Graduation 2025
Degree Presentation Ceremony – Wednesday 23 July, 2025
We all hope that you, your peers, your family and friends together with Courtauld staff can truly celebrate your achievements and success while at The Courtauld.
The Degree Presentation Ceremony will be held in the Concert Hall at the Barbican Centre on Wednesday 23 July 2025 at 12.00pm. The ceremony is expected to last approximately one hour and forty minutes. After the ceremony, we invite honorands, graduates, and their guests to join faculty for a reception to be held in the Barbican Foyer from 1.40pm. The event will be ticket only, so graduates and their guests should ensure that they hold on to their tickets for entry to the reception.
We selected the Barbican as our 2025 venue to ensure all graduands – from our BA History of Art programme, Graduate Diploma, all Postgraduate programmes and Research degrees – may attend the ceremony together.
Each graduand attending the ceremony needs to reserve a ticket free of charge for themself. If you intend to bring guests to the presentation ceremony and reception, guest tickets will need to be purchased, at a charge of £25 per person*. Guest tickets will be available on a first come first served basis.
The ceremony will commence at 12.00pm. Graduands and their guests are encouraged to be in their seats by 11.45am at the latest. All guests and graduands will require tickets to enter.
Confirm attendance
Graduands are required to confirm their attendance. The closing date for responses is 5.00pm, Wednesday 18 June 2025.
If you are potentially eligible to graduate in July 2025, you should expect to receive a graduation invitation email. Please check that your contact details are up to date in eVision and amend if necessary to ensure you receive the invite. If you have not received a Graduation 2025 invitation email by 20 May 2025 please email: graduation@courtauld.ac.uk
Research Students: Please note that if you have been awarded by 18 June 2025, you will be eligible to attend this year’s ceremony. If you have not been awarded by this date, we will be delighted if you would join us at the 2026 ceremony, about which you will be contacted in due course.
Please note that the graduation invitations are sent out before examinations results are known. We recommend that you register for the Graduation ceremony by the deadline given in the email.
Important: Graduand tickets will need to be collected from Vernon Square Campus (the location and dates will be shared with you via invitation email). You will require your student ID card to collect tickets. If you are unable to collect your ticket personally, you may nominate another student to collect it on your behalf, who must present an authorisation email from your Courtauld email address. If you or another student cannot collect your ticket, please email graduation@courtauld.ac.uk.
If you require special arrangements, please email graduation@courtauld.ac.uk with more information, and provide your registered student number and name.
If you previously registered to attend the ceremony but no longer can, it is vital that you inform us at graduation@courtauld.ac.uk, providing your full name and student number.
Graduand Guests
Each graduand may reserve guest tickets on a first come first served basis. A Guest Ticket link will be sent to graduands after they register to the event in eVision. Please note that a charge of £25 per person applies for guest tickets.* Once reserved online, a digital ticket will be sent to the email address provided.
*The following guests may attend for free:
- Children aged 2-12 (require guest ticket booking)
- Children under 2 (no ticket is needed, the child must sit on carer’s lap)
- Carers – if you or your guest require a carer, please email graduation@courtauld.ac.uk as early as possible to provide details.
During the booking process, you will be asked if your guest(s) have any access requirements. If your guest(s) require special arrangements, please email graduation@courtauld.ac.uk with more information, and provide your registered student number and name.
Please note that as the ceremony is quite long, it is not advised that very young children attend the ceremony. Unfortunately, we will not have crèche facilities for children.
The deadline for cancelling guest bookings is 11 July 2025. You will be unable to cancel and receive refunds on guest tickets after this date.
Academic Dress & Formal Attire
You are required to wear academic dress (hat, hood and gown) to the ceremony. Graduands are expected to hire and pay for their own academic dress directly through Ede & Ravenscroft (https://graduation-services.edeandravenscroft.com/academic/).
Graduation is a formal event, and it is expected that you will wear smart clothing beneath your gown. Smart but comfortable shoes are important, please no jeans or trainers.
On the day of the ceremony, graduands must register at the Box Office before collecting their gowns.
Photography
Ede & Ravenscroft will be providing professional portrait photography at the Barbican. If you would like to avail of this service, please make a reservation with Ede & Ravenscroft on their website (https://graduation-services.edeandravenscroft.com/academic/). Graduands are expected to hire and pay for their own photography directly through Ede & Ravenscroft.
Venue - The Barbican
Europe’s largest multi-arts venue, the Barbican, is located on Silk Street, between Barbican and Moorgate underground stations. Get directions here
It is essential that all guests present their own tickets upon arrival. Please ensure that your guests have their tickets before arriving at the venue as they will be asked to present it.
The foyer of the venue will be open to graduands and guests from 9.00am.
Please note that Graduands and their guests are expected to be seated in the Concert Hall at 11.45am (15 minutes before the start of the ceremony).
A Reception for graduates and their guests will be held in the Barbican foyer after the ceremony, from 1.40pm. You and your guests should retain your Graduation ticket for entry.
All guests will need to leave the Barbican by 4.00pm.
Checklist for Graduation
Required for all graduands
- Register your attendance for the Graduation Ceremony on eVision to secure your ticket.
- Check that your name is spelt correctly and indicate how it should be pronounced on the Graduation Registration form.
- Reserve Guest Tickets you intend to bring to the ceremony and reception.
- Digital guest tickets will be sent via email soon after purchase. Please share them with your guests before the day of the graduation ceremony.
- Book your gown, hood and hat with Ede & Ravenscroft.
- Book photography with Ede & Ravenscroft, if desired.
- Collect physical graduand ticket from Vernon Square Campus on dates indicated in the invitation email.
On the day
- Ensure you and your guests have the required tickets in advance to enter the venue efficiently.
- Please note that you and your guests will be required to show tickets on entry to both the Graduation Presentation Ceremony and the Reception, so it is vital that you collect your physical graduand ticket from Vernon Square Campus prior to the ceremony and guests will need to possess their own e-tickets (sent via email soon after purchase) to gain entry.
- Arrive at the Barbican via the Silk Street entrance and follow the signs to the foyer on level mins 1.
- Register at the Box Office in the foyer. Signs for The Courtauld will be visible at the Box Office.
- Collect your gown, hood and hat from Eve & Ravenscroft.
- (Optional) Attend photography session with Ede & Ravenscroft. Photography will be provided between 9am – 11.15am, and 1.40pm – 3.45pm.
- Session times will not be allocated. Arriving early to avoid queues is encouraged.
- Details of the location of the photography studios will be shared closer to the date.
- Enter the Hall where the presentation ceremony will take place and be seated by 11.45am.
- Graduands will have allocated seating, so please allow enough time to be assigned your seat.
- Please ensure your ticket is on hand to present at the doors to gain access.
- The reception will begin at 1.40pm in the foyer.
- All guests will need to leave the Barbican by 4pm.
Note: This page will be updated as required.
If you have any queries about the event, please contact graduation@courtauld.ac.uk.