Deferring your graduation
The Degrees and Other Awards Statute of the University states that you must normally graduate within twelve months of completing your qualification.
This means that if, for example, you complete your qualification at the end of second semester (ie. in November), you must graduate either in December of the same year or in May or August of the following year.
Anyone who has not applied to graduate nor been granted permission to defer will automatically have their qualification awarded in absentia. Their certificate will then be held by the Student Administration.
Applying to defer
Permission to defer graduation beyond twelve months from the completion of your qualification may only be granted in the following circumstances:
- To allow completion of a second qualification to be conferred or awarded at a single graduation ceremony. Or
- Exceptional personal circumstances beyond your control, which prevent you from graduating in person within twelve months of the completion of your qualification. Please note that this does not include circumstances which only make it difficult or inconvenient to attend a ceremony; work commitments will not normally be accepted as a reason for deferral.
All decisions on deferrals will be at the discretion of the University. Deferrals will not normally be granted for more than one year. Deferrals cannot be applied for if you have applied for a ceremony and the deadline for withdrawing from the ceremony has passed (see below).
If you wish to defer your graduation, you must apply in writing by emailing the Group Leader Student Administration at graduation@otago.ac.nz
You may need to provide supporting documentation.
Withdrawing from a graduation ceremony
If you need to withdraw your application to graduate (either in person or in absentia), click on the "Withdraw from ceremony" link within your eVision student portal.
You need to do this at least five weeks prior to the date of the ceremony. Provided you are still within twelve months of completing your qualification, you can reapply for a place in a ceremony to be held at a later date.
If you have applied to graduate in person and need to give less than five weeks notice, please contact Student Administration directly. As we will be unable to remove your name from the graduation programme, your qualification will be awarded in absentia. If this happens, you will not be able to attend another ceremony as you can graduate only once with each qualification.
Note that if you are graduating in person and you withdraw your application, this removes you from the ceremony entirely it does not change your application status to in absentia. To change your application status from in person to in absentia, please read the information below.
Changing from in person to in absentia
If you wish to change your application status from in person to in absentia, then you can do so by clicking on the "Withdraw from ceremony" link within your eVision student portal.
Note: You will only be able to change your status up until five weeks prior to the date of your graduation ceremony.
If you have any problems, or wish to change your status after the above-mentioned deadline, please email Student Administration on graduation@otago.ac.nz