Applying to graduate
When you apply to graduate, you can choose to attend a ceremony or graduate in absentia (Latin for in or during one's absence).
Don't wait for the release of your final results or thesis examination. Apply to graduate in studentConnect when you get your email invitation and before the closing date.
Graduating in absentia in July and December and attending a future in-person ceremony
Students who complete their course by the in absentia completion deadline in July and December, and graduate in absentia in July and December respectively, may attend a future in-person ceremony within two years of completing their course, provided they meet the eligibility criteria.
-
Graduate in Absentia (July 2026) and Attend a Future Ceremony
Students who:
- Submit the July In Absentia and attend a future ceremony” Form by 15 April 2026
- Complete their course requirements by the July in absentia completion deadline (6 July 2026); and
- Have their award conferred in absentia on 27 July 2026 may be eligible to attend a future in-person graduation ceremony within two years of their course completion date.
What You Need to Do
1. Set Your Nominated Completion Period
Ensure your Nominated Completion Period is set to Mid 2026 by 16 March 2026.2. Apply to Graduate (In Absentia)
Apply via studentConnect between: 23 March 2026 and 15 April 20263. Submit the Required Form
Submit the “July In Absentia and Attend a Future Ceremony” Form by 15 April 2026:**Link to be provided by 23 March 2026**
You will be asked to nominate your preferred future ceremony round:
- August 2026
- February 2027
- August 2027
- February 2028
4. Complete Your Course
You must complete all course requirements by 6 July 2026.5. Conferral (In Absentia)
Your award must be conferred in absentia on 27 July 2026.StudentConnect Conferral Date
- Before 27 July 2026, studentConnect will display your conferral date as 27 July 2026.
- After 3 August 2026, your conferral date will update to reflect the ceremony round you are scheduled to attend.
Confirming Your AttendanceYou will receive a Confirmation of Attendance email to your personal email address listed in studentConnect during the following periods:
- May 2026 – for August 2026 ceremonies
- October 2026 – for February 2027 ceremonies
- May 2027 – for August 2027 ceremonies
- October 2027 – for February 2028 ceremonies
You must respond by the deadline stated in the email to secure your place.
If no response is received by the due date, your ceremony allocation will be cancelled and you will not be eligible to attend a future graduation ceremony.
Important
- Ensure your personal email address in studentConnect is current and monitored.
- You may attend a future ceremony within two years of your course completion date only.
- If you do not attend within this period, your eligibility will lapse.
-
Graduate in Absentia (December 2026) and Attend a Future Ceremony
Students who:
- Submit the December In Absentia and attend a future ceremony” Form by 8 September 2026
- Complete their course requirements by the December in absentia completion deadline (7 December 2026); and
- Have their award conferred in absentia on 14 December 2026 may be eligible to attend a future in-person graduation ceremony within two years of their course completion date.
What You Need to Do
1. Set Your Nominated Completion Period
Ensure your Nominated Completion Period is set to End 2026 by 10 August 2026.2. Apply to Graduate (In Absentia)
Apply via studentConnect between: 17 August 2026 and 8 September 20263. Submit the Required Form
Submit the “December In Absentia and Attend a Future Ceremony” Form by 8 September 2026:
**Link to be provided by 23 March 2026**You will be asked to nominate your preferred future ceremony round:
- February 2027
- August 2027
- February 2028
- August 2028
4. Complete Your Course
You must complete all course requirements by 7 December 2026.5. Conferral (In Absentia)
Your award must be conferred in absentia on 14 December 2026.StudentConnect Conferral Date
- Before 14 December 2026, studentConnect will display your conferral date as 14 December 2026.
- After 21 December 2026, your conferral date will update to reflect the ceremony round you are scheduled to attend.
Confirming Your Attendance
You will receive a Confirmation of Attendance email to your personal email address listed in studentConnect during the following periods:
- October 2026 – for February 2027 ceremonies
- May 2027 – for August 2027 ceremonies
- October 2027 – for February 2028 ceremonies
- May 2028 – for August 2028 ceremonies
You must respond by the deadline stated in the email to secure your place.
If no response is received by the due date, your ceremony allocation will be cancelled and you will not be eligible to attend a future graduation ceremony.
Important
- Ensure your personal email address in studentConnect is current and monitored.
- You may attend a future ceremony within two years of your course completion date only.
- If you do not attend within this period, your eligibility will lapse.
What if I don’t apply to graduate?
On 1 March and 1 September each year, students who have not applied to graduate within two years of completing their course will be graduated in absentia, and not able to attend a future graduation ceremony for that award.
Keep in mind, the date printed on your certificate will be the date your award is conferred, not the date you completed your course. Your graduation date cannot be backdated to your completion date.
Applying to graduate
When can I apply?
When you enrolled or re-enrolled at the start of the year, you were asked to indicate when you would complete your course. If you indicated:
- End 2025, you can expect to receive an email invitation to apply to graduate on 18 August 2025 (applications close 10 September 2025)
- Mid 2026, you can expect to receive an email invitation to apply to graduate in 2026
If you do not receive an email in August, contact us via askUWA.
Completing the application
You’ll receive step-by-step instructions for how to complete your application to graduate in studentConnect in an email invitation from the Graduations team.
Your application will include the following steps:
-
Confirming your address
If your contact details change at any time, update them via studentConnect. If you have any problems, contact us via askUWA. Your semester address can be updated at any time and will ensure we can contact you.
-
Administrative encumbrances and outstanding debts
It is important that you clear all administrative encumbrances prior to applying to graduate.
- Attend a ceremony; you will not be able to do so. Once you pay your outstanding debt, you will be graduated retrospectively in absentia (without you being present) on the date you were originally scheduled to graduate, and you will not have the opportunity to attend a future graduation ceremony
- Graduate in absentia; once you pay your outstanding debt, you will be graduated retrospectively in absentia on the date you were originally scheduled to graduate. You will not have the opportunity to attend a future graduation ceremony should you wish to do so in the future.
Encumbrances can be added at any time, and we’ll email you if you receive an encumbrance before your graduation.
-
Confirming your name
Adding or removing part of your name
Your graduation certificate is a legal document and should list your full legal name (as on your birth certificate or passport). The name on your certificate cannot be changed after your award has been conferred except in limited circumstances.
You can change your name by providing one of the 'accepted documents' listed below by the apply to graduate closing date with your full name as you wish it to be recorded by the University. Bring this document to Student Central and the team will update your name for you.
Accepted documents:
- Birth Certificate
- Passport
- Change of Name Certificate
If you live outside Perth, post or send us a scan of an original certified copy of an accepted document which has been signed by one of the following:
- Justice of the Peace
- Commissioner of Declarations
- a person who is permitted to witness documents
- Notary Public
Rearranging your name
When you apply to graduate, you have the option to rearrange the order of your names. You don't need to provide any documents or reason. If you choose this option and would like it applied to your other documents (for example, your transcript), contact us to let us know.
-
Multiple awards
If you’re completing more than one course, you’ll be asked to select which course you’d like to attend a ceremony for during your application to graduate. If you’d like to attend ceremonies for both awards, you can defer your attendance for one award to the following round as it’s only possible to attend one ceremony per round. Once you complete your application to graduate, contact us so we can set this up for you. If you choose to attend both ceremonies, the date printed on your award certificate is the date your award was conferred, not the date you finished your course, so the dates on your certificates will be different.
-
Confirming your graduation details
Checking your graduation details
Check your course details carefully when applying to graduate, as this information will be printed on your certificate. Any changed in your name or award details after graduation requires approval by the UWA senate and will be referred to a senate meeting for consideration. Therefore, there may be a delay in updating your award information and issuing you a new award certificate.
Checking your intended majors/minors/specialisations/focus areas
Check the information you have selected during your course by:
- Logging on to studentConnect with your UniID and password ([email protected])
- Under the ENROLMENT menu, select 'Course and Unit'
- Under the course in which you are enrolled, select 'Unit Sets'
If the information about your majors/minors/specialisations/focus areas is not correct, change it by:
- Logging on to studentConnect with your UniID and password ([email protected])
- Under the ENROLMENT menu, select 'Online Enrolment & Change of Enrolment'
- Click on 'Select your Majors, Minors, Programs, Specialisations or Focus Areas'
Contact your Student Office if you are unable to make the changes.
Please note:
Graduands who apply to graduate at a UWA Crawley Graduation Ceremony should be aware that the ceremony will be livestreamed. Your registration to this ceremony is your consent to be filmed. If you do not wish to be on the livestream, it is recommended that you should graduate in absentia (receive your document by mail).
Graduating in absentia
You don’t need to attend a ceremony to graduate. When you apply to graduate, choose the in absentia option. There are in absentia conferrals once a month, and you’ll be allocated to the next available date after you apply to graduate and complete your course requirements.
We’ll post your award certificate to your semester address within a week of your graduation date. Certificates are posted by registered post within Australia, and DHL Courier for overseas, so allow at least 10 working days for delivery. If your certificate is returned to the University and needs to be re-sent, there will be a charge of $10 for within Australia or $25 for international courier.
Once your award is conferred in absentia, you will not have the opportunity to attend a future graduation ceremony for your award.