Graduations in 2021/22

Today we’re publishing ‘Save the Dates’ for our postponed Graduation Ceremonies.  

We are all disappointed that it was necessary to postpone on campus graduation ceremonies again this year. In a normal year, Graduation Ceremonies need months of advance planning. The uncertainty about what restrictions may or may not be in place meant we had to take the difficult decision to set the dates for when we are confident that we can hold ceremonies on campus, in the same way the College has for generations.  

Dates 

Marking your Graduation virtually  

We will celebrate your achievements this summer virtually by releasing a series of videos. Which will include messages from your department alongside a roll of graduates.  

FAQs  

How will I get my graduation certificate?  

For students successfully completing studies at the end of the academic year 2021, your Degree Certificate, produced by the University of London, will be posted to you within three months of the award date of your degree; which is 1 August for Undergraduate students. Final transcripts of results will be posted by College within one month of the completion of your degree and publication of your final results.   

If you graduated in 2020 and you have not received your Graduation Certificate please contact the University of London’s Diploma Production Office at diploma.enquiries@london.ac.uk  

Will my graduation be marked in July 2021?  

We will produce a graduation video that you can share with your family and friends which will include your name, along with the names of your classmates, in a roll of honour.  This video is, in no way, intended to replace an in-person, on campus ceremony; we are committed to providing you with that opportunity on one of the dates we have published. 

Why didn’t the College just move the normal graduation weeks back to later in the summer or hold them next year in term one somewhere else?  

While an expectation was created around the lifting of restrictions on 21 June, this date was and is still not guaranteed.  The roadmap did not give us the certainty we needed to be able to plan and safely deliver the graduation ceremony you want, nor does it give students and alumni living overseas the assurances necessary to confidently organise international travel.   

When will I know the dates of my ceremony?  

Our first step is to find out how many students will be attending the Graduation Ceremonies, then we will be able to confirm specific dates. We will contact you by email, so please make sure that, before you complete your studies, you update you contact details via Campus Connect and provide us with an email address that we can use to contact you. If you graduated in 2020 and have not provided us with a current email address, please update your details here.   

I would like to come onto campus and take photographs in a graduation gown, can I do that?  

You are welcome to come back to campus to take pictures as long as you follow the travel, social distancing and hygiene requirements that may be in place at that time. You can hire a gown through our gown provider Ede & Ravenscroft, who have made arrangements for a limited number of gowns to be safely hired on an individual basis this summer.   

Other universities are holding ceremonies this year, so why aren’t we?  

We are in touch with other universities and have been sharing ideas as to how and when to hold ceremonies that meet both expectations and safety requirements.   

Some universities have always held their ceremonies at external venues or later in the year. We believe that the Royal Holloway ceremony is for you, your family and your friends.  That’s why we’re committed to providing you with an on campus graduation.  

I expect to graduate in 2022, will my graduation ceremony be postponed?  

We have today also published Save the Dates for students expecting to graduate next year in the expectation that restrictions will not apply at that time.