We are looking forward to welcoming you to our upcoming graduation ceremonies for 2025.
Further information about the invitation process and ceremony allocation will be published shortly.
Ticket booking is now open, if you pre-registered for graduation you should have received an email regarding booking tickets, log in to your e-Vision account.
The closing date for booking tickets is 4.00pm on Friday 25 April 2025 (May ceremonies) and 4.00pm on Friday 04 June 2025 (July ceremonies).
If you missed the deadline to pre-register, you will still receive you certificate/award and you still have the option to defer your celebration to the 2025/26 academic year by contacting the team.
Please read the following important information regarding the invitation process.
Pre-registration
Pre-register to guarantee an invitation
Early March
Ceremony allocation
Students are allocated to actual ceremonies
March
Ticket booking
Request tickets for yourself and your guests
April
Confirmation
Book your gowning and photography once you have confirmation of your award. e-Tickets will be sent 1 week before your allocated ceremony
There are two graduation programmes taking place on Middlesbrough Campus in 2025. The spring ceremonies take place in the week commencing 19 May. The summer ceremonies spread across the weeks commencing 7 and 14 July.
Graduation ceremonies have been split this year due to the volume of students we are expecting to graduate this summer.
These ceremonies will include students who have been awarded prior to 31 January 2025 and selected students awarded in February 2025 from School of Arts & Creative Industries (SACI), School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies (SCEDT) and School of Social Sciences & Law (SSSHL).
Remaining students from Teesside University International Business School (TUIBS) and School of Health & Life Sciences (SHLS) awarded in February 2025 plus all students who are due to complete their course in academic year 2024/5 before 28 June 2025. All students who have already been awarded after 28 June 2025 and have not yet attended graduation. All those who opted to defer their graduation by formal request in 2024.
If you choose to defer your place, the next scheduled ceremonies are expected to be in the 2025/26 academic year - actual dates will be confirmed closer to the time.
You don't need to do anything else at the moment. Wait until you receive an invitation to book tickets for your specific ceremony. During ticket booking you will have the opportunity to request guest tickets and tell us about any specific requirements you may have.
Other arrangements such as hiring a gown and photography should wait until your place at graduation has been confirmed. You will receive confirmation of your attendance once your results have been released.
The majority of students eligible to graduate in July will not have received their final results yet. If you have not yet received your award or are awaiting results, you will still be asked to pre-register and book tickets. This is due to the very tight timescales following the release of your results and the date of your ceremony. If you haven't received your results, your confirmation of attendance at graduation will shortly follow your results release.
If you have already received confirmation of your award, your place at graduation will be guaranteed as soon as you complete the ticket booking process (unless you have an outstanding debt to the University).
For those attending the July programme of ceremonies, if you have not yet received your results, you will still be asked to book tickets, but your eligibility to attend will only be confirmed once you have made the required academic progress and have received confirmation from us that you can attend. The date we send confirmation depends on your programme of study, but will be after the release of your results, and at the latest, in early July.
If you have an outstanding academic debt, you will not be eligible to attend the graduation ceremonies. You will also not be able to receive your award certificate and you will not be included in the awards brochure.
Check your account and make payments
You should delay ordering your gown or making travel arrangements until you have received confirmation from the University that you have made the required academic progress and are eligible to attend graduation. For those attending the May programme of ceremonies most students will have already received this confirmation. For those attending the July programme of ceremonies you will receive this confirmation by early July at the latest. We advise ordering your gown as soon as you receive your confirmation.
If you have already received your ratified results and confirmation of your award, then you can proceed with organising your travel arrangements and gown hire. If you are unsure, please check with Student Records by logging an enquiry on UNIverse.
You can choose the 'I do not wish to attend' option on the e-Vision ticket booking page. If you have already booked tickets, you can cancel your attendance by emailing graduationtickets@tees.ac.uk or call 01642 342080 for further help.
Teesside University works with Ede & Ravenscroft and Marston Events, our commercial partners for academic dress and photography, and receives a small commission. This is re-invested into the graduation ceremony.
You should delay ordering your gown and photography until you have received confirmation of your place at graduation. Ede and Ravenscroft and Marston Events are on campus during graduation for gown collection, but students are free to look at alternative providers should they wish.
It is the level of your final award, and not the programme you were enrolled on to, that determines the colour of your gown.
A grey gown, with Teesside University hood and grey mortar board with grey tassel for:
A black gown, with Teesside University hood, black mortar board with black tassel for:
A red gown, with Teesside University hood, black mortar board with red tassel for:
A red/grey gown, with Teesside University hood, cloth bonnet with red tassel for:
For friends and family that can't get a guest ticket, the ceremonies will be filmed and streamed live on the University website and on large screens in the Campus Heart, and the Students' Union. We encourage additional guests and guests with children to watch in the live stream spaces.
You can tell us about any specific access requirements you or your guests have during the ticket booking process.
Telling us about any specific requirements at the booking stage helps us to plan for your arrival and make adjustments for you if needed. Some examples of the types of adjustments we can make are given below.
Some students find it helpful to know what to expect at graduation, to help them plan their day and give them time to prepare. This can be useful for those that may find the day overwhelming due to a disability or mental health condition. All students attending ceremonies will:
Registration and wristband collection
Everyone needs to register in Olympia Building when they get to campus. You will queue here for your tickets to be checked. You and your guests will receive a wristband. If a lot of people are queuing it can be busy and noisy.
Collecting the gown
You will also collect your gown, hood and cap from Olympia. During certain times of the day, this can be busy and noisy due to students queuing. If you need support, you can ask to take someone with you like a friend or family member. Someone from the gowning company will help you put on your robes. If wearing them makes you feel uncomfortable, you can ask to wait and put it on when you arrive at the ceremony.
Arriving at the Digital Life building for your ceremony
The venue will open about 45 minutes before the ceremony starts. There is usually a queue to get in. If you or your guest has a bag, it will need to be searched.
On arrival at the venue, someone will ask your name and the course you studied, so we can show you to your seat. These people are Ushers and will help you throughout the ceremony. They will be wearing a black graduation gown. In the hall you will sit with your classmates. You will have a card on your seat, which you must keep until you cross the stage.
About the ceremony
In each ceremony there is about 800 people in the venue, and noise levels can be quite high when people are talking. There will be music playing when you arrive. In the ceremony there are two large screens with a video playing whilst everyone takes their seats. If you need help, you can talk to an Usher, who will be stood in the hall.
When the ceremony starts, music will play. The academic procession will enter the hall. The academic procession is made up of the Vice-Chancellor, and academic staff. All students and guests need to stand at this point. The Vice-Chancellor will make a brief speech. During and at the end of the speech the audience will clap.
After the Vice-Chancellor's speech, all students will cross the stage. You do this as a celebration of you graduating, and there will be someone stood on the stage. This person is the Presiding Officer.
Crossing the stage
You will be told when to stand, and you will be taken to a backstage area. Your name card will be checked, and a member of staff will help you with your gown if you need it. You will need to queue backstage for a few minutes as you wait to go up on stage and this can feel like a long wait. If you need help, you can speak to an Usher.
Someone will show you to the stage. When it is your turn you will give your name card to someone who will read your name out. You will then cross the stage, where you can shake hands with the Presiding Officer. If you do not want to shake hands, you can nod to the Presiding Officer as you walk up to them.
After you have crossed the stage someone will show you back to your seat. As each student crosses, the audience claps; some will shout or cheer. It takes about 30 minutes for everyone to cross the stage.
The procession then leaves the stage and walks back out of the hall. An Usher will tell you when to stand, and you will walk out of the hall. The academic procession will stand and clap for every graduate as they leave the building.
After the ceremony
You will wait outside while everyone else leaves the building. Because guests leave from different exits it may take a little while for you to find your friends or family. It can get busy at this point, so you can move to a quieter area if you need to. You may wish to agree a meeting point with family and friends before you go into the ceremony.
Photography
There will be official photographers in Olympia Building. You can book a photo package with the photographers, Marston Events, before you arrive if you want to. If you haven’t booked before but still want your photo taken, you can go and see them on the day. Talk to the photographer if you want them to make any adjustments for you such as not using a flash.
Refreshments
There is a marquee in the Campus Heart where you can get some refreshments after the ceremony. Someone will ask to see your wristband do you can get into the marquee. The marquee can be busy and noisy.
For students with a disability or a mental health condition who may be overwhelmed by the ceremony that takes place in the Digital Life Building, there may be an opportunity to attend a quieter graduation event. At such events, you will be able to attend a quiet space where a member of university staff will congratulate you on your graduation. If you wish to do so, you can wear academic dress and have your photograph taken. You can also book an official photograph. You will be able to discuss your needs in advance with someone before you attend.
It is important to note that this event is very different to the ceremonies that are held in the Digital Life building. They are only open to those that need to attend for a specific reason, such as a disability or mental health condition. If you choose to attend this event, you will not be able to attend your originally scheduled ceremony.
If you are interested in a quieter graduation ceremony, please complete the ticket booking process for the ceremony you have been allocated to and then contact graduationtickets@tees.ac.uk to discuss options.
All certificates are distributed to students 6-8 weeks after the confirmation of results by the board. Certificates are NOT given out during the graduation ceremony.
May ceremonies – most of you should have received your certificates already, if your certificate was printed in March and you opted to collect it will be available to collect on your allocated graduation ceremony day.
July ceremonies - If your results are confirmed at the boards in June and you are planning to attend graduation, your certificate will be available to collect from the Olympia building on your allocated graduation ceremony day.
Alternatively, certificates will be posted to your home address on our student record system. It is important to ensure that your home address is correct on our system. You can edit your address details on e-Vision via Personal Details.
Diploma Supplements can be downloaded from e-Vision once you have received notification of your award. Diploma Supplements are only available to students studying a main award who achieve the intended award. The Diploma Supplement includes your transcript.
Transcripts and certified copies of your certificate are available for purchase from the online shop.
You can also pre-order items for collection on your graduation ceremony day on the online shop.
Graduation is a formal occasion and lasts around an hour, so it may not be suitable for children.
All children must be accompanied by an adult (18+) at all times. Graduates will not be seated with child guests, so another adult must supervise them throughout the ceremony and on campus at all times.
Children aged between 3 and 17 years old require their own ticket and seat.
Children under 3 years old do not require a ticket, but must sit in the lap of their accompanying adult, restricted to one child under 3 per adult.
If you have any questions about children at graduation, please email graduationtickets@tees.ac.uk.
Due to strict capacities in the ceremony hall, guests without tickets will not be allowed into the venue.
Additional guests are welcome to watch the ceremony in the Students' Union, or on the large screen in Campus Heart.
Similarly, only guests with tickets can access the complimentary refreshment marquee.
Yes, if you have accepted the interim/fallback award you can still attend. If you intend to decline the award and continue studies/resit then you should not attend graduation. Please notify graduationtickets@tees.ac.uk as soon as possible.
Due to high demand, ceremonies are very full and we are not able to accommodate additional guests. Any guests without a ticket may watch the ceremonies online, in the Students' Union, or on the big screen in Campus Heart.
Unfortunately, the pre-registration deadline for Graduation 2025 (March 28th at 4 pm) has passed, and unfortunately as pre-registration is now closed, we are unable to pre-register you for this event.
The next graduation ceremonies are planned for the 2025/26 academic year, with specific dates to be confirmed. If you wish to defer to 2025/26, please email graduationtickets@tees.ac.uk to confirm. We will update your records accordingly and will notify you when pre-registration for these ceremonies opens.
Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate requests to switch between the May and July ceremonies as a standard practice due to venue capacity. Allocations to specific ceremonies are based on pre-registrations and ceremonies are expected to be full based on numbers of pre-registered students.
If you are unable to attend the ceremony allocated to you, you have the option to defer to the next academic year's ceremonies. The next ceremonies are currently planned for the 2025/26 academic year, with specific dates to be confirmed. If you wish to defer, please reply to this email, and we will update your records accordingly.
If you are an international student useful information and advice regarding visas can be found on our UNIverse FAQ pages if you will be travelling from abroad for your graduation ceremony or you are inviting family from abroad.
If you have evidence of exceptional circumstances outlining why you are unable to attend in May (e.g. evidence from UKVI of insufficient notice to issue a visa) this can be provided for consideration. This evidence will be assessed, and depending on availability allocations may be made to an alternative ceremony. However, we cannot guarantee a place at a July ceremony or that you will graduate alongside students from your school.
Support letters are not required as there are alternative documents available for this purpose. We recommend that you use your Graduation ceremony booking acknowledgment email and Proof of Award letter which will become available to you once your award has been released. This applies to your own and dependants' visa applications, these documents will also need to be presented for any dependants linked to their application.
These documents do clearly state that you were a student here, what you studied, and the dates you were enrolled with us, along with your graduation ceremony booking acknowledgment confirming the date, location, time, and how many guests you intend to join you at your ceremony. These documents in conjunction with one another do provide a lot of detail about the reasons for your visit and do also apply to your dependant's visa applications.
You must ensure that you make arrangements to leave the UK on or before your current visa expiry date (unless you are planning to extend your current visa or switch into another permissible immigration category on or before this date).
Further information is available on the Gov.uk website, including a list of supporting documents.
More about Standard Visitor Visa
Please note: UKVI currently advise that Standard Visitor Visa applications are taking on average 4 weeks to process.
More about Visa processing times
If your family would like to visit you in the UK for a period of under 6 months, they can do this by making a Standard Visitor Visa application. Further information is available on the Gov.uk website, including a list of supporting documents required
Please note: UKVI currently advise that Standard Visitor Visa applications are taking on average 4 weeks to process. The application fee is currently £115.00* and the earliest you can apply can apply is 3 months before travel.
*The application fee will rise to £127 from 9 April 2025.
Bespoke support letters are not generally required as there are alternative documents available for this purpose.
If your family are visiting generally and you require a University letter to confirm your enrolment status at Teesside University, you may be able to download an appropriate letter from your e-vision account. You can log in to e-Vision with your Teesside University username and password and download available letters under the 'My Courses' tab.
If your family are visiting to attend your Graduation Ceremony, we recommend that you use your Graduation Ceremony booking acknowledgment email, and the Proof of Award letter which will become available to you when your award is released. These documents should be used for your own and your family's visa applications.
These documents clearly state that you were a student at Teesside University, your course details, the date, location, time and time of your Graduation Ceremony, and how many guests you intend to join you at your ceremony. These documents, in conjunction with one another, provide adequate detail of the reasons for your Standard Visitor Visa applications.
Please log an enquiry in UNIverse or email graduationtickets@tees.ac.uk.
View the highlights from our 2024 graduation ceremonies
Ahead of being awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts, Sir Peter Murray CBE, Founding Director Emeritus of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, reflects on what the accolade means to him and the importance of Teesside University to the local area.
Philanthropist and charity patron Lady Diana Brittan DBE talks about her pride at receiving an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law and the impact her scholarships are having on Teesside University students.
Businessman and Founder of Octopus Energy Group, Greg Jackson CBE, expresses his pride in receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from Teesside University and his deep connection to the region where he grew up.
Professor Michael Henson, Chair of the UK2070 Commission's Teesside Taskforce, talk about his pride at being awarded an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law.
Successful businesswoman and former Teesside University governor Sue Kiddle talks of her pride at being made an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration and shares her advice for this year's graduates.
Teesside University works with Ede & Ravenscroft and Marston Events, our commercial partners for academic dress and photography, and receives a small commission. This is re-invested into the graduation ceremony.
Graduation is just the beginning. As a graduate you can continue to benefit from Teesside connections. There are lots of ways you can keep in touch and alumni services you can access.
More about the Graduate Network
