Please read the information below first if you would like to receive your degree at a congregation.
The Congregation ceremony is one of the oldest traditions in the University. The conferment of each degree is still an act of the whole University, approved by‘Grace of the Regent House’ (ie by a resolution of the governing body). Graduands are presented one by one to the Vice-Chancellor of the University or a deputy, in the presence of the Proctors who are the elected representatives of the Regent House.
Students or alumni who are eligible to receive their degrees may do so at Congregations ofthe Regent House held at regular intervals throughout the year. The College Praelector is responsible for presenting students at Congregations when they receive their degrees.
Note that you cannot use your degree title until you have been conferred to your degree at a Congregation.
A Congregation is usually held in the morning, typically starting around 10am. Graduands are presented College by College, in order of the date of foundation of the College and in sessions of several Colleges at a time. The timetable is confirmed around two weeks before a Congregation, and final timings are circulated to graduands then.
Graduands are expected to be in College prior to the Congregation start time, to be briefed by the Praelector. Graduands then line up in Second Court (or in the Old Music Room in the event of wet weather) and proceed together, led by the Praelector, to the Senate House. Guests are expected to make their own way to the Senate House a bit earlier in order to be seated before the start of the ceremony. Full details of the content of the ceremony, including optional elements, can be found on the University website.
Following the ceremony, all graduands are invited to lunch with the Fellows in College. Lunch may be held in the Combination Room, in Hall, or in a marquee, depending on the size and timing of the Congregation, and will be either a buffet (for the May and July Congregations) or a sit-down meal.
For MA and General Admission, a group photograph is normally taken, with a photographer available in the afternoon for individual portraits.
Graduation is a formal occasion, and if you choose to graduate in person at the Senate House you must adhere to the Cambridge academical dress code, which is strictly enforced. If you fail to observe it you may not be permitted to graduate on the day of your chosen ceremony. Full information on what to wear can be found on the University website.
In summary:
Undergraduates and affiliated students should wear the undergraduate gown of their College and the hood of the highest degree they are about to receive.
Postgraduate candidates should wear either the gown and hood of their highest existing Cambridge degree or, if not already a Cambridge graduate, a BA (if under age 24) or MA (if age 24 or over) status gown and the hood of the highest degree they are about to take.
Candidates for degrees by Incorporation or the MA under Statute B.II.2 should wear the gown and hood of the degree that they are about to receive.
All gowns and hoods can be hired or purchased, and contact details for suppliers of academical dress can be found on the University website. (You may also like to consider Churchill Gowns, which focuses on creating sustainable gowns). If you have any further questions about dress code after reading the University webpages and our FAQs, please contact the Praelector's Secretary.
It is the student’s responsibility to register for a Congregation, which can be either in person or in absentia.
Upcoming dates are listed at the top of this page. Click on the date for more information about how to register for that date, including registration deadlines. Registrations normally open three months before the date itself. Some dates may still be subject to change, and some cohorts/degrees may not be eligible to attend certain dates, so please do not make any travel/accommodation arrangements before you have registered and received confirmation from the Praelector’s Secretary.
If you are receiving a degree for the first time you can register for a Congregation via your Extended Self-Service (ESS) account on CamSIS. Undergraduate finalists will receive an email at the start of the Easter Term with details on how to register for General Admission.
If you wish to put your name forward to receive your degree at any Congregation (other than General Admission) as a celebrant who has already received their degree in absentia during the pandemic, please refer to the dates at the top of this page to ascertain which Congregation you are eligible to attend. You can then register for the relevant Congregation by emailing the Praelector’s Secretary with the following information:
Surname:
First Name:
Pronunciation of Name for the Senate House speakers (if applicable):
Degree (conferral/celebration?):
Date of Congregation applying for:
Do you need to optout of the religious formula/request an in nominei Dei version?:
Number of guests in the Senate House (max. 2):
Are you attending lunch?:
Number of guests to lunch (max. 2):
Dietary requirements:
It is vital that you also check your Extended Self-Service (ESS) account on CamSIS to ensure your contact details (email address, phone number and postal address) are up to date and that your name is spelled correctly, as this will appear on your degree certificate. If your name is incorrect please change it and notify the Praelector’s Secretary.
Once you have registered for a Congregation you will receive a confirmation email soon after the registration deadline has passed. If you have not received confirmation two weeks prior to the Congregation please contact the Praelector’s Secretary.
Graduands are presented one by one to the Vice-Chancellor of the University or a deputy, in the presence of the Proctors who are the elected representatives of the Regent House.
Although Congregations are held throughout the year, the June Congregations are set aside for what is called “General Admission” to Degrees, at which most undergraduates proceed to their first Degrees at the end of their final term.
Students or alumni who are eligible to receive their degrees may do so at Congregations of the Regent House held on Saturdays at regular intervals throughout the year. The College Praelector is responsible for presenting students at Congregations when they receive their degrees.
