Graduation Ceremony dates, and application dates

Graduation Ceremony dates

To graduate either in person or in absentia at one of the ceremonies listed below, you must submit an application via your eVision student portal.

Each round of ceremonies has a set time-frame during which applications will be accepted, as detailed in the “Opening and Closing Dates for Applications” section below.

The venue for all ceremonies is the Dunedin Town Hall.

The University understands the need for students to make arrangements such as travel and accommodation bookings in order to attend their graduation ceremony. As ceremonies can reach capacity prior to the advertised closing dates, if you choose to make such arrangements in advance, please be aware that you do so at your own risk. The same also applies if you otherwise cannot or do not apply while applications are open.

Please see Booking flights and making other arrangements below for further information.

Please note:  If the ceremony you are eligible to graduate in reaches capacity and closes, the next available ceremony will be offered. In this instance the alternative ceremony offered is final. It will not be possible to request to move or choose alternative ceremonies.

Opening and closing dates for applications

Please read the information below along with the information contained on our Applying to Graduate page.

General information

As there is a limit to the number of people who can graduate in person at each ceremony, the closing date may be brought forward if this limit is reached before the closing date. Please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.

There is no limit to the number of people who can graduate in absentia, but your application must be received by the closing date.

Each round of graduation ceremonies has a specific time-frame during which applications can be made, as detailed below. The onus is on you to submit an application during this time-frame. We are unable to accept late applications.

Information about applying

When you become eligible to apply to graduate, an email inviting you to submit an application will be sent to your student email address by end of day, the Friday before applications open.
Note: You will not be able to submit your application until 12.01am on the Monday when applications open.

If your invitation has not been received by the time that applications open, contact the Graduation Office immediately.

Once applications have opened if you are unable to see the “Your graduation application” link, contact the Graduation Office immediately.

Please ensure that you check your student email account regularly, or else set up forwarding to your preferred email address.

If your student email address is forwarded to a Hotmail or other Microsoft email account, please ensure that you have added the University of Otago to your Safe senders or white list. This is vital to ensure that you receive emails about your graduation.

Further information about applying to graduate

Contact the Graduation Office

December 2024

Applications to graduate either in person or in absentia at a ceremony to be held in December 2024 will open on Monday, 30 September 2024 at 12.01am and close on Monday, 14 October 2024 at 11.59pm. Late applications will not be accepted.

Booking flights and making other arrangements

We do not recommend booking flights or making other arrangements for graduation before you have submitted your application and received confirmation via email of your place in the graduation ceremony.

If you choose to make such arrangements, please be aware that you do so at your own risk. Having made such arrangements in advance will not be considered sufficient grounds for accepting late applications; you need to ensure that you submit your application before the closing date (please also be aware that ceremonies can reach capacity prior to the advertised closing dates).

If you will be coming from outside of Dunedin for your graduation ceremony, please ensure that you will be arriving in plenty of time to collect your guest tickets and regalia, prior the graduation procession, which departs from outside the School of Dentistry at 11:30am sharp.

Choosing your graduation date

While you can choose whether to graduate in December, May or August, you should graduate at the ceremony allocated to your discipline. If you are to receive two qualifications which would normally be awarded at separate ceremonies, you may choose one ceremony at which you will receive both.

Permission to change to a ceremony other than the one allocated to your discipline, is granted only to allow you to graduate at the same ceremony as a close family member or where circumstances beyond your control will prevent you from graduating at your allocated ceremony.

If you want to change your graduation date you must apply by emailing the Group Leader, Graduation, outlining your situation. Where possible, you should also provide supporting documentation. There is no guarantee that permission will be granted.

Please note that having flights booked for the wrong date, or wishing to graduate with friends, are not considered to be sufficient reasons for changing your graduation date.

Contact the Graduation Office

Return to Graduation homepage

Still and video photography

We understand that graduation is a time of celebration and that you may wish to take photos, or videos at the graduation ceremony. We ask that no commercial photographers are bought along to the graduation, and that any equipment used by guests does not have detachable lenses. The graduate marshalling area, and the Glenroy Auditorium are for staff and graduates only. We ask that this request is respected and that no photos or videos are taken in this area.

The graduation ceremonies are live-streamed on the day, and a recording will be uploaded for viewing at a later date. An official photograph will be taken of you at the ceremony as you receive your degree or diploma. We also have 'on-the-spot' graduate and family portraits available in the Fullwood room, level 2 between 9:00am and 6:00pm on the day of the ceremony. No booking is necessary but morning is generally quieter.

On-the-spot graduate and family portraits

Further information about Dunedin Town Hall policies