Arrival and pre-ceremony
The Registration desk will open and close at the times indicated below:
- Registration - 7.30 am - 8.45 am (for 9.30 am and 10.00 am ceremonies)
- Registration - 10.15 am - 11.30 am (for 12.15 pm and 12.40 pm ceremonies)
- Registration - 1.15 pm - 2.30 pm (for 3.15 pm ceremony)
- We recommend you arrive at least 90 minutes before your ceremony. If you are arriving by car- please follow all parking directions and instruction from our parking attendants, when you arrive at our Stoke-on-Trent campus – Leek Road site. Once on campus, please follow the instruction of our ambassadors and attendants who will help you find the area you’re looking for.
- You should make your way to the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre. Please note: There will be walking involved to locations on campus.
- Please Register and collect tickets at the Registration Desk.
- Once you’ve registered, you can continue to the gowning area to collect your gown and mortarboard.
- Graduates, and guests are encouraged to make use of the refreshments available prior to the short trip to the ceremony venue. Please note that refreshments are not available at Kings Hall.
- You will then be directed to the coach pick up point to take you to the Kings Hall and your awards ceremony with your guests.
The map below will help in finding your way to the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre (2) for Registration, but there will be plenty of staff and ambassadors on site if you have any queries or are not sure where to go.
After the awards ceremony
After your awards ceremony, the coach will bring you back to the campus. You will be dropped off at point A for the post-ceremony celebration in our amazing new facility - The Catalyst - A
There will be complimentary refreshments available to celebrate with your fellow graduates, family and friends and you will have the opportunity to purchase from a range of graduation gifts by Campus Clothing as mementos of your wonderful achievement.
Our Alumni Relations team and Students’ Union will be there to give you the opportunity to have some great informal photos taken.
If you’ve not got your future plans in place, don’t worry. Our Career Connect team and Postgraduate Study staff will be on hand to offer advice and guidance on next steps.
Before you leave, please don’t forget to hand in your gown and mortarboard at the gowns return point. - C
The ceremony
The Kings Hall is located within Stoke Town Hall, a stunning grade two listed Victorian building constructed in 1834. In 1911 a central block was built with the highlight being a central door crafted below Ionic columns. A beautiful room with stained glass windows and ornate ceilings adds to a picturesque location to celebrate your achievements.
- 'The coach will drop off and pick up close to the cenotaph.
- The main entrance to the Kings Hall is accessed from Glebe Street.
- An accessible entrance to the venue is located to close to the cenotaph, near the coach drop off and pick up.
- Toilets, including the accessible toilets, are located in the Kings Hall behind where the awards ceremonies will take place.
The ceremony lasts approximately an hour, the exact timings will vary a little depending on the number of graduates receiving awards in each ceremony.
Once you arrive at the Kings Hall, catch up with peers from your course, and the teaching staff who will be excited to hear what you have been up to since completing your studies.
All graduates and guests are asked to take their seats 30 minutes before their ceremony start time. Your student ticket will have a seat number on and it's extremely important that you sit in the seat which you have been allocated, as this is the order that graduates' names will be read as you cross the stage. If you do not sit in the correct seat it's possible that another graduate's name will be called as you cross the stage.
Ushers will be on hand to help and to guide your guests to their seats to ensure that we can accommodate everyone in the ceremony hall.
The stage party (who will include members of Executive and academic staff) will process into the ceremony hall and there will be an opening address. Then graduates will be called forward by award and your name will be announced as you cross the stage and doff your cap to the Chancellor/ Vice Chancellor. We hope that this moment is one you never forget. There will be some speeches between the awards and, if we are making an Honorary award in your ceremony, then they will also have the opportunity to address the ceremony.
Award ceremonies are important and formal occasions but they are also lively and family friendly so please clap, cheer and whoop for your friends.
Coaches will be provided to take you and your guests to The Catalyst where the celebrations continue. Enjoy complementary light refreshments, stock up on merchandise and learn more about our alumni network. The rest of the day is yours to celebrate as you choose.
What if I am late?
If you are late, please do not go straight to the Kings Hall. You must first confirm your attendance with the registration desk at the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre on our Leek Road Campus to collect your ticket(s) and collect your gown. You will not be permitted entry into the Kings Hall ceremony without a valid ticket. The last coach will depart 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. A register of attendance will take place 30 minutes before the Ceremony commences. If you haven't arrived by this time, we'll assume you are not attending and your name will be crossed off the list read out during the ceremony.
What language is the ceremony conducted in?
The ceremonies will be in English with British Sign Language interpretation. If you have any guests who do not speak English, you may want to explore options for translation, such as an app or support from another guest in advance of the ceremony.
What order do graduates cross the stage?
Graduands are seated, and cross the stage, according to the award they have completed. It's extremely important that graduands sit in their allocated seat so that they cross the stage as the correct name is called.
Will I receive my Certificate?
Graduates who have yet to receive their certificate in the post, will have the option to collect their certificate from the certificate collection point on the ground floor, Catalyst Building, during their post celebrations.
Any uncollected certificates will be posted to the graduates' home address.
View our Certificate and Transcript page for further information.
For all UK students a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) provides a single comprehensive record of your achievement. It is an extended digital transcript you can access which contains detailed information about your learning and achievements.