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.

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.

Completing your course

To graduate and receive your award certificate, you’ll need to complete your course requirements by the relevant date and in accordance with UWA’s student rules, policies and procedures. To view the dates to complete your course by, view the table on our Graduations homepage.

REQUIRED CREDIT POINTS TO GRADUATE

Credit points are counted for enrolled units in your final semester or non-standard teaching periods which have a specific assessment end date. You can check these dates for the units you’re enrolled in on the teaching dates webpage.

If you are not enrolled in enough points to complete your course requirements by the assessment end date, or if you are enrolled in a non-standard teaching period that has an assessment end date after the semester one or semester two assessment end date, you will not be able to graduate in the next graduation round, and your Nominated Completion Period will be deferred until the following semester.
Credit points are only one basic requirement for course completion. Your course has other rules and requirements that you need to meet before you are eligible to graduate.
UNIQUE STUDENT IDENTIFIER (USI) NUMBER

It is an Australian Government requirement that from 01 January 2023, all higher education students must have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) for their degree to be conferred.

Please click on the link below for information on how to create your USI.

How do I get a USI?
Undergraduate and postgraduate courses

All results must be ratified by a Board of Examiners meeting before completion of a degree, diploma or certificate is official. If you have any doubts, check with your Course Advising Office that everything is in order for completion of your award.
Master’s by research and PhD courses

You must complete your course requirements including the satisfactory completion of any corrections to your thesis. You are also required to have submitted your thesis to the Graduate Research School by the relevant date.
Combined and concurrent courses

If you’re enrolled in a combined course, you can graduate after completing both degrees. You must complete the course requirements for both courses before you can graduate from either course.
Continuing into an honours year

If you’re enrolling in Honours next year, you can apply to graduate and attend a ceremony for your pass degree when you complete it. When you complete your Honours degree, you can apply again to attend another ceremony.
Dates to complete course by

See the Graduations table on our homepage.
COURSE NOT COMPLETED AND HAS APPLIED TO GRADUATE

If you do not complete your UWA course requirements by the deadline to graduate in the upcoming graduation ceremonies, the following scenarios could apply:

If you confirmed your attendance for your upcoming ceremony:

We will move your application to the next round of ceremonies, so you won't be asked to complete another application. Provided you complete your course requirements by the appropriate date, we'll send you an email asking you to confirm your attendance at the next round of graduation ceremonies.

It's important to check your student email regularly so you don’t miss the prompt to confirm your attendance. If we don’t receive a confirmation of your attendance your award will be conferred in absentia.

If you're unsure of what you need to do to complete your course requirements, contact your Student Advising Office to discuss a study plan. If you're not able to attend a graduation ceremony in the next round, let us know via askUWA, and we can update your application to in absentia or move you to a future ceremony round.

If you did not confirm your attendance for your upcoming ceremony:

As we didn't receive confirmation that you'd be attending your ceremony, your attendance was cancelled and your award will be conferred in absentia at the next available conferral date after you complete your course. Once your award is conferred in absentia we'll post your certificate, and you won't be able to attend a future ceremony for this award.

If you applied to graduate in absentia:

Once you have completed your course requirements, we'll graduate you at the next available conferral date. Once your award is conferred we'll post your certificate, there's no further action for you to take.

Should you have any queries about your course completion, please contact your Student Advising Office via askUWA.

For any questions about your future graduation contact the Graduations Team via askUWA.
Deferred or supplementary examinations

If you’re sitting a deferred or supplementary examination/assessment, you’ll have to attend a ceremony in the following round. This means if you’re completing a deferred or supplementary examination/assessment(s) for your Semester 1 unit/s to complete your course, you won’t be able to graduate in July, and if you’re completing a deferred or supplementary examination/assessment(s) for your Semester 2 unit/s to complete your course, you won’t be able to graduate in December.

A smiling graduate outdoors in front of a sign which reads 'Congratulations graduates'

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 2024, you can expect to receive an email invitation to apply to graduate on 19 August 2024 (applications close 11 September 2024)
Mid 2025, you can expect to receive an email invitation to apply to graduate on 24 March 2025 (application close 16 April 2025)

If you do not receive an email in August or March, 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 there are very limited circumstances in which a conferred award can be amended.

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.

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.

Confirming or cancelling your attendance

Once you’ve applied to attend your ceremony, you will confirm your attendance when your ceremony has been allocated. We’ll send you an email with the details in early May for July ceremonies and late September for December ceremonies. When you receive this email, log in to studentConnect to complete your confirmation before the closing date so you don't miss the opportunity to attend.

If you don’t confirm your attendance or you cancel your attendance, you’ll have your award conferred in absentia and will not be able to attend future ceremonies for that award.

Cancelling your attendance: ensure you let the Graduations Team know via askUWA before your graduation ceremony. If you do not advise us prior to your ceremony that you are unable to attend your given ceremony, your award will be conferred in absentia.

Be sure to include the following in your message:

Student number
Full name
a statement that you:

are unable to attend your Graduation ceremony
want your award to be conferred in absentia
are aware that once your award has been conferred in absentia you will not be permitted to attend any future ceremony for this award

If you are experiencing any extenuating circumstances, or have any queries about attending your ceremony, contact the Graduations Team.

Pronunciation

At Graduation, your full legal name will appear on your award certificate. Your given names and surname will be read out phonetically at your ceremony. Phonetic pronunciation of your given name and surname is saying them as they sound, not as they are written.

When you complete your ceremony registration via GFP portal, you will be asked to provide a phonetic pronunciation for your name.

For example,

David Baranowski = David Ba-ra-nof-ski
Hooi Peng Soon = Hoo-ee P-eng S-oon
Sanathanee Sachchithananthan = Sana-tha-nee Sach-chi-tha-nan-than
Rebecca Malkkah Lachovitzki = Rebecca Mul-ka Lah-koh-vitz-kee
Ravish Shekaraiah = Raveesh Shek-ra-ja

Providing phonetic pronunciation for your name is an important step - it guides the presenter to read your name correctly, as they may not know you.
When you log into the GFP portal to order your regalia and redeem your tickets, you will also be provided with the option to record the correct pronunciation of your full name, creating a sounds file for the presenter to listen to.

Graduating students in a pavilion with coloured lantern decorations

Attending a Ceremony: Legal Name versus Preferred Name at a Graduation Ceremony

'Given Names and Surname' Versus 'Preferred Given Name and Surname'

Your Given Names and Surname are your names which appear on your legal identity documents. Your Given Names and Surname will be printed on your graduation certificate. Your Preferred Given Name is an optional field which is captured in studentConnect.

If your Given Names is different to your Preferred Given Name, and you would like your Preferred Given Name to be read at your in-person graduation ceremony, you must:

Notify us in the GFP Online Ordering Portal under the screen called "More Information"
Ensure your Preferred Given Name is 100% correct in studentConnect

Important items to note:

Deadline for updating Preferred Given Name in studentConnect and selecting Preferred Given Name in the GFP Online Ordering Portal is Tuesday, 26 November 2024.
If you select to have your Preferred Given Name and Surname read at your in-person graduation ceremony, please note that no middle names will be read at the ceremony.

Accommodation

If your guests are travelling to be at your ceremony and require accommodation, St Catherine's College offers guest apartments for bookings throughout the year. The studios and apartments are a five-minute walk to the UWA campus and Winthrop Hall.

Academic dress

Academic dress for your graduation ceremony includes a gown, hood and trencher cap (mortarboard). In keeping with the formal occasion, we suggest you wear smart personal attire that is suitable for photographs. When selecting shoes, remember you will be processing with your peers from the Student Muster Marquee (select "Arriving" here for more information) to Winthrop Hall and will navigate a small number of stairs, including up to and down from the stage.

2023 CHANGES TO DOCTORAL REGALIA
From July 2023, the graduation headwear for PhDs, Higher Doctorates and Honorary Doctorates is as follows:

A. a black, velvet bonnet with a red tassel for Doctor of Philosophy and other Doctorates, as part of their academic dress for graduations.

B. a black, velvet bonnet with a gold tassel for Higher Doctorates and Honorary Doctorates, as part of their academic dress for graduations.

Please note: black trencher caps (mortarboards) will not be accepted as official academic regalia for PhD’s, Higher Doctorate and Honorary Doctorate awards. If you are ordering your academic regalia (to hire or purchase) through a supplier other than GFP Events, please take note of this update to the University Policy on Graduation: Academic Dress.
How do I order my regalia?

Once you’ve completed your Confirmation of Attendance, you’ll receive an email from us with information and a link to order your academic dress and order additional guest tickets for the livestream venues . You won’t be able to order until you’ve confirmed your attendance. If you don't receive the email within 24 hours, contact us so we can check your confirmation details.

GFP Graduations is the University's preferred provider of academic dress. You can obtain your academic dress from any supplier as long as the academic dress complies with the University Policy on Graduation Academic Dress (Policy Number:UP11/49). Should your academic dress not comply, GFP Graduations will supply a replacement on the day at your cost.

Academic dress prices vary according to the award that is being conferred. Full details are available on the Academic Dress Ordering Service website.

If you have any problems with the GFP Online Ordering Portal, please contact GFP directly: [email protected], call GFP's customer support team at Australia: 1300 360 445 - International: +61 8 8154 1388
When and where do I collect my regalia?
Your graduation regalia is available for collection on the day of your ceremony. Please note collection windows and deadlines for collection for your ceremony. Ensure you allocate sufficient time to collect your regalia and arrive in the Great Court North (just outside the Undercroft) for student registration and the graduand briefing one hour before the start of your ceremony. Regalia collection location: Faye Gale Studio

Regalia collection days and times:

Monday, 9 December 2024

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Tuesday, 10 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Wednesday, 11 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Thursday, 12 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Friday, 13 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Monday, 16 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Tuesday, 17 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Wednesday, 18 December 2024

11am Ceremony: Collection between 7.30am & 9.30am, to be gowned by 9.30am

5pm Ceremony: Collection between 1.30pm & 3.30pm, to be gowned by 3.30pm

Regalia collection location: Faye Gale Studio
the difference between an undergraduate and postgraduate gown
Graduation gowns are not the same for certain awards.

If you have graduated previously with an Undergraduate qualification, you cannot reuse the same gown for a Masters or Higher Doctorate award. See below for to find your specific degree for reference.

Bachelor, Honours, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma & Advanced Diplomas

Your black graduation gown should have sleeves that reach to your wrist. Your arm should go all the way through, do not insert your arm through the slit in the sleeve.

Masters and Higher Doctorates

Your black graduation gown should have sleeves that open just above the elbow. The length of the sleeve should be as long as the gown.
HOW TO WEAR YOUR REGALIA VIDEOS

·         How to wear your UWA Graduation Regalia – Bachelor Degree - video

·         How to wear your UWA Graduation Regalia – Bachelor Degree with Honours - video

·         How to wear your UWA Graduation Regalia – Master Degree - video
I need help with my regalia!

Getting your academic regalia on correctly can be confusing, so it’s a good idea to get advice from GFP Graduations when you collect your regalia.