Graduation 2024

All 2024 University Campus Doncaster graduation ceremonies will be held at CAST, which is located within the Civic Quarter of Doncaster City Centre on Sir Nigel Gresley Square.

Venue details: Cast, Waterdale, Doncaster, DN1 3BU

Graduands and guests should plan to arrive at CAST 90 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony.

Graduands are required to assemble in CAST’s foyer 20-30 minutes before the ceremony start time. This is so University Campus Doncaster ushers can undertake graduand registration and form the formal graduation procession. Guest will be asked to take their seats during this period.

Suggested arrival times for the ceremonies are:
10:30am ceremony – 8:45am arrival
2:30pm ceremony – 12:30pm arrival

If you wish to attend your graduation ceremony, with or without guests, you must have booked your tickets, gowning and optional photography within one of the two booking windows; Thursday 1^st – Friday 30^th August 2024 and Wednesday 4^th September – Friday 4^th October 2024.

To avoid missing out on your total guest ticket allocation we would advise you to book as soon as possible within the first booking phase.

Please note all booking sales will close on Friday 4th October 2024. After this date the booking system will be closed.

If you haven’t received a letter or email from us about our 2024 graduation ceremonies by Monday 2nd September 2024, please make sure your personal student record details are up to date to ensure you’ll get these important updates. If you email the graduation team via graduationenquiries@don.ac.uk with your full name, student ID and contact information they will get the information to you as soon as possible.

You can book your ticket, guest tickets, gowning and photography via our official academic ticketing provider, Ede & Ravenscroft.

All ticket sale phases will close on Friday 4^th October 2024. After this date we will not be able to accommodate any last-minute orders.

Your graduand (student) ticket is free of charge.

Graduation is the highlight of our academic year and we’re really excited for our graduands to celebrate their achievements with family and friends.

It is only possible to guarantee two guest seats for each graduand attending. If additional seats are available for your ceremony, you will be notified via email during the second phase of ticketing if there is still capacity at the venue, maximum limits of guest tickets per graduand will apply.
Please note University Campus Doncaster ceremonies are a ticket only event, tickets will NOT be available to purchase on the day. Please ensure you have purchased all your tickets prior to the ceremony, graduand and guests without digital or printed tickets will not be allowed to gain access to ceremonies.

Children and babies are welcome to attend the ceremony. Under 5’s can attend for free if you are happy for them to comfortably sit on your knee, those aged 5 and above will require their own seat and ticket purchased from your maximum ticket allocation.

Although those under 5 years of age do not require their own individual ticket, please can you notify us via graduationenquiries@don.ac.uk of their attendance so we can pass on the details to our registration and front of house teams on the day.

Baby changing and pushchair storage facilities are available on the ground floor of CAST, but if you require any additional assistance on the day, please ask a member of staff or contact us at graduationenquiries@don.ac.uk prior to your ceremony to discuss any requirements.

Our ceremonies are formal occasions, so we recommend that candidates dress smartly underneath their graduation robes. We welcome national dress and military uniforms, jeans, t-shirts and similar casual attire are not considered appropriate for graduation ceremonies.

By confirming your attendance at graduation, you the graduand confirm that you agree to wear official academic robes provided by our official supplier, robing company Ede & Ravenscroft. More details about robe hire will be provided to you when you register to attend.

Gowns will not be able to be hired on the day.

Your individual graduand ticket is free, guest tickets cost £12.50 each.

The cost of gowning hire services provided by Ede & Ravenscroft are dependent on the ceremony and your award, gown hire cost can range from £46 to £52.

Photography is not a compulsory part of your graduation day, however if you would like to book a photography package, you will be able to through Ede & Ravenscroft once you have received your invitation. Pre-ordered graduation package prices will vary depending on the option selected, prices start as low as £30.

Ede & Ravenscroft provide the official photography for our ceremonies. Photography is not a compulsory part of your graduation day, however if you would like to book a photography package, you will be able to through Ede & Ravenscroft once you have received your invitation.

 Ede & Ravenscroft Ltd are a third-party provider, so if you have any questions regarding your order or photography packages, please contact Ede & Ravenscroft directly via +44 (0)1223 734 759 or website

Should you decide not to pay in advance it is still possible to pay at the sales desk on graduation day. However, prices will be higher than if you pre-order.

To enable you to spend more time with your family and friends after the ceremony, our photography studios located on the ground floor of CAST are open as soon as the gowns are available. So, once you are wearing your graduation outfit you can head straight to the studio and have your portrait taken.

Please note that official photography will close 15 minutes prior to each ceremony starting, so please ensure you allow sufficient time. Official photography will close 30 minutes after the last ceremony of the day.

Yes, if you have changed your mind about having a graduation photo of yourself on the day, the Ede & Ravenscroft photography studio will accept booking and payments at the sales desk, however prices will be higher than pre-orders.

For Graduation Services enquiries, including graduation outfit/gown hire, photography and online academic orders please fill out their contact form or call them on +44 (0)1223 734 759.

If you think you may find the answer to your query via their FAQ section.

The gown collection point and robing rooms are located on the upper floor of CAST. Ede and Ravenscroft staff will be on hand to ensure you have the correct graduation outfit (gown, hood and cap). Colourways vary according to the awarding body and award, so we like to ensure you have the all the items you require for the ceremony. They will also ensure your cap and gown fit you correctly.

All hired academic robes must be returned to the gowning room at CAST by 5pm on the day of your graduation. Please note that if you do not return your gown, you may be charged by the gowning company.

We want everyone to enjoy the celebrations on graduation day and while CAST is designed to be fully accessible space, we understand that individuals may have unique needs. If you or your guest(s) have any disabled or accessibility requirements please email us on graduationenquiries@don.ac.uk with your student ID, name and email address, we will then contact you to discuss how we can ensure a smooth experience on graduation day.

If you are not familiar with Doncaster City Centre, there are several ways you can travel to CAST.

Rail

Doncaster railway station is a 10–15-minute walk from Cast and has excellent national rail links

Bus

Doncaster Frenchgate Interchange is a 10–15-minute walk from Cast and has excellent regional and national bus links. To plan your journey, visit https://www.travelsouthyorkshire.com/

Road

CAST is located within Doncaster City Centre, a short walk from Chamber Road Car Park (DN1 2DB) and the Civic Quarter Car Park (DN1 3JH).

When arriving by road, please note that CAST is situated on a Public Square and access to the road immediately outside is restricted to buses and taxis only, with traffic cameras in operation.

For drop-offs, please head to the short-stay car park outside Ward Brothers Furniture (DN1 3EY).

At your graduation ceremony, you will be given a commemorative certificate, your actual qualification certificates will be posted after your validating university has held their graduations.

If you feel that your name is likely to be mispronounced the easiest way for you to ensure that it is not, is to write your name phonetically on your graduand ceremony ticket. You can do this on the day or if you email us in advance via, graduationenquiries@don.ac.uk we can add it to your printed ticket.

Light refreshments of tea/coffee and cake will be served at each ceremony. We will endeavour to provide for specific dietary requirements such as gluten free and vegan, there is no need to notify us of this in advance.

It’s your day to celebrate your achievements, feel free to capture cherished moments with your loved ones by bringing along your phone or camera to the ceremony. All we ask is that you are considerate of those sitting around you if photographing or filming during the event and that you do not record the ceremony in full as there may be graduands and guests in attendance that do not wish for their image to be captured or shared publicly.

Professional photographs and videographers will be present at all the ceremonies to capture events and your moment on stage, these will be shared via social media as soon as they become available.

All bookings are made via Ede and Ravenscroft not University Campus Doncaster, you will need to contact them via your booking portal or call them on +44 (0)1223 734 759 to complete a booking cancellation.

Unfortunately, we only hold graduation ceremonies for University Campus Doncaster once a year and it is not possible to graduate on an alternative date unless your exam board results are delayed.

Your validating university may get in touch to invite you to their graduation ceremonies, if this is the case, it is entirely your choice if you wish to graduate with them, us, or even both if you wish.

We’re sorry you won’t be joining us to celebrate your achievements. If you choose not to attend your ceremony you will graduate “in absentia” and your name will appear in the graduation programme but will not be read out during the ceremony.

If you wish to receive a graduation programme, please emails us at graduationenquiries@don.ac.uk and we will send a copy to you in the post.