to attend a future ceremony unless there are compelling exceptional circumstances.
If you are unsure whether you are in debt to the University, please contact the Fees and Bursaries Team by emailing [email protected].
If you have ordered a gown but are unable to attend your ceremony for any reason, Marston Events is happy to refund your payment, provided you contact them at least five working days before the week of the graduation ceremonies. To arrange your refund, please contact Marston Events directly at 01293 822211.
Please pay all outstanding fees by 5pm Friday 22 May 2026.
Pre-ceremony information
Pre-ceremony information will be sent to your personal email address during the week leading up to your graduation.
If you have not received your pre-ceremony email by Wednesday 15 July 2026 then please contact us.
Travel and accommodation
All our graduation ceremonies take place at the Edge Hill University campus in Ormskirk where there is on-site parking for graduands and guests (subject to availability).
There are good transport links to the University and a free Edge Link bus service runs regularly between the campus and Ormskirk town centre.
If you or your guests require accommodation, we have a number of single en-suite rooms available on campus. The cost is £51 (including VAT) per room, per night, per person. The booking link will go live on Tuesday 21 April.
There is also a wide choice of hotels, bed and breakfasts and guest houses situated near the University and in surrounding towns and cities such as Burscough, Southport and Liverpool.
If you are experiencing financial difficulty and are invited to attend Graduation in July 2026, you may be able to receive financial assistance towards your graduation costs. Please contact the Ceremonies Team for more information.
Please see more on the Money Advice page to get advice on financial support up to graduation and beyond.
Certificates
Your certificate will be posted to you within three months of your graduation date.
Certificates are sent via 2nd class mail to the home address listed on your student record. Please ensure your home address is up to date.
If your certificate is being sent to an overseas address, it will not automatically be sent via signed-for or recorded delivery. However, you can choose to pay for this service by contacting the Ceremonies Team.
Digital copies of certificates are not issued for security reasons. If you require official proof of your award before your certificate is available, you can request a Confirmation of Award Letter.
