Graduation

Your graduation experience

Graduation is more than just a ceremony – it's a celebration of your journey, your hard work, and the bright future ahead. We take great pride in marking this milestone with an inspiring day of events that brings together graduands, families, and friends.

Your big day is also the start of the next chapter of your journey, both in life and as a member of our Surrey community.

Be part of one of the most memorable occasions on your journey, amidst our wonderful campus as a backdrop for memories that last a lifetime.

A day to remember

Held at our beautiful Stag Hill campus, your graduation ceremony is a chance to walk across the stage, receive your degree, and celebrate with those who have supported you along the way. Expect a day filled with pride, tradition, and joy, complete with professional photography, cap and gown moments, and the opportunity to connect with lecturers and classmates.

What to expect

Your graduation experience is made up of two once in a lifetime events, which all graduands and guests get free access to.

To make your day even more special, you are also able to bring your special guests to every part of the occasion.

• A stunning ceremony – join hundreds of your fellow graduands and their guests inside Guildford's iconic Cathedral (by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter and is used as a secular building on these occasions).
• An iconic graduation moment – take the famous walk onto the main stage to collect your scroll and doff your cap - the moment that you officially become a Surrey graduate in front of your proud family and friends.
• Your proud guests in attendance – your Surrey graduation experience is entirely free of charge for all the family, so make sure you have your guest tickets booked so they can help you to create lasting memories of your time at Surrey. We guarantee one ticket for you and up to two guests, but you can request additional tickets to ensure all your loved ones can attend.

We want to ensure that your name is pronounced correctly when being presented with your degree. If you find that people often have difficulty pronouncing your name you can fill out our Graduation ceremony name pronunciation form.

Your celebratory reception

• Our exclusive themed reception – the celebration continues in The Marquee with all graduands and guests are invited to enjoy free-entry to our garden-party-themed reception.
• A delicious treat for you and your guests – feast on a delectable afternoon tea with a generous buffet of savoury and sweet treats and free-flowing drinks to toast your achievements.
• Photo opportunities galore – The Marquee will be loaded with photo opportunities for you and your friends, perfect for capturing the moment on social media!

Your graduation preparation checklist

Award documentation

We can help if you need your certificate before you graduate, or want information on when you will receive your certificate:

• I do not want to attend my graduation ceremony, what should I do?
• Will I get my degree certificate at the graduation ceremony?

Search all graduation FAQs on MySurrey Help

Surrey alumni network

As a Surrey graduate, you are automatically a member of the Surrey Alumni Network – a worldwide community of over 100,000 former students.

Find out about all the alumni services and benefits, graduate magazines and volunteering activities you can now take part in.